Sprints

Sprints formed in Dublin in 2019, at the heart of an underground scene searching for new voices to update Irish punk's legacy. At the centre of the project is singer and guitarist Karla Chubb, joined by drummer Jack Callan and guitarist Colm O'Reilly, childhood friends who had already been playing music together since they were kids. Bassist Sam McCann joined shortly after, completing a line-up that has made directness and communicative urgency its trademark from the very start.

The name Sprints is no accident: it evokes a short, intense dash, much like their early songs — instinctive and abrasive, released between 2019 and 2020: "Pathetic", "The Cheek", "Kissing Practice". Those tracks already hinted at the band's coordinates: direct, cutting riffs, a tight rhythm section, and above all Chubb's lyrics, which swing between rage and vulnerability, political statements and intimate confessions. Patti Smith, PJ Harvey and Siouxsie and the Banshees are among the most-cited reference points, but the band filters them through a language that speaks to the present, with a visceral urgency that owes nothing to imitation.

2021 saw the release of their debut EP, "Manifesto", a title that spells out their intentions: to recount personal and social experiences without filters, from the fight for women's rights in Ireland to identity tensions and the pressure of growing up in a country shaped by strong religious influence. It was followed in 2022 by "A Modern Job", which broadened the scope and sharpened the mix of punk energy and introspection, of irony and vulnerability.

Their breakthrough came with their debut album, "Letter To Self", released by City Slang in January 2024 and recorded in just twelve days at Black Box Studio in France, produced by Daniel Fox of Gilla Band. It's a record that confronts anxiety, trauma, fear and insecurity head-on, but never slips into self-pity. On the contrary, Chubb's voice manages to turn pain into catharsis, and the songs alternate ferocity with moments of melodic release, giving room to a kind of songwriting that doesn't just scream out rage but also searches for comfort and hope. International critics welcomed the album enthusiastically, with reviews praising a surprisingly mature debut able to balance aggression with emotional depth.

2024 also brought a delicate transition: in May, guitarist Colm O'Reilly announced his departure, having decided to step away from live performance. After touring for a while with guest musicians, Zac Stephenson joined permanently over the summer, cementing a new line-up that shows no signs of losing momentum. If anything, the band came back with renewed energy, releasing the single "Feast", which tackles themes of desire, consumption, guilt and sin, filtered through a queer perspective critical of Catholic morality.

Today Sprints are recognised as one of the most vital and compelling forces in Europe's new post-punk wave. Having taken "Letter To Self" on tour across the UK, Europe and the US — often to sold-out crowds — they're now gearing up for a new phase in their career. Their second album, "All That Is Over", is already slated for September 2025 and promises to dig even deeper into the tension between personal fragility and social critique that defines their work. The Dublin band has already previewed some of the new material live (here's the review of their Rome show).

In just a few years, the Dublin band has carved out a very specific space for itself: that of a group able to translate private experiences and collective issues into raw, passionate, uncompromising music, proving that punk, in its renewed forms, can still be an authentic and necessary language.

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