Debut album from Derry-based queer pop punk trio, Cherym. Hold onto your hats – this one’s a whirlwind!
Release Date: 16th February 2024
Label: Alcopop! Records
Formats: CD / Vinyl (purple and black splatter limited edition) / Digital
Welcome to Take It Or Leave It, the whirlwind, punchy, tell-it-like-it-is debut album from Derry-based queer pop punk trio, Cherym. Cherym have been generating waves of an increasingly turbulent nature over the past few of years; their 2018 debut EP, Mouthbreatherz, won them a solid support base around Ireland and, recently, discerning ears around mainland UK have also been tuning in to what this powerful collective have to say.
And they’ve got quite a lot to say, as it happens, and they say it with strength, commitment and an assuredness that requires anyone who’s listening to sit up and take notice.
Cherym are: Hannah Richardson on guitar and lead vocals, Nyree Dawn on bass and vocals and Alannagh Doherty on drums and vocals. Their influences include The Smashing Pumkins, Bikini Kill and The Pixies and their songs explore – and loudly proclaim – the experiences of queer Gen Z and non-binary people, the challenges of living with ADHD and autism, the stifling attitudes and mechanisms of the Catholic Church and Hannah’s personal experiences as a single black mother in Ireland.
Speaking of the attitudes and prejudices that have influenced the band’s lyrics, drummer Alannagh had this to say: “I think our scene has changed for the better in the sense that it is a lot more diverse than it used to be, and that’s just come from having more representation, but there are a lot of people who are still full of hatred and still hold on to a lot of ignorance and harmful stereotypes about women and non-binary people. I think, for us, the primary focus was to always have a safe place at our shows for marginalized people, and that has never changed, but now, more so than ever – with the news cycle and on our streets – we’re seeing a massive increase in violence against the trans community and people of colour. We will always do what we can to stand by and support these communities and stamp out the fascists who try to intimidate and erase us.”
That’s an admirable mission statement and, with Take It Or Leave It, Cherym are putting that plan well and truly into action. The album, recorded at Vada Studios in Alcester, Warwickshire, sees Cherym declaring their commitment more loudly and succinctly than they’ve ever done before – and they do that articulately, rather than angrily. Commenting on the band’s increased focus, guitarist Hannah says: “We were always labelled a ‘political’ band despite never releasing a single political tune before this album, but because we’re three marginalized people, that’s what people took us as, so we decided that, if we were going to be called ‘political,’ we may as well live up to that title!”
Alannagh continues: “We wanted this record to be our testimony as a band on topics like abortion rights in the North of Ireland, the fall of the church, being trans, being gay. We were well prepared for the haters whenever we wrote it, hence the album title, but I also thinks it’s important to note that this is probably the most honest we have ever been in our music and as a band.”
The commitment to honesty and articulation of the causes that the band hold dear is something that pervades Take It or Leave It, right from the clangy bass intro of opening track Alpha Beta Sigma. The song’s lyrics are a withering attack on the controlling instincts and desires of the Catholic Church and, despite the venom in those lyrics, there’s a joy to the music that I soon realized is an enduring feature of Cherym’s music.
There’s no doubting Cherym’s pride in who they are as they confront challengers with lines like: “How many times do I have to say, before you get it? – It’s THEY, THEM!” and “I don’t wanna wait for you to calculate non-binary.” It’s urgent, it needs saying, and it’s said to the accompaniment of a glorious burst of punchy power pop. Previously released to coincide with the 2023 Women’s World Cup tournament, the all-guns-blazing Taking Up Sport has already seen light of day as a single. A sharp drum salvo introduces a blast of vibrant punky pop, illuminated by a guitar solo from Hannah that reaches for the sky – and the song’s official video (see below…) saw Cherym take on the Derry FC football team at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, with a guest appearance from Tramp vocalist Sianna Lafferty!
A jab at those who resort to social media platforms to voice their often-prejudiced judgements of others, Colourblind is tight, immediate and choppy, before Cherym turn their attention to the subject of gender disparity and the sense of entitlement that it confers for If I Was A Man. Musically, the song is tight as a drum and punchy as a piston and, with lyrics like “All I ever wanted to do was be treated a bit more like you” and “The truth is, they’ll never know what it’s like to be told that you’ve let yourself go,” the band once again capture the zeitgeist.
After such a sequence of right-to-the-point messaging and fuzz-laden riffage, the acoustic-backed sentiment of Binary Star comes a real surprise – and a welcome one, too. Hannah’s vocal is front and centre in the mix and producer George Perks even risks dropping in a few strings, as Hannah’s acoustic musings explode into a glorious widescreen pop ballad. It’s a tune that came out of nowhere! Normal service is quickly resumed, however, as a burst of guitar feedback yields to the punky thrust of Aw Tysm, a potent decrier of the infantilization of autistic people and, once again, the message is packaged neatly into succinct phrases like: “Don’t tell me what I already know; Don’t fix me when I’m not even broke.”
Described as “a roaring ADHD anthem,” lead single Do It Another Day is another slice of thrusting, classic punk, before the focus turns to self-esteem and self-determination for the wonderful Am I Enough. Another clangy bass intro leads into an irresistible, repetitive riff, and Hannah delivers what is, quite possibly, her most confident vocal of the whole album.
Fast and urgent closing track It’s Not Me – It’s You brings this exhilarating album to its exhilarating finale. Described as “a poignant track about learning to walk away when we just can’t fix things anymore,” it’s fine song, awash with chiming guitars and tasty vocal harmonies.
With Take It Or Leave It, Cherym have made a proud statement of who they are and how they want to be perceived, and they clearly hope that their statement, and their messages, will encourage others to take confidence and comfort in themselves. As Alannagh concludes: “I feel like our fans really relate to us on [these subjects.] A lot of the fans we’ve talked to and who have reached out to us have said that we’ve helped them with their struggles in identity and that they don’t feel so alone in it because they see other people being so open and public with it, which is so heartwarming to hear. That, and also the constant meme sharing about being neurodivergent and/or queer, which I absolutely adore.”
Watch the official video to Taking Up Sports – the first of the album’s singles – here:
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