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Photo: Spencer Shapeero

Waco, Texas-born, now Brooklyn-based singer, songwriter, and producer mer marcum embarks on a musical journey, emerging into the New York City scene with the release of her latest single, "Junkyard Dog." Trading her small-town roots for Brooklyn's bustling music scene, she carves her niche and makes authentic art characterized by evocative, lyrical intimacy underscored by fresh production.

The track opens with dogs barking in the distance, with mer's soothing vocals chiming in to sing, "I think you made me / Made me this way / Shaking my legs and looking for someone to blame / I think you hate me / For taking your place / I'm meaner than a junkyard dog / That's what you'd say," as floaty, lilting piano strokes, dreamy guitar riffs, and ominous distortion lingers in the background. On the hook, she counterpoints our protagonist's perceived prickly nature, belting that someone has molded her to be this way, and admits that even she's "scared that we'll always be the same."

When asked about the single, marcum shared with Ones To Watch, "'I'm meaner than a junkyard dog,' said my grandfather to my father and my father to me. When writing this song (which was first published as a poem in a zine from which the proceeds went to Safe Horizon (an NYC-based victim assistance organization), I was thinking about this image of a dog: a reflection of its owner and a product of its mistreatment. In the end, that is how I came to see my father, and eventually myself—this sentiment then inspired the hook of the song, 'somebody made you this way.'"

The accompanying music video, directed by Alex O'Neill and Lorenzo Zottoli, is a gritty visual that follows marcum as she traverses LA, accompanied by an intimidating-looking but very sweet Doberman. The video beautifully captures the emotional journey of marcum and her four-legged companion, as they spend their days running through the junkyard and parks, watching people pass by and lighting candle offerings to the moon.

The new single, "Junkyard Dog," is a significant milestone in marcum's music journey. It follows up on her previous releases, "Hours Off" and "Starting Over." These songs, which both landed on Spotify's Juniper and Fresh Finds Indie playlists, mark marcum's evolution and ability to find her stride in the music industry.

Watch the "Junkyard Dog" video below: