Music has always found its strongest roots in persistence, and few embody that word quite like Suris. The husband-and-wife duo, Lindsey and David Mackie, have spent a lifetime weaving sound, emotion, and experience into something distinctly their own. Their new 13-track album Pertinax, released on November 7, 2025, is both a sonic evolution and a philosophical statement. The Latin title translates to “to persist, stoically,” and it captures not just the tone of the record but the story of the artists behind it.
Pertinax is an album that feels deeply human. It’s lush yet restrained, bold yet intimate—a delicate balance that comes from two people who have lived, loved, and created together for decades. Lindsey’s textured, haunting vocals guide each track with grace and conviction, while David’s atmospheric guitar and meticulous production sculpt the emotional landscape around her. The result is music that feels timeless, cinematic, and alive, carrying the spirit of artists like Kate Bush, Radiohead, and Fleetwood Mac but filtered through a voice that is unmistakably their own.
The story of Suris is as captivating as the music itself. Lindsey and David first crossed paths as students at the University of East Anglia, performing at a benefit concert for the Vietnamese boat people—she fronting The Clynics, he on guitar with punk outfit Capitalist Music. That fateful meeting sparked a lifelong creative partnership that has weathered the changes of time, technology, and the music industry itself. What began as an experimental recording project on a four-track cassette blossomed into a decades-long exploration of sound and storytelling. They’ve built their artistic world brick by brick, driven by instinct, curiosity, and an unwavering devotion to their craft.
From the opening notes of Mended, it’s clear that Pertinax is a record of reflection and endurance. Written during isolation, the song draws inspiration from the Japanese art of Kintsugi, where broken pottery is repaired with gold, highlighting cracks rather than hiding them. Lindsey’s lyrics mirror that philosophy, celebrating imperfection as a form of beauty and experience. The song’s soft piano and understated percussion give way to soaring harmonies, evoking both fragility and strength. It’s a perfect entry point into an album that thrives on contrast—light and shadow, pain and peace, decay and renewal.
Last Train Home shifts the perspective inward, a meditation on gratitude and rediscovery. Lindsey’s voice glows with warmth as she sings about finding meaning in the familiar, the comfort of returning home after long detours. The music feels cinematic, with shimmering guitar lines and delicate layers of synths suggesting both nostalgia and hope. It’s the sound of dusk meeting dawn, of perspective earned through time.
On Now, Suris dive into the art of presence. It’s a subtle but profound song, one that captures the power of stillness. The arrangement is minimalist but full of texture, each note placed with intention. Felix Flower’s saxophone adds a touch of longing, wrapping around Lindsey’s vocals like smoke. It’s the kind of track that feels both immediate and eternal—a reminder to slow down, to breathe, to simply exist in the moment.
Then there’s Eruption, one of the album’s most striking moments. Fueled by frustration and clarity, the song confronts political hubris and societal decay with fierce conviction. It’s both a rallying cry and a release of anger, where Lindsey’s commanding voice rides atop distorted guitars and pulsing percussion. Yet even in its urgency, there’s precision—a testament to the duo’s ability to blend passion with poise.
Whole stands out as a hymn of defiance and solidarity. Written as a response to women’s oppression around the world, it culminates in a powerful chorus sung by a collective of female friends dubbed “the Persisters.” The track swells with emotion and purpose, its layered vocals creating an almost spiritual resonance. It’s protest music in its purest form—personal, powerful, and unwaveringly empathetic.
Across Pertinax, Lindsey and David prove that their creative synergy is their greatest strength. Every track feels like a conversation between them—a dance of ideas, emotions, and textures that blurs the line between artist and muse. On Huma, for instance, they craft a breathtaking allegory about freedom through the flight of a mythical bird. The song unfolds without repetition, mirroring the unpredictability of escape itself, and Felix Flower’s saxophone solo soars like the creature taking wing. Still Life, on the other hand, turns its gaze inward, questioning our obsession with capturing moments instead of living them. It’s a quiet but poignant reflection on modern life’s paradoxes.
Even the smaller, more intimate moments carry profound weight. Wayman tells the story of a lover returning too late, drenched in regret and melancholy, while Armour of Love draws strength from faith, referencing Ephesians to express divine protection and peace. Listen brings the focus back to human connection, urging empathy and attention in a world that’s forgotten how to truly hear.
By the time the album reaches its final act—Born to Be With You and Fugue—it feels like a journey completed. The former aches with unfulfilled longing, a ghost of love that refuses to fade, while the latter closes the record in quiet triumph. Fugue traces a sleepless night through fear, memory, and finally dawn’s gentle arrival. It’s a masterful finale, echoing the album’s central theme: persistence through pain, light through darkness.
The brilliance of Pertinax lies not just in its compositions but in its honesty. Lindsey and David Mackie don’t chase trends or overproduction. Their music breathes because it’s real—crafted by two artists who know that art doesn’t need perfection, only purpose. Their ability to play nearly every instrument themselves gives the album a rare intimacy, while their production choices create a sense of vastness that feels cinematic.
For Suris, Pertinax isn’t just another release—it’s the culmination of a life lived in music. It’s the sound of a marriage, a collaboration, a shared philosophy of endurance and grace. In an era where so much music feels fleeting, this record lingers. It asks you to listen, to think, to feel. It’s a work of art that honors the cracks, the mending, and the persistence that holds it all together.
With Pertinax, Suris have not only proven their place among the greats of art rock and dream pop—they’ve created a testament to the quiet power of endurance. It’s a record that doesn’t shout for attention but earns it, one that will keep unfolding new meanings with every listen. In its depth, courage, and beauty, Pertinax reminds us that persistence isn’t just survival—it’s art itself.
