Hailing from Galway, Ireland, Light Grey put an experimental spin on the pop-punk formula with their new album – ‘NIGHTM@RES’. Led by Ciaran Nevin and Mikey Connolly, the quartet injects electronica into the hook-laced brand of pop-punk. Tracks such as ‘Famous,’ ‘Insomnia,’ and ‘Overly Tired’ serve as sugar-rushes of hyper-pop rock. It’s countered by angst-fueled moments like ‘Director’s Cut’. In between, the emerging Irish band deliver an abundance of catchy choruses that have seen them draw comparisons to State Champs and Hellogoodbye.
Elsewhere, Light Grey has one eye on the past with ‘The Experiment’ leaning into airy emo-electronica that harks back to when MySpace was supreme. ‘Losing Sleep’ struts within its insatiable pop-rock skin before ‘Square One’ calmly plays on Nevin’s vulnerabilities. Undoubtedly, Light Grey has plenty to offer and shows flashes of being more than your run-of-the-mill pop-punk band.
Perhaps on a wider scale, they’re representing a music scene that doesn’t always get the spotlight it deserves. The Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland have had their fair share of major names to leave their mark on the music world. U2, Thin Lizzy, Therapy?, and Ash are some of the first names that come to mind. More recently, the likes of Fontaines D.C. have been making a name for themselves. And of course, we can’t forget longtime Already Heard favourites, The Winter Passing.
In comparison, Light Grey is somewhat of an unknown quality. As they prepare to release ‘NIGHTM@RES’ this week (Friday, September 27th), we allowed Ciaran Nevin to highlight some of his fellow bands from the Irish music scene.
Greywind
From: Killarney, Ireland
Recommended Track: ‘Swing and Sway’
FFO: My Chemical Romance, Sleeping With Sirens, VersaEmerge
I love these guys to pieces!! They’re insanely talented, their music slaps and they’re the nicest people you will ever meet. We’re so lucky to get to claim these guys as Irish and they had to take my number one spot.
All I can say is their music feels like a combination of everything you love from the 90s blended with your 2010’s emo phase. There’s something so fresh but also nostalgic about it. They are absolutely killing it and I’m so excited to watch and follow their already crazy journey.
Rex Arcum
From: Cork, Ireland
Recommended Track: ‘Corruptions Last Victim’
FFO: Linkin Park, Twenty One Pilots, Dropout Kings
Rex is such a funny guy, I love hanging out with him every chance I get. He’s just full of beans and eager to get his music out there. I love how he’s taken all of his favourite influences and created something totally unique with it that I haven’t heard before.
With super deep lyrical meanings with some awesome rock/metal instrumentation, I really feel like he’s got something no one else has and he should run with it.
Idle Discourse
From: Dublin, Ireland
Recommended Track: ‘Rotten Egg’
FFO: Enter Shikari, The Prodigy, Wargasm
These guys are going to be the next HUGE thing from Ireland. They’re mixing The Prodigy with Enter Shikari and adding real hard-hitting poetry on top. It’s SOOOO cool!!
Every show I have gone to with them on the bill has been fueled with excitement, energy and impeccable vibes. Mark my words, these guys are going to take over the world.
Crown The King
From: Dublin, Ireland
Recommended Track: ‘Vibes’
FFO: The Wonder Years, Neck Deep, State Champs
Crown The King are a great gang of guys and our pop-punk brothers here in Ireland. I’ve had the chance to play some awesome shows alongside them over the years. I’ve been loving the direction they’ve been taking recently, melding more of a pop side into their punk but their gritty,
Dublin accent pop punk is such a hard hitter. I got the chance to work on some tracks with them recently and they sound great. I’m excited for people to hear what’s to come from the CTK camp.
Layen_
From: Limerick, Ireland
Recommended Track: ‘Skin’
FFO: Quannic, Superheaven, Loathe
One of my favourite emerging acts coming out of Ireland recently. In fact I was listening to a playlist one day and loved a song so much I went to look at who it was and there was Layen_‘s name!
Recently, he’s been going down a heavier path taking influence from shoegaze and metal scenes, which I think suits him so well. It’s a little bit of a departure from the future bass/hyper-pop side but I’m all for it. He has some live shows to announce coming soon and I’m really excited to see what he’s going to bring to the Irish scene.
poorME
From: Belfast, Ireland
Recommended Track: ‘Devil’s Eyes’
FFO: 93Feetofsmoke, Guccihighwaters, Fatse
poorME is one of our best buds in the Irish scene. We’ve got the chance to play some shows with him and he is always the best hang. poorME‘s music can be quite evocative, deep and always has such a strong and relatable message behind it. I feel like so many people on the island of Ireland are able to relate to a lot of what he has to say. The sound has a blend of emo and hip-hop, and I can even sense a little bit of a punk rock side in there.
‘NIGHTM@RES’ by Light Grey is released on 27th September on Never Meant Records.
Find Light Grey on: X (Formerly Twitter) | Instagram | TikTok | Spotify | Apple Music