Athlone band The Halez release new single “Coming For You”
Destined to be “one of the big new Irish acts” by Ken Sweeney in The Irish Sun, Athlone indie / alt rockers The Halez launch 2025 on a high with first single, “Coming For You”.
The Hot Press "New Local Hero" competition finalists of 2024 for Shannonside FM only debuted last year with single "Charlie", yet have quickly risen to the forefront of Irish Rock.
Their most rock-centric release to date, new single, "Coming For You" commands immediate attention with its thumping drums and irresistible singalong chant, reminiscent of alternative anthems like "Chelsea Dagger". The band set out to create something fun, memorable, and musically communal - designed to get the crowd involved no matter the venue. On the song's standout vocal hook, lead vocalist Kieran Murphy shares:
"The hook just came to me and it refused to leave! I brought it to the boys the next day and it all came together in the first jam. They say the best tunes come easy and this felt like one of those for us.Before we landed in the studio with the maestro Billy Farrell, we actually started off recording the vocal hook and some basics in one of the lads’ sheds. It was the depths of winter—freezing cold—so the four of us huddled around a mic, chanting ‘Na Na Na Na’ and trying to stay warm. Whiskey may or may not have been involved....purely for survival, of course.
After a few takes and a few sips we started taking the piss and sang it in a ‘Darth Vader’ voice, thinking, ‘No one will ever hear this.’ But somehow, that take made it into the final mix! If you crank up your headphones, you can actually hear it. That sums up the song for us—high energy, a bit of madness, and a lot of fun".
The new single teases that the band also aren't afraid to bring a bit of mystery into their evolving sound, which takes inspiration from The Stone Roses, The Beatles, Oasis and the iconic bands of the Britpop era:"There’s a bit of mystery around the lyrics that makes this song different from our previous releases—it’s got that femme fatale vibe. Who is this admirer? Is she a real obsession, or could she be a Catfish? It leaves you wondering—are you gonna run and hide, or give in to her charms?"
On what's in store for the remainder of the year, Murphy continues:
"We've got some cool stuff in the pipeline for 2025 and this is the track to kick it off, we can't wait to get it out there. It's rockier than our previous singles, bags of energy with a cool sing along hook"
On a mission to bring guitar rock to new heights in the Irish scene , The Halez are leading the charge - and this is just the beginning.
About The Halez
The Halez (pronounced "The Hails") is a band comprised of longtime friends Kieran Murphy (vocals), Jerome Sheerin (guitar), Cormac Sheerin (bass) and Eamonn O'Toole (drums). First meeting in Sean's Bar in Athlone (Ireland's oldest pub), the group's chemistry was instantly great, and the pints of Guinness were even better. A good chat over the pub's sawdust covered floors found the members reach a common, overarching objective: "To bring back proper honest music". Now an accomplished indie rock band, it was this fateful meeting of similar minds and personalities that was the beginning of The Halez.
It was after playing a festival support slot for singer-songwriter UMAN (Brian Flannigan), when the band's demos were brought to the attention of Grammy-nominated Producer Billy Farrell, who has worked acts such as The Corrs, Eddi Reader and Brian Kennedy. Dubbed their "fifth Beatle", Farrell stated about the band's work; “the songs have more hooks than a Russian trawler”. In the face of the fast food/throw away music industry, the band hope to offer something different, something that will stand out, and most importantly, will stand the test of time.
“The main aim is to bring guitar music back. The world is crying out for it now and who knows, maybe we will be the ones to bring it back or at the very least, inspire the next generation to pick up instruments and to form bands and create some good old Rock 'n' Roll. When it comes to the creative process in music, two heads, three, four or whatever number of heads is better than one. The more people, the bigger the connection, the bigger the magic. We want to see more drum kits and guitar amps and less gimmicks. Go to wherever you get your music and give us a listen.”