New For 2020: Inhaler

Meet the stadium-ready Irish indie-rockers delivering flawless melodies.

Our New for 2020 guide introduces our top picks of the hottest new emerging live bands and musicians for those looking to find the best new acts to see live in 2020. Find the full list here.

On their latest single, Ice Cream Sundae, Irish rockers Inhaler have stadiums firmly in their sights. The soaring guitars in their melodic indie-rock far surpasses the comparatively intimate venues the band have been enjoying in recent months, having received an initial taste of bigger stages supporting the likes of Noel Gallagher at his hometown show.

The track, singer and guitarist Elijah Hewson explains, is about loss and gain. It’s a reflection of life as a teenager and the often contradictory feelings that accompany it. Ice Cream Sundae‘s melodic drive and introspective lyrics mirror that of their previous My Honest Face, both standing tall as shining examples of the songwriting prowess the four-piece possess.

Inhaler - Ice Cream Sundae (Official Audio)

Watch this video on YouTube

Yet away from the band’s hook-laden singles lie more experimental undertones. Citing Joy Division as a firm influence, perhaps most for their willingness to disregard the norm, b-side There’s No Other Place – a sprawling almost-eight minute epic – demonstrates a musicality all their own. Dense and carefully crafted, it builds with an unparalleled melancholic force; Hewson’s vocals as pained as they are mesmerising. Oklahoma, accompanying It Won’t Always Be Like This, is nothing short of heartbreaking.

Combined, their experimentation and stadium-ready melodies pave a bright path for Robert Keating, Ryan McMahon, Josh Jenkinson and Elijah Hewson (son of U2 vocalist Bono). Having formed in school and subsequently drip-fed occasional material online, it was the synth-led It Won’t Always Be Like This that ultimately saw Inhaler find their voice.

Now signed to Polydor Records, home of Sam Fender, The 1975 and The Rolling Stones (to name but three), Inhaler round off the year with their first ever headline tour, having played the likes of TRNSMT, Latitude and Citadel across the summer. 2020 looks set to welcome the band to vastly bigger stages.

More essential tracks

My Honest Face

Inhaler - My Honest Face (Official Video)