April 2, 2022
Coming out of the recent surge of creative forces from Ireland, Sprints' energetic and often chaotic sound is beginning to hit home and further afield. Their 2021 EP, Manifesto, found its way onto Peter's Top 25 EP's of said year. The band just released their follow-up EP, A Modern Job, and we got the chance to speak with them about their inspirations, future plans, and Ireland’s burgeoning music scene.
Q: The debut album, is it in the pipeline? What can fans expect from it?
Hopefully 2023. A debut album is such a concrete and cementing body of work that we want to make sure it’s absolutely right before releasing.
Q: Your debut EP, Manifesto, as well as your upcoming EP, A Modern Job, were both produced by Daniel Fox of Gilla Band. How did you make that connection and what has it been like working with him?
We hunted him down and wouldn’t take no for an answer… In all seriousness, we heard some of the production work he had done for other bands, and obviously were massive fans of Gilla Band themselves, so it felt like the right move. We wanted someone who understood the sound we were going for and could help us get there. Thankfully, it’s always been an easy and productive relationship and we look forward to keeping it going.
Q: Does each member of the band have a go-to album/comfort album? What makes it your go-to album?
Karla - Probably Tea for the Tillerman by Cat Stevens or any Dire Straits. They both remind me of my mother, early childhood drives to school and my passion for music awakening. I think we’re all big Bon Iver, Jeff Buckley, Big Thief and Lianne La Havas so those would be up there too.
Q: You’ve previously mentioned bands like IDLES and LCD Soundsystem–as well as fellow Irish acts Silverbacks, Just Mustard, Pillow Queens, and more– as inspirations. Are there any artists or pieces of art outside of music that have been influential to your work?
As a writer I’m pretty inspired by literature obviously. I think the work of Patti Smith, Charles Bukowski and George Orwell were pretty impactful on me but at the moment I’m reading a lot of Carmen Maria Machado and Ottessa Moshfegh.
Q: What hobbies/interests do you guys have outside of music?
We all have our own individual interests and passion - music being the one that binds us together mostly. However, myself and Colm are really into film photography, Jack loves reading and Sam loves sport, football and gaming. I wish one of us was like a skydiver or something so we had something more interesting to say. Maybe one day.
Q: Dublin, and Ireland as a whole, has gone through a bit of a creative period musically in recent years. Can you point to any specific reasons as to what has made the scene so vibrant?
I think Dublin is suffering severly from the effects of gentrification and a government more interested in attracting rich tourists than protecting our rich culture. Out of pain and struggle, creativity and music is often born, so maybe that’s the driving force
Q: How are you feeling towards your upcoming IE/UK tour? I imagine you’ve been eagerly awaiting it, as COVID surely threw a wrench in the majority of plans you envisioned since your formation in late 2019.
Couldn’t be more excited. We played our first live shows in years last October, and we’ve been dying to get out on the road since. It’s always such an extraordinary feeling to perform your music and see it affect an audience.
Massive thanks to the Sprints camp! Taking time out of touring and busy schedules is always a difficult thing to do and we’re grateful for their input and correspondence. You can find their latest release, A Modern Job, on all streaming platforms!
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