Fangclub

Dublin-based trio Fangclub drew major-label interest through a distinctive take on grunge revival. School friends Kevin Keane on bass and Steven King on guitar and vocals had already spent their teenage years performing together in various groups in Rush, North County Dublin. After auditioning several drummers, the pair encountered Dara Coleman at a house party, and the lineup was finalized by 2013. True to the punk and grunge ethos of their sound, the band adopted a self-sufficient method by relocating to Ballyheigue in County Kerry, where they laid down more than twenty-five tracks. Their first EP, Bullet Head, followed, and an appearance on Radio Nova’s Locals Only program brought them to the notice of Universal Music’s Irish division.

Impressed that Fangclub had already completed both an EP and a full album, Universal offered a contract in March 2015. Drawn largely from those early independent sessions, the band’s second EP, Coma Happy, surfaced in 2016. Extensive live activity ensued, including a headline date at Whelan’s in Dublin and two performances at Electric Picnic to close out the festival calendar. That same year Fangclub made their first U.K. appearances alongside Welsh outfit Pretty Vicious and also supported Twin Atlantic on the road.

The group’s self-titled debut album arrived in 2017, its raw yet melodic songs shaped by the dynamic contrasts pioneered by Pixies. Throughout 2018 the trio maintained a busy touring schedule across the U.K. and Ireland while opening for acts such as the Cribs and Milk Teeth; the EP True Love was also issued during this period. In May 2019 the band traveled to the secluded Giant Wafer studios in Wales for a month-long recording session that produced their second full-length, Vulture Culture. Released that July, the album presented a denser, more aggressive sound than its predecessor.