Spearside “Trendsetters”

Irish alt/rock agitators SPEARSIDE are back with the electrifying new single: “Trendsetters”.

Launching a tirade against tiresome notions of cool with a bottle-rocket of fuzzy, frenzied punk-rock thrills; the latest from the Trim, Co. Meath trio takes no prisoners during its lightning-bolt 2’15 blitz.

Laced with self-deprecating humour and a slacker charm, “Trendsetters” is both a bile spattered break-up song  and a tempestuous takedown of those with holier-than-thou ideologies.

“I wish my friends were all trendsetters, I wish my songs were so much better” quips Spearside frontman Oisín Walsh, tongue firmly in cheek.

Recorded on a Revox tape machine dating back to 1974 and described by the band as a “complete capitulation to the 70s power pop aesthetic”, “Trendsetters” fizzes with the timeless tuneage long synonymous with the genre, while adding a refreshing tenacity all their own. Barreling headfirst through two-minutes of good-time choral hooks and ageless no-frills riffs, it’s a track that nods to the new wave of US garage rock heroes such as Jay Reatard, Ty Segall and Young Guv, while beating with the blood of the Irish underground they are quickly beginning to stake as their own.

Speaking about Spearside’s aims for their latest single, guitarist and singer Oisín Walsh explains:

“[Trendsetters is] a shameless pop song about the breakdown of a relationship, and an attempt to capture the energy the likes of Jay Reatard brought to this type of guitar music when it looked dead and buried. Young Guv is currently leading the resurgence of power pop without falling too heavily into the cheesy stylistic tropes that age like milk.

“As much as we love power pop it’s only one aspect of our sound but I imagine it’s something that will always be part of our band even in subtle ways. It feels like we’ve ticked that box with Trendsetters, from here we can explore an array of different sounds. Who knows what we’ll put out next.”

Due to be coupled with a suitably punchy, DIY video by Robert Broaders, standby for its unveiling in the coming weeks….

Rapidly carving out a space for themselves in the colourful world of guitar pop, SPEARSIDE are an Irish indie/rock three-piece comprising brothers Oisín Walsh (vocals/guitar) and Cian Walsh (vocals/bass), along with their friend Dylan Zovich (drums).

Chewing up influences such as The Exploding Hearts, The Toms, Buzzcocks, The Adverts, Spacemen 3, Spiritualized, MC5, Flamin’ Groovies, Matthew Sweet, Jay Reatard, Ty Segall and Brian Jonestown Massacre, while walking to the beat of like-minded contemporaries such as Militarie Gun, Slow Pulp, or Dazy; Spearside at once sound like everything and nothing you’ve heard before.

With a DIY ethic at the heart of what they do, the band proudly produce all of their music from their own home-studio in Trim, Co. Meath and have so far released a succession of equally immediate singles including “Bus Stop” and “Crack In Your Brain”, and “Not Up To Much” in the short time since their formation.

Making waves at home and away, Spearside have found allies in the likes of Steve Lamacq of BBC 6 Music, BBC Radio Foyle’s Mickey Bradley of The Undertones, BBC Radio 1’s Jack Saunders and Dan Hegarty of RTÉ 2FM, all of whom have spun their output to date. Elsewhere tastemaker titles such Hot Press, Golden Plec and The Irish Times have all shown their support for Spearside, with the latter praising their work “as fine a slice of pop/punk (with ker-azy keyboards) as you’ll hear… Take a bow Spearside”.

-Official bio