As beguiling as the mythical sea creature with which they share a name, the genre-resistant, mixed-media project Mermaid Chunky is an object of profound fascination. They first hit our airwaves in late April, 2024 when FREAKS ONLY host Travis Holcolmbe began playing an advance copy of their DFA Records debut single “céilí” — a mesmerizing future-freak-folk anthem which makes prominent use of the recorder (the instrument, that is).

Holcombe considers “céilí” to be the best song of 2024 and Mermaid Chunky — whose founding members are duo Moina Moin and Freya Tate — the breakthrough artist of the year. Holcombe’s case is strong. In the roughly two years since LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy heard Mermaid Chunky’s early single “Friends” at a coffee shop and added them to the roster of his DFA Records, the group’s profile has expanded exponentially. In 2024 alone, they released their second LP (their first for DFA) slif, slaf, slof, hit the festival circuit, been profiled by The Guardian, and have opened for LCD multiple times to bigger and bigger crowds — most recently for four consecutive shows at The Hollywood Palladium (Nov. 7–10).

And now they’re here to tell us what makes them tick: From their hometown origins at the Stroud Valley Arts Space (complete with their time performing together in a two-tone ska band!), to the weirdest show they ever played. Plus, they’re sharing four songs that help explain their signature sound. Scroll on for their selects and click the player button on this page to enjoy the full chat.

Johnny Hawksworth – “Theme from Roobarb and Custard”

Kate Bush – “Army Dreamers”

Wojciech Rusin – “Glass Coil (Feat. Eden Girma)”

Mulatu Astatke and The Heliocentrics – “Addis Black Widow”