In the male dominated punk scene of Northern Ireland, Alannagh Doherty (drums) Hannah Richardson (guitar and vocals) and Nyree Dawn (bass and vocals), known as the collective Cherym are ready to leave a mark on not only their punk scene but the Universe’s as well.
WIth their debut album, Take It or Leave It reaching the masses on February 16th, Alannagh says this about their local music scene,
“I think that 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 in bands. I think for us the primary focus was to always have a safe place at our shows for marginalised people and that has never changed, but now so more 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.”
While the trio started Cherym in defiance of the all boys club the music industry can be, their efforts resulted not only in a stand against the norm but also a source for freedom of expression, self-discovery, and community.
What I find refreshing about Cherym is that no matter where one falls on the spectrum of gender or sexuality, their music resonates with all. While their influences may be that of The Smashing Pumpkins, Bikini Kill, and Pixies to name a few, there is a refined punk vibe that reminds me of Vans Warped Tour era bands.
The trio recorded Take It or Leave It with long-term producer and friend George Perks and found themselves collaborrating more together than their previous releases and leaning into their pop punk vibes. The collaboration and vibes can easily be heard throughout the ten song album.
Whether it’s songs like their ADHD anthem, “Do It Another Day”, a pointed look at the Cathloc Chruch in “Alpha, Beta, Sigma”, supporting queer pride in “The Thing About Them”, red flags in “Colourblind” or the infectious “Taking Up Sports”, Cherym at heart are bringing souls together through their own journey of heartbreak, self-discovery, and political statements.
Without being sanctimonious or holier-than-thou, Cherym’s freedom of self expression shines bright through songs and allows the listener to be exposed to new thoughts and opinions that may differ from their own.
Fresh, effervescent, fed up, and a little go fuck yourself, Cherym brings the fun vibes back to pop punk and Take It or Leave It is stunning debut that leaves one better off than when they started listening to the album.
MUST LISTEN TRACKS: “Alpha Beta Sigma”, “The Thing About Them”, “Binary Star”, “It’s Not Me It’s You”
EDITOR’S NOTE: Nyree announced their departure from the band on January 9th
