Morning SHow Interview

Flashback Friday 

Candid chat with Kylie Gillies & Larry Emdur on Channel 7 Australia's The Morning Show.

I Got You Babe (Feat. Shaggy)

Sonny & Cher Classic 

Collab with Shaggy on this classic for the movie Welcome to Woop Woop and shot the video in L.A. - we had a lot of fun.  

Merril Bainbridge & Coolio

Presenting at the American Music Awards 1997

Coolio and I presented the award to D’Angelo. Backstage I spent time chatting and drinking tea with the Bee Gees while Alice Cooper in full makeup sat nearby eating a sandwich.

Up Close and Personal

WITH RAY MARTIN

An intimate chat with one of Australian TV's most respected interviewers. Includes a performance of Lonely.

Girl Next Door

with Samuel Johnson

At the time I was pregnant with my son and I take the opportunity to show off my big beautiful belly.

Sydney From a 747

Directed by Bruce Beresford

Shot in my studio with some friends and members of my production team this video was directed by Bruce Beresford. “Sydney from a 747″, written and previously recorded by Paul Kelly. My version appeared in the film ‘Sydney – A Story of a City’, released as part of an official music compilation for the Sydney 2000 Olympic games.

Walk on Fire

Like the Travelling Wilburys only Prettier

If you look closely at this video it has all my fabulous team members in it. The characters you see were all part of my Production team and Record company.

Lonely

First Edit Version

This version is a copy straight off the Director’s first edit. Its not the version that made it to TV but I like it.

Between The Days

Molly Meldrum’s Countdown Flashback

The start of this clip features my friend Molly Meldrum who really supported my music. Its a takeoff of his show Countdown, an Australian Music TV show from the 70’s & 80’s. My band were awesome. Thank you. 

Under The Water

Universal Music Release

This clip was shot in the US for the release of Under The Water. Check out the two big guys at the end.

Sleeping Dogs

Rock Out

This clip has me playing all the instruments, based on an early Wings clip.

In 1994, Merril’s demo found its way to Producer Ross Fraser, who played it to Australian Artist John Farnham. Both were impressed and signed her to their new label, Gotham Records, distributed through BMG (now Sony) Australia. What followed was nine intense months at Powerplant, a prominent Melbourne studio, where she collaborated with a team of talented creatives to write and record her debut album, The Garden.

MOUTH

During one of those sessions, Merril had just finished a raw new track—a stripped-back demo featuring a quick vocal take recorded in the control room, a guitar groove, and a vocal beatbox loop. Ross heard it and was immediately excited. That song became Mouth, the first single from The Garden.

Initially, Mouth was overlooked by radio, released too close to the Christmas rush. But in February 1995,  BMG’s A&R Manager—took the track to Adelaide, where it received high rotation on radio. From there, it climbed to No. 1 nationally, holding the top spot for six consecutive weeks and eventually selling over a million copies worldwide.

THE GARDEN

The release of The Garden was accompanied by a second single, Under the Water. Both resonated with listeners—Under the Water reached No. 4 on the charts, while her album The Garden peaked at No. 5, cementing Merril’s place in the Australian music scene.

USA

In 1996 Merril signed with Universal Music in New York. There, Mouth quickly became the most requested song on American radio for three consecutive weeks. After 12 weeks climbing the Billboard charts, it peaked at No. 4 and remained there, becoming the most played track on U.S. radio over the 1996 Christmas period. It spent 30 weeks on the charts, sold 600,000 copies, and earned Merril her first U.S. Gold single.

HIGHLIGHTS

Promoting Mouth in the U.S. was a whirlwind. Merril visited 42 cities in just six weeks—sometimes three cities in a single day—traveling by Learjet between shows. She performed at Madison Square Garden alongside Sheryl Crow and No Doubt, toured with Jewel and The Wallflowers, and performed live to air to 22 million people on the Regis and Kathy Lee Morning Show. While on that tour she was fortunate to meet many artists including legends like Roger Daltrey, k.d. lang, and Ray Manzarek of The Doors to name a few.

She also presented at the Billboard Awards, stood backstage as Madonna presented and Celine Dion performed, and appeared with Coolio at the American Music Awards. There were surreal moments—drinking tea with all three Bee Gees backstage, sharing a sandwich with Alice Cooper, and performing exclusively at Disneyland before receiving a special behind-the-scenes VIP tour.

Back in Australia, she joined John Farnham at the Melbourne Grand Prix, performing to a crowd of 50,000and would later go on tour around Australia with him which was a personal highlight for Merril.

BETWEEN THE DAYS

Even while touring the U.S., Europe, and Asia, Merril continued writing. When she returned to Australia, she bought and transformed an old church into a recording studio, where she created her second album, Between the Days. It was during this period that she also founded her own label, producing and developing new artists—some of whom were later signed to BMG and Columbia (Sony) in the U.S.

She recorded a duet with Shaggy—covering the Sonny & Cher classic I Got You Babe—and shot the video in Los Angeles. Merril also joined John Farnham’s I Can’t Believe He’s 50 national tour, performing alongside Kate Ceberano, Ross Wilson, James Reyne, and Human Nature. She sang duets with John, including Burn for You and Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head.

In 2000, she wrote and recorded Friends for the animated film The Magic Pudding, and covered Paul Kelly’s Sydney from a 747, filming the video with acclaimed director Bruce Beresford which was shot for a short Australian tourist film.

THIRD ALBUM, GIRL NEXT DOOR & MOTHERHOOD

As her third album neared completion, excitement was building at BMG. The label was preparing for its release and a full promotional tour. Following the birth of her son, Merril continued working, launching the single Girl Next Door and heading out on the promotional trail.

But something had shifted for Merril. After returning from working interstate for what was meant to be overnight but turned into 3 days, she noticed her baby turning away from her. It hit hard! She broke down in tears and spent some time reflecting deeply. The decision was clear—she needed to step back. It was time for a break. Life and family, in all its fullness, had taken priority.

PEACHYMAMA

In 2011, Merril decided to return to fashion, another skill and passion of hers, and founded the maternity wear brand Peachymama. The brand grew quickly, gaining international recognition and was featured in Vogue UK. Peachymama established a strong presence in both Australia and the U.S., becoming known for its stylish, functional clothing for new mothers. In February 2022, Merril sold Peachymama to equity investors, marking a successful exit from the business Merril had built from the ground up.

FUTURE

Merril is currently working on a new venture while continuing to write and record her music which she intends on sharing early 2026.