Take 5 with Afterbliss

Dublin based band Afterbliss recently released ‘Remnants’, a catchy indie-rock tune exploring things left unsaid.

The Irish five-piece have been carving out a special spot for themselves amongst the indie music scene, with a focus on melodies, and a nod to icons like Interpol and Muse. Following on from their impressive first tracks ‘Kiss & Tell’ and ‘Until Sunrise’, ‘Remnants’ expresses a relationship that was never quite resolved, weaving the story amongst a sea of explosive guitars, synth and a relentless beat.

Shane Waldron (bassist) noted, “It’s actually the first song that we all wrote together, with the five of us all in the band, back in 2019. This song has gone through a lot of versions; I feel what we’re releasing now a really good representation of us, and what we can do. It’s us, it’s who we’ve shown ourselves to be already, but it’s also showing more of what we’re capable of, the variety of what we can do.”

 We got each band member to choose their top track of the moment- check out the queue they curated below!

‘Blind Leading the Blind’ – Mumford & Sons

Alex (lead guitar, synths and backing vocals)

I chose this song because of the energy, the meaning and the complexity of the song structure. Probably the song that has it all!  The dynamics of the drums and the guitars and the voice are just melting my soul with so many different emotions and I love that. A true source of inspiration for me.

‘Bed Head’ – Manchester Orchestra

Jay (rhythm guitar)

I chose this song because I love the mix of different emotions, musically & lyrically. Their singer Andy Hull mentioned the song is about old friends living in separate realities & the conversations they’ve had about the lives they’ve lived. It’s a moving topic, & I think you can hear the sense of urgency building in Hull’s singing throughout. The story is backed by subtle keys, aggressive guitars & pacing drums; all of which amounts to a striking outro. A stunning song & one I’ve kept on repeat!

‘Play Thing’ – Bury Me With My Money

Shane (Bass)

I discovered this track recently on a new Irish music playlist and loved it straight away! It feels like a Queens of the Stone Age song but with poppier sensibilities. It has everything I look for in a song, catchy vocals, cool guitar and synth work and a deadly little guitar solo. It shows you can have all of the elements of a great rock track and package them in a way that everyone can enjoy, something that we try and do in Afterbliss.

‘Mad Visions’ – Royal Blood

Ally (Drums)

Currently one of my favourite songs as it shows a band taking their sound into new territories. Originally a hard rock band, this song takes them into a lighter, more melodic place with a funk and disco feel. The strong female backing vocals in the chorus create a real symphonic presence and overall I feel the change in sound is reminiscent of my own style branching out from hard rock to other more experimental genres.

‘Waves’ – NewDad

Evan (Lead Vocals)

I’ve really enjoyed everything released by Galway band NewDad up until this point, but this track in particular just takes me away for its duration. I love the way this song builds up slowly and oozes nostalgic emotion as it does so, with lead singer Julie Dawson leading the charge.

Don’t forget to line up Afterbliss’ ‘Remnants’ to finish off your listening party, available everywhere!