An Interview with Kent Merriam of Feral Minks
In a world where indie bands are carving their own path with grit, passion, and countless tinny-sounding voice memos, Feral Minks is staking their claim. Frontman Kent Merriam sat down with The Indie Distributor to talk about the band’s journey from pandemic solo sessions to full-stage festival favourites.
Kent shares how COVID lockdowns gave birth to Feral Minks’ early work, what it’s like collaborating with The Glorious Sons’ Jay Emmons, and how life as a parent and former pro athlete informs his creative discipline. From dissecting the evolution of one of their latest singles, “Deeper Red” to reflecting on the state of the music industry and offering grounded advice for aspiring artists, Kent reminds us that the path is never linear, but it’s always worth walking.
The Indie Distributor: We’re joined today by Kent Merriam from the amazing Feral Minks. We’re going to talk about some of the projects you’ve got going on and how things started. Thanks again for joining us. Could you walk us through your backstory with the band, how it all began?
Kent Merriam: Thanks for having me. This project really started when COVID hit. We were all doing music in other projects, and when everything shut down, I kept going with my own music. We had all the time in the world, right? I connected with a guy from a small town near me, Conestoga, and I’d go there to record. He’d be in one room engineering, and I’d be in another recording. We did a five-song EP that way, me and Ben Kempel.
That process took a while… I’d go in for an hour or two at a time. After that EP was done and venues started reopening, it was time to put a band together. The guys I play with now, their projects had slowed down too, so I got to them first and invited them in. That’s how the current lineup came together.
After that first EP, I bounced it to Adam, the drummer from The Glorious Sons. I’ve known some of those guys for a while. Adam said Jay Emmons was getting into production and got us connected. I knew Jay a little, but once we linked up, he said he’d be interested in working together. Since then, Jay’s been the producer on all our stuff.
The Indie Distributor: I didn’t realize Jay was involved with everything post-EP. That’s awesome. So now that you’ve got a band in place, how has the writing process changed? You post a lot of great acoustic ideas online is it more collaborative now?
Kent Merriam: With everyone working day jobs and busy at night, what works best for me is carving out time after dropping the kids at school. I try to write every day, five days a week. It used to be at night, but with the kids staying up later now, it’s just not practical to be writing at 10 or 11 p.m. anymore.
I write after the drop-off, build a bank of ideas, then pick the ones I want to show the guys. I usually come in with a rough concept, but once we get together, things evolve. Everyone adds their own touch. It starts with my vision, but when Jay, Ryan, and Al bring their parts in, that vision expands.
The Indie Distributor: Totally. Songs have a life of their own; they grow when more people get involved. That collaborative magic. On that note, let’s talk about “Deeper Red.” You mentioned it was a long time coming. What was the process like for that one?
Kent Merriam: Yeah, I brought it to the table, and it started out completely different. I’ll probably post the original voice note at some point so people can hear the evolution. We experimented with a bunch of directions. Usually, we land on something pretty quickly, but “Deeper Red” took about a year to get right.
It started as an afterthought during rehearsal,s we’d finish running our set and then mess around with it. It kept changing. Add stuff, remove stuff. It just never quite settled until it finally did. The final version is a far cry from the original idea.
The Indie Distributor: I love those stories. Every band’s got songs that fall into place and others you have to drag out of the ether. What exactly changed was it the arrangement, the vibe?
Kent Merriam: The whole feel changed. It’s hard to explain. Once I post the before-and-after clips, it’ll make more sense, but it ended up in a very different place than where it started.
The Indie Distributor: And the video or “visualizer” for the track: how did that come about? You worked with Truffle Images and Front Row Lady, right? What’s the distinction between that and a typical music video?
Kent Merriam: Honestly, I’m not sure there is a strict definition. In this case, the visualizer was just a bunch of footage we already had. We didn’t go out and shoot a dedicated music video. Sandy from Front Row Lady did all the reels with lyrics and visuals we’ve used those for TikTok and Instagram. She also did the ones for “My Escapade” and “The Matador.” The plan was to do a content day for “Deeper Red,” but everyone’s work schedules got in the way, so that’s still on the table.
The track itself was recorded late one night in Kingston while we were finishing the “Young Desire” EP with Jay and Steve. We had a few songs nearly done, and they said, “Let’s try ‘Deeper Red’ live off the floor.” Took two or three passes. I didn’t love the vocal take it was late so I re-recorded that. Then we added some keys and backing vocals, but it started as a live take and built from there.
The Indie Distributor: Love that. So is “Deeper Red” part of a larger album effort, or standing on its own?
Kent Merriam: Right now, it’s a standalone single. We’re still figuring out what comes next EP, album, more singles. You hear people say it’s a singles market now. Personally, I’d love to do a full-length album, but we’ll see.
The Indie Distributor: Yeah, I still value albums too. They let you dive deep into an artist’s creative world. Singles are like snapshots. If I’d stopped at “No Rain” by Blind Melon, I’d have missed the full picture. But I get the appeal of giving every song its own moment.
Kent Merriam: Exactly. If you release an EP or album and only three songs are singles, the rest don’t really get their moment. With singles, every song gets its shot. That’s kind of how we’re approaching it, giving each track space to shine before moving on to the next.
The Indie Distributor: Makes sense. There’s no hard and fast rule anymore; it’s about knowing your audience. So, bigger picture question: if you could change one thing about the state of the music industry right now, what would it be?
Kent Merriam: Honestly, I just focus on what we need to do. We take things day by day. That said, the whole “TikTok blow-up” culture and the way singles dominate that part bugs me a bit. But we’ve got a great team, and we just keep moving forward.
The Indie Distributor: Totally. I’ve heard everything in these interviews from artists getting burned out juggling social, booking, writing,and producing. It’s a lot of hats to wear.
Kent Merriam: Yeah, I struggled with that about a year ago when we really started pushing social media. It was a learning curve. But you build your toolbox day by day. A year from now, the stuff that stresses you out will feel easy. You just keep at it.
The Indie Distributor: Love that. It’s a constant evolution. Like ambulance drivers, they have to look at the horizon to plan their moves. Same with musicians, you’ve got to think a year ahead. What advice do you give when younger musicians reach out?
Kent Merriam: I started my music journey late. Growing up, I was chasing the hockey dream. I played three years of pro overseas, but it didn’t pan out the way I hoped. I learned a lot from that, especially that I didn’t work as hard as the guys who made it to the show. That realization fueled how I approach music now. That’s actually what “The Polish” is about: recognizing you didn’t give it everything, but getting a fresh start and doing it better this time.
So yeah, my advice is: don’t give up. Take it day by day. If you really want it, go take it.
The Indie Distributor: I love that philosophy, nothing is wasted if you’re applying the lessons. What’s on your nightstand right now? Any books or inspiration?
Kent Merriam: I don’t really read much. My inspiration comes from past experience, from thinking about where I want to be, and what kind of father I want to be. That’s what drives me.
The Indie Distributor: Respect. So what’s next? Any upcoming shows or releases?
Kent Merriam: We’ve got a bunch of shows lined up for spring and summer. We’re also working on a fall tour. We’ll have an announcement soon, probably 10 or 12 shows. We just finished recording another tune, too. The plan is to let “Deeper Red” breathe, then maybe release the next one in late May or early June. Keep recording. Keep grinding.
The Indie Distributor: Love it. We’re big fans and hope to share a stage at some point. We’ll see you at Gussapolooza this year!
Kent Merriam: That’s the plan. Last year was our first time camping there brought the whole family.
The Indie Distributor: Amazing. Kent, thanks so much for taking the time. It’s always great to connect and hear where you’re at. Appreciate you, man.
Kent Merriam: Thank you. We all appreciate it!