Wikipedia

Sprints (band)

Sprints are an Irish garage punk band, formed in Dublin in 2019; they are a four-piece composed by lead-singer and guitarist Karla Chubb, bassist and vocalist Sam McCann, guitarist Colm O’Reilly and drummer Jack Callan.[4] They recorded a series of singles and EPs between 2019 and 2022 for the label Nice Swan.

Sprints
The band in 2022, left to right: Sam McCann, Karla Chubb, Jack Callan, and Colm O’Raghallaigh
Background information
OriginDublin, Ireland
Genres
Years active2019–present
Labels

Members
  • Karla Chubb
  • Colm O’Reilly
  • Sam McCann
  • Jack Callan
Websitesprintsmusic.com

The band then signed with City Slang. Their debut album, Letter to Self, was released in January 2024 to critical acclaim.[5]

Biography

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Singer, guitarist and lead-songwriter Karla Chubb, was born in Dublin but spent her early childhood in Düsseldorf, Germany before moving back to Ireland.[6] Chubb, guitarist Colm O’Reilly and drummer Jack Callan are childhood friends. They have been playing music together since the age of 10.[7] They then recruited bassist Sam McCann,[7] who also sings on records and on stage.[8] Frontwoman Chubb was inspired by the energy of punk rock. She mentioned the likes of Patti Smith, Siouxsie and the Banshees and PJ Harvey as vital forces.[9] The band started to be professional in 2019,[9] their first single "Pathetic" was intended to be a "straightforward song". They wanted to write songs that were "relatable [...] honest and raw and kind of just our take on life".[8]

Their second single "The Cheek" followed in September 2019: it was reviewed as "catchy with a manic ferocious chorus".[10] Another single "Kissing Practice" was released in February 2020,[11] Daniel Fox from Girl Band was instrumental as producer for "embedding certain textures and layers".[11] Chubb then described their music as a "melding of genres, from grunge to punk to garage. Anything we write is very rooted in a real story."[11] They released in 2021 the EP Manifesto which was inspired by the campaign for Repeal The 8th in their country, and women’s ongoing fight for bodily autonomy.[7] The band toured extensively in 2023: Clash magazine praised their "electrifying live show".[12]

Their debut album Letter to Self was released on 5 January 2024,[4] it received acclaim from critics.[5] The band will be touring Europe, the US and the UK from February through till May.[13] After selling out their British tour 5 months in advance, they have announced three UK dates for November, with shows in Bristol's Marble Factory (12th), London's Kentish Town Forum (13th) and Manchester's New Century Hall (29th).[14]

At the final concert of the 'Letter to Self' album tour on the 4th of May in the Button Factory in Dublin, the band announced the departure of guitarist Colm O'Reilly. A public statement was released on the band's social media accounts on the 20th of May.[15]

Style

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They have been described as punk-pop quartet but the music is "raw" and "ferocious".[6] They are a guitar band.[6] NME said that they married "intricate alt-rock with fierce bursts of noise-punk and grunge".[16] Journalist Ed Power wrote that "Sprints songs are breathless pile-drivers, powered by Chubb’s ear for cut-glass melody and by their producer Daniel Fox’s ability to make intimate music feel huge". Listening to their music "feels like tiptoeing into a stranger’s room and reading their intimate diary entries".[6]

Discography

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Studio albums

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EPs

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  • Manifesto (2021)
  • A Modern Job (2022)

References

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  1. ^ Byrne, Stephen (10 August 2021). "Dublin post-punks Sprints are forging their frustrations into a brighter future". GoldenPlec. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  2. ^ Buchanan, Rhys (8 September 2020). "Sprints: Dublin's next no-fucks-given guitar heroes". NME. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  3. ^ Carter, Emily (7 June 2023). "Sprints drop new single: 'This is the outward expression of my own frustration, struggle and rage'". Kerrang!. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Loftin, Steven. "Sprints: "It's this little weird, very unrelated, dysfunctional, psychotic family" | Interview". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Letter to Self by Sprints Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d Power, Ed. "Karla Chubb of Sprints: ‘You definitely get the comments, the F-word and stuff shouted at you’". The Irish Times. 6 January 2024. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  7. ^ a b c "Sprints Letter to Self - press sheet. Cityslang.com. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  8. ^ a b Crook, Oliver (28 May 2019). "Interview: Meet Sprints, The Band With A Plan To Have All Your Friends Talking About Them". Atwood Magazine. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  9. ^ a b Clayton-Lea, Tony. "Karla Chubb of Sprints: ‘I was never hyper-feminine, never super-masculine or butch, but always somewhere in the middle". The Irish Times. 11 March 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  10. ^ "Sprints the Cheek review". Indiebuddie.com. 20 September 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  11. ^ a b c Renaud, Alix. "Q&A with Karla Chubb of Sprints". Hotpress.com. 19 February 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  12. ^ Murray, Robin. "Sprints Announce Debut Album Letter To Self". Clashmusic.com. 5 September 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  13. ^ "Sprints - Tour Dates". Sprintsmusic. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  14. ^ Taylor, Sam. "Sprints Are Going To Play Their Biggest Shows Yet this November". Readdork.com. 25 January 2024. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  15. ^ Sprints. [1]. instagram.com. 20 May 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  16. ^ Shah, Rishi (3 January 2024). "Sprints – Letter to Self review: noise-rock ripe with melodrama". NME. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
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