Following their outstanding 2025 showcase appearances at Output Music Conference, Belfast, Ireland Music Week, Dublin and The Great Escape, Brighton, Dublin-based all-female four-piece rock band Martina and the Moons have unveiled their highly anticipated debut EP ‘Starfish Social Club‘ today, via Rubarb Music.
October saw the band release their striking, guitar-driven single ‘Laundry Mat’, on Rubarb Music – the newly launched Irish artist development label from Grammy Award-winning producer and mix engineer Ruadhri Cushnan and music industry veteran and 2025 Dublin Entrepreneur of the Year, Shea McNelis.
Capturing the band’s live energy and unflinching lyricism while inviting listeners to connect on a deeply personal level, the track earned extensive praise across Irish media (RTÉ 2FM Track of the Week, Galway bay FM Play Irish Track of the Week, BBC6, Radio X and more).
Having already shared stages with the likes of Porridge Radio and Thumper, with standout performances at Whelan’s, The Grand Social and The Great Escape, Martina and The Moons kickstart 2026 on a high with Starfish Social Club, a dynamic five-track EP that includes two powerful unreleased songs and an interlude, alongside singles ‘Laundry Mat’ and ‘Baby Turtle’.
About the EP, frontwoman Martina Moon says, “Starfish Social club is a project that’s full of contrasts. And yet, although sonically the songs are very different, the lyrical themes and overarching sentiment is the same. The songs tell different stories about moments where you lose your innocence, where your inner child disappears.”
Unheard opening track ‘Higher Than A Hawk’ explores the realization that certain entities aren’t real, but how that first spark of lust in someone’s mind can still linger. The title comes from Moon’s favourite film, Calamity Jane, where Howard Keel, with his rich baritone voice, stands in front of a painting of the sought-after ‘Katie’ and proclaims his love for her. Moon explains, “The title seemed fitting for a song in which the love the character feels is to be kept secret. It is a very cinematic song, as it was also inspired by the french animation ‘Azur et Asmar’. The best way I can put it, is that the tune is about chasing fairies”
The EP’s midpoint, ‘Ban on Glitter’, represents a rejection of traditionally feminine aesthetics and expectations. Originally an instrumental track, the song developed lyrically after the news of an EU-wide ban on non-biodegradable glitter inspired Moon: “I had always wanted to write a song about how, after having a hard time as a kid in ballet and with other girls in my school, I rejected all aspects of femininity. But now I feel conflicted because I should have been able to enjoy all those things when everyone else was doing it. And to me, to portray hyperfemininity now feels like doing drag, because I am not used to it. Now I take small steps to heal this part of me, and writing this song was one of them.”
Latest single ‘Laundry Mat’ is an exposure to an undesirable future, whilst the EP’s closing track, ‘Baby Turtle’, explores the departure from one’s home and family. Across the tracks, the band draw inspiration from the captivating stories and stunning imagery from mythology and folklore, using the story of the Scottish selkies (sea creatures with seal skins and women’s bodies), as the running reference that ties the EP together.
On working with Rubarb music, the band says, “Recording with Ruadhri and Elise has been nothing but a pleasure, they just understand our music. They get the simplicity of what we want to achieve, and they have captured the live feel of ‘Laundry Mat’ and ‘Higher Than A Hawk’ perfectly, as well as the character of the original demo for ‘Ban on Glitter’. Plus, we had the amazing Eoghan McGale playing violin on the first track, and the experience of having him in the studio was insane. He only had an hour-long gap available to record, and he came in, set up and laid down the whole song in thirty minutes, having only heard the song the night before.”
Fronted by Scotland-born, Spanish-raised Martina Moon (vocals/songwriting), the band also features Sarah Morgan (guitar), Ruby Levins (bass) and Zahira Ellis (drums), bringing a fresh urgency to Dublin’s indie scene.
Influenced by Britpop and 90s alt-rock icons (Elastica, Catatonia, Blur) and classic singer-songwriters (Paul Simon, Carole King, Joni Mitchell), the band have carved out a sound that blends guitar-driven hooks with unflinching lyrical honesty.
Recorded and produced by Ruadhri Cushnan (Ed Sheeran, Mumford and Sons, Snow Patrol) and Elise Mollé at Camden Studios, the EP delivers raw but polished sounds that bridge the gap between the band’s incendiary live shows and the studio.
With its blend of introspection, urgency and Britpop energy, Starfish Social Club is no quiet introduction. With brooding basslines, clockwork drums, eloquent guitar and a gripping combination of singing and spoken word elements, Martina and The Moons embody bespoke indie rock at its finest.
Starfish Social Club is released 16 January on all streaming platforms.
TRACKLISING
01 Higher Than A Hawk
02 Interlude
03 Ban On Glitter
04 Laundry Mat
05 Baby Turtle
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