We will never be a soft and cuddly band
Irish band Sprints released Letter To Self on the first Friday of the year. Issuing an album while the Christmas decorations are still up is something more artists should consider. There is a dearth of anything new to listen to so every publishing outlet on these islands with any appreciation for original music reviewed the debut from the Dublin garage punk quartet. There were four- and five-star reviews across the board for Letter To Self and if you permit me to quote my own evaluation last week: ‘Sprints have made an album of the year contender and it’s only week one’ (of 2024).
I first encountered them six months after their formation four years ago and it’s satisfying that singer/guitarist Karla Chubb, bassist/vocalist Sam McCann, guitarist Colm O’Reilly and drummer Jack Callan ignored the attention of major labels to ensure their sound and outlook would not be compromised. At the time of writing, that resolve looks like being
‘A major record label might have tried to change certain things about us’
rewarded with a top 10 placing in both the British and Irish charts.
‘I think a major [record company] might have attempted to change certain things about us and we were never about to become soft and cuddly,’ Callan says.
‘Our label City Slang are perfect for us. They are incredibly hardworking people but we’ve retained control over how things look and sound.’
The German label is also home to such singular-sounding artists as Tindersticks, Lambchop, Caribou and Iron & Wine. Singer Karla Chubb had to cry off interview duties the day myself and Jack spoke but I suggest to him that there is now an anger, almost a rage in her lyrics and vocal performance that has driven Sprints into an even darker netherworld, but one where their ever-increasing fanbase has followed.
‘Myself and Carla were listening to a lot of Bauhaus at the time, not that we sound like Bauhaus but we liked that creepy kind of feel to some of the music,’ he says.
‘Carla has become more comfortable writing songs that are a bit more personal the longer we’ve gone on. We all decided we didn’t want an album of 100 miles an hour songs that continually punch you in the face. So we added ones that gave a bit of variety like Shaking Their Hands, Shadow Of A Doubt or Can’t Get Enough Of It where there are twists and turns rather than the same pace for the whole thing.’
On early songs such as The Cheek, a live favourite that doesn’t feature on the debut album, Karla Chubb sang about encountering men on nights out who were obnoxious when she, as a member of the LGBTQ community, was not encouraging of their advances. She told me in the most recent interview I did with her, ‘I am so used to life as a queer woman that it doesn’t really come into my head when I’m writing now. I write honestly about my experiences in life and that just happens to be a part of it.
‘These days everybody is feeling the pressure of a lack of housing, higher rents and the cost of living. It feels like we’re being squeezed and squeezed… That frustration and anger has perhaps subconsciously come out in the newer tracks.’
That is evident on the debut album and Jack also says that individually they were finally able to dispense with the day jobs that were necessary to support their ambitions while living in Dublin.
‘I love Dublin to bits but it’s just mad how much more expensive everything has become since we started just over four years ago,’ he says.
‘Even a lot of my mates outside of music have moved to London and elsewhere. When I go over to them I often find that the rents are slightly cheaper [than Dublin] and they are also in a good area of London where there’s a million things going on every night. Also a lot of things happening for us are UK-based, if we moved there we would save money straight off the bat.
‘We haven’t done it yet but I wouldn’t rule it out in the future.
‘If you can make a living off playing live then you feel you are in an okay place,’ he says.
‘The main thing is we have our album out – people really seem to be relating to what we do and we are about to tour Europe and then America, and we can’t wait.’
■ Letter To Self is out now. See sprintsmusic.com for live shows.