FEATURE:
Spotlight
over the past couple of years. Bands have always been visible, but not necessarily vocal. By that, I mean there were bands around, but what was being produced did not necessarily connect or leave a lasting impression. Hailing from Dublin, Inhaler are a group who are already primed for big things! Consisting Elijah Hewson – vocals, guitar, Robert Keating – bass guitar, Josh Jenkinson – guitar, and Ryan McMahon – drums, the lads are in their early-twenties, but they have a sound and conviction that is reserved for groups with greater age and experience. I want to source from a few interviews they have provided but, first, it is best to provide an introduction to Inhaler:
“Dublin quartet Inhaler recently completed a UK and European tour that saw them sell over 7,000 tickets and play to frenzied, sold-out crowds. November saw them support Blossoms across the US, before heading to Mexico for a slot at Corona Capital. They’ve announced a new run of dates in the UK & Europe for 2020 that will include a show at London’s Heaven on Thursday 20th February, their biggest headline show to date. Kasabian recently announced Inhaler as one of the support acts at their huge hometown show at Leicester’s Victoria Park next summer. Four friends who formed the band in school, Elijah Hewson, Robert Keating, Ryan McMahon and Josh Jenkinson bonded over a love of similar groups, taking in The Stone Roses, Joy Division, The Strokes, Depeche Mode, Interpol, Kings Of Leon, The Cure and more. Over a handful of singles – It Wont Always Be Like This, My Honest Face & Ice Cream Sundae – they have amassed a diehard fanbase, with their tracks being streamed over 8 million times. They make songs about being young and finding your way, music that connects. “I’m just trying to write about the joy of being alive, being a teenager, and the bad things that can come with that. I don’t like it to be all happy, I don’t like it to be all sad”, says frontman Hewson”.
Inhaler deliver impassioned and memorable Indie Rock with a slight Pop edge, and there is a tightens and quality that marks them out for longevity and intriguing progression. So far, they have six singles in their lifetime – the band formed in 2012 and named themselves Inhaler in 2015 -, and they have found themselves lauded and celebrated. NME named them as one of their ones to watch in 2020, and the Dublin band came fifth in the BBC’s Sound of… for this year. The guys have, like all artists, found themselves restricted and improvising during this crisis. They are keen to get back on the road and play as much as possible, and keep an eye on their socials to see if there are going to be any dates later this year or next year. When Inhaler spoke with JOE earlier in the year, they were asked about bands like The 1975 and The Strokes, and whether they are artists they emulate. The latter, especially, with a barer, rawer sound and songs about being a loner in New York City, for example, is a lot different to what you might expect from a group like The 1975. They were asked whether The Strokes’ style is something that connects with them:
"I think we're all as cool as each other, and we're all very cool," Keating knowingly deadpans. "I hope so, anyway."
"For us, we want to be a band," Hewson underlines. "We don't want to be a backing band and a singer. That's uninteresting to us. I think, as individuals, we're not that interesting but together we're slightly interesting."
Someone who agrees with that last part is enduring industry tastemaker Zane Lowe, who featured the band on his Beats 1 show on Apple Music in December.
"He basically reached out to us when he heard we were coming to LA," notes Hewson. "We were supporting Blossoms. He'd been a fan of 'My Honest Face', he'd heard that and was like, 'If you're in LA, come on the show' so we rocked up".
Right now, the band has a healthy fanbase behind them, and there is so much anticipation regarding what they will do next - and whether there will be an E.P. or album arriving. It has been a really successful and productive past year for Inhaler and, with the release of the single Fade Into You (released a couple of weeks ago, it is a cover of the Mazzy Star classic) still reverberating, it is onwards and upwards. I want to go back to last year, when Inhaler were interviewed by NME. They were a band on the rise and, at the time, had no scooped accolades from the BBC and NME in terms of their promise in 2020. It is interesting reading the interview and hearing about their early days and influences:
“We’ve done our fair share of small pubs and clubs, which was great but it’s also good to have those big shows where you’re given 30 minutes to do what you like,” said bassist Rob Keating of their experience. “There was no pressure on us and to have that platform was great. To see what it’s like to perform on those stages, because obviously that’s our end goal.”
But what can newcomers expect from their sound? While ‘My Honest Face’ sees the band experimenting with post-punk, they say that there’s a whole range of influences at play.
“We’ve all grown up listening to different music and when we come together that shows. We’re creating our own style from that,” they explain.
“For me and for us as a band, we’ve known that there’s going to be doors open,” Eli said. “There’s no doubt about it, but those doors will shut just as fast as they open if we’re not good. It’s the pressure to step up our game and not be shite”.
Although Inhaler, in terms of their youth and looks, might seem like a band akin to The 1975: there are harder sounds to be heard but, for the most part, it is Pop being produced. I do not mean to return to The 1975, but Inhaler have been compared. I think the Dublin band have an edge to them, and they seamlessly unite sounds of the 1990s and early-2000s with what is happening today; there is swagger to be found and, in an interview with GQ recently, they talked about their experiences with Rock legends Bono and the Gallaghers. It is an interesting and revealing interview, but I think the most interesting exerts relate to GQ’s assessment of Inhaler’s sound/appeal and their tireless work ethic:
“Inhaler’s appeal is rooted in the kind of 1990s nostalgia that’s been reborn for 2020’s generation, for kids who dress like Stone Island versions of Shaun Ryder. The singles they’ve released so far are Madchester-influenced, feel-good, jangly pop-rock – like their latest single, “We Have To Move On”, which sounds like an early Killers record. There’s a purity in Inhaler’s dedication to vintage guitar music in a TikTok era.
Back to that intense schedule for 2020. Currently the boys are living at home with their parents in Dublin, mainly because they’re on the road so much this year that it’s nigh on impossible to plant roots, even harder when you’re 20.
It means that this year is in a state of flux, between selling out US venues and keeping their sisters from moving into their rooms at home. Caught between being on BBC Radio 1 and being out of the loop with their friends in Dublin. Navigating between working with Pulp’s Antony Genn on their debut album and learning how to wash and pack for the road.
What really sets Inhaler apart as a band is their work ethic. They’re all in agreement that work takes precedence over a night out. “No matter what we got up to that night, no matter what you do in the day, no matter what, you've got to be on top for the gig,” says Eli, with the same focus as a TED Talk speaker whose background is in motivation”.
Keep an eye on Inhaler as they are a rare example of a band being hyped all over the place that will be able to live up to that and not lose their identity and focus. I have seen so many bands being hailed and heralded and, before long, they ever lose that momentum or they go in the wrong direction. Inhaler are that rare breed: they seem humble but have a bit of a cocky side; they are young and upcoming but they already seem defined, accomplished and mature and, when it comes to their music, the music can simultaneously get your feet moving and…
TAKE your breath.
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