Like their name suggests, Irish four-piece modernlove. explore the complexities of the modern lives of twenty-somethings. Even though their lives are still complicated, Barry, Cian, Danny and Graham have already nailed their sound; they deliver polished, indie-pop with a glossy ’90s sheen and intricate details.
Today (September 3rd), they releases their debut EP, ‘monochrome blue’ on Akira Records (Henry Green, Zola Blood, Shura, CHINAH). The 6-track project holds a special place in the hearts of the twenty-somethings from Drogheda, who began writing some of the songs when they were just 16. The EP is a record of their formative years, tumultuous and lovelorn at times, disappointing and unexpected at others.
“‘monochrome blue’ is an honest representation of our teenage years.,” modernlove. share. “It explores the negatives and the positives of the naive, and at times overly indulgent, endeavours of our youth and our emotional response to them.”
The lead EP’s focus track, ‘2 Missed Calls’, is a feel-good, danceable pop song with dark lyrical undertones. It details a guilt-laden love triangle across jangling guitar riffs, spacey synths, and mid-tempo drum rhythms. The accompanying music video visualizes such a scenario at a neon-lit party, where a drunken promenade of regret ultimately meets a happy ending.
The band reveals about the writing process,
“‘2 Missed Calls’ was at first intended to be a more straight up upbeat, feel good love song. As it developed the narrative began to shift toward something less innocent and cheerful. A lot of what we write about is young love and the rush and the craziness that comes with it. We’ve all been through it and none of us really knows how to handle it… not sure if anyone does to be honest. We’re still trying to figure it out.”
‘come over x’ is a vulnerable declaration of devotion that builds through sweeping soundscapes and ethereal chords. The accompanying video follows the lyrics, depicting a budding secret romance, with dizzying ’90s visual effects drenched in purple hues.
‘lmk (if you wanna see me)’, which arrived with a music video and a BBC Introducing session. evokes a feeling of being simultaneously overwhelmed by life’s stressors and isolated from everyone. The accompanying video echoes the sense of detachment as the camera drifts in and out of focus on the lead singer sauntering then chasing something he’ll never reach.
Last year modernlove. released the first two EP singles, ‘Liquorice’, a twinkling disco romp, and ‘Bop’ which leans into their whimsical indie roots. The songs reflect the youthful vigor of their late nights in Dublin when they all started college. They note, “Nothing would stop us from prancing into the night. There is a blissful innocence to those songs that at times now feels slightly unfamiliar as we’ve grown as friends and artists.” As the band’s first-ever singles, they received excitingly strong playlist support, landing on NMF UK at Spotify, as well as Fresh Finds, Alt-Pop and The Pop List. The band also recently shared a music video for ‘Liquorice’; a colorful indie dance party with shifting glances.
‘I know it’s tearing you apart’, one of the first songs the band ever wrote, was initially written at nearly double the tempo. They opted to slow it down to appreciate the subtleties and find a groove within the complicated narrative of being used for sex after a breakup by your ex and being ok with it.
To celebrate the EP release, the band will be playing a Dublin headline show on November 6th in the Workman’s Club, as well as their first London show at The Social on November 12.
‘monochrome blue’ EP Tracklist:
Available on all DSPs
- 2 Missed Calls
- lmk (if you wanna see me)
- Liquorice
- I know it’s tearing you apart
- Bop
- come over x
TOUR DATES:
Nov 6 – Dublin, IRL – Workman’s Club
Nov 11 -London, ENG – The Social
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