Dublin grunge and alternative rock band SWELTR have released their new single, Hideaway, rte.ie reported. The duo plan to follow the release with their debut four-track EP in early 2027.
Guitarist and vocalist Tony Keyes and drummer Noel Dempsey formed the band in 2022 in Finglas. Since their formation, the pair have released a string of singles and played numerous gigs around Dublin.
Keyes described the band’s output as a heavy alternative rock two-piece that is loud and thumpy. The duo have spent the last four years experimenting with different sounds and techniques to make their music sound as big as possible, while lyrically aiming to reach into people’s subconscious frustrations, Keyes told rte.ie.
Dempsey’s musical influences draw from a wide range of drummers with distinctive sounds and feels. He cites Karen Carpenter from The Carpenters, Meg White from the White Stripes, Dave Grohl with Nirvana, Queens of the Stone Age, and Them Crooked Vultures, Phil Collins, and Thin Lizzy’s Brian Downey as key inspirations, rte.ie reported.
Keyes attended his first gig to see Kasabian at Marlay Park in 2011, noting that Noel Gallagher’s technical issues made the event memorable. Meanwhile, Dempsey’s first record purchase was a 2005 emo rock compilation CD titled Supercharged, which featured tracks by My Chemical Romance, Good Charlotte, blink-182, and Sum 41.
“You don’t need a weather man to know which way the wind blows,” Dempsey named as his favourite lyric of all time, quoting Bob Dylan’s Subterranean Homesick Blues, rte.ie reported.
Keyes named Boston band Pile’s track A Loosened Knot as his current favourite song, while choosing the Pixies’ Magdalena 318 as the one track he would listen to for the rest of his life.
The duo share a fondness for Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy, which heavily influences their conversations and even inspired their song Otto, named after Doctor Octopus.
When did SWELTR form?
The duo formed in 2022 in Finglas.
Tony Keyes handles guitar and vocals, while Noel Dempsey plays drums.
When is the debut EP scheduled for release?
The band plans to release their debut four-track EP in early 2027.
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