Sprints – Manifesto (2021)

Sprints – Manifesto (2021)Irish post-punk band from Dublin. In 2021, the band released this debut EP, produced by Daniel Fox and inspired by the 2018 referendum to abolish Ireland’s abortion ban.A year later, the second EP A Modern Job followed.

The band have played at South by Southwest and Glastonbury , and have also supported Liam Gallagher (Oasis) and The Dubliners.

James Wilkinson (of online magazine Allmusic) described Sprints as an alternative rock quartet that ‘incorporates aspects of post-punk and garage punk to deliver an urgent, vulnerable sound that remains technically accurate’. The mood changed frequently, ‘from thoughtful to fun or disharmonious to melodic’.

Rishi Shah of UK magazine New Musical Express wrote that the band ‘marry intricate alternative rock with heavy bursts of noise punk and grunge’. Their music has been compared to such great bands as the Pixies, Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Savages, LCD Soundsystem and Idles. Julia Köhler – from German magazine Visions – actually recommended debut album Letter to Self to fans of bands like Press Club, Idles and Savages.

Singer Karla Chubb’s vocals are inspired by Patti Smith and David Byrne (Talking Heads), among others, as she also has a certain impressive rage and ability to hold notes. She’s also not without a sense of humour. In February 2024, the band toured Europe as co-headliners with English Teacher. In May 2024, guitarist Colm O’Reilly left the band. His successor was Zac Stephenson. Four tracks here: Drones, Swimming, Manifesto and Ashley Not sure you’ll find them in physical form (or in a very limited edition).

Ideal for letting off steam, getting up the courage when you’re at rock bottom or going for a jog when you don’t feel like it. In fact, I’ve just found the motivation to do a bit of exercise! It’s the kind of band that’s just filed under Pop/Rock in the shops and it’s the kind of thing that makes fans who are a bit more connoisseurs jump.

There’s good Pop, of course, but to classify a band that does Garage and Post-Punk in the same bins is pretty heartbreaking. A powerful moment! Thirteen minutes of pure rock pleasure. Dissonant at times, soaring, trippy, exhilarating, energising, this almost quarter of an hour is by no means insignificant, and I wish this band a long career.

Sprint has everything to succeed and above all everything to please fans of these kinds of music. Nothing to do with Roxy Music’s Manifesto in case you were wondering !