Posted by “It’s fulfilling to see the crowds are getting bigger. You see people afterwards and realise you’ve met them at previous gigs”, Inhaler’s drummer Ryan McMahon tells Clash. “To see them coming back is a nice sign.”
The Dublin pop-rock four-piece spend much time playing blistering live shows around the world. They just completed their first show in Tokyo, at Shibuya Stream Hall, and loved it. It’s an explosive rise, and they’re making the most of it.
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Frontman Elijah Hewson, bassist Rob Keating and McMahon played together since they were thirteen, but the band didn’t form until guitarist Josh Jenkinson joined. Being friends is key, Inhaler explain. “That’s probably the best thing about us, we were friends before we were in a band”, says Keating. “It’s about how we’re feeling, the music comes after. It’s a healthy relationship.”
Musical references are diverse with elements of ‘80s synth-pop and post-punk. Demonstrating their passion for Manchester’s music scene, respect is paid on their latest single ‘We Need To Move On’, a mesmerising synth-laden track. The theme is to let go of tradition and moving forward in life. “It’s a homage to Joy Division’s song ‘She’s Lost Control’” says Hewson. “We wanted some drum machine or sequencer that stuck out, we decided to put it at the start.”
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Openness is key. Their songwriting approach varies with each song, while some of the material is a result of “throwing riffs at each other”. A debut album is on the way, and the plan is to complete, and hopefully release it, this year. – Setting their sights on North America, Inhaler made their first touring visit with Blossoms last year. “We are comfortable with them”, says Jenkinson. Keating agrees, “It was good of them to take us under their wing, give us insight. They’ve worked hard.”
Inhaler want to progress, but don’t want to put themselves under pressure. “We wanna be a great band,” says Hewson. “We didn’t go into this with a top-five-list of things to achieve. It’s something we fell into, fell in love with. We’re taking every day as it comes.”
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Words: Susan Hansen
Photography: Alex Sains