Sprints Tickets

Following the explosion of Fontaines D.C., the focus on Irish rock bands created a crowded scene. The resulting stampede felt akin to the land-claiming scene in Far & Away, a desperate rush for a small corner of this brave new world. But while so many opted to follow the same path to already claimed territory, Sprints went against their name and quietly slipped around the side, finding somewhere unique and distinct.

The quartet formed in 2019, teaming up with Dublin’s own post punk Svengali Daniel Fox (of Gilla Band) to record their aptly titled debut EP Manifesto. Just as they wrapped up recording in early 2020, the world shut down. When they did eventually release it in 2021, it was perfectly timed for the simultaneous rise of their friends in Silverbacks and Just Mustard.

Sprints’ energy is less about the coiled tension of post punk and more about cathartic abandon. It’s the sound of a room filled with too many people joyfully bouncing off each other, it’s energetic defiance with a devil-may-care attitude to bruises, tinnitus and spilled pints. The four tunes on Manifesto blur together into one massive machine of laser-targeted fury. At the heart of it all is Karla Chubb, a riveting presence on stage and record who could start a revolution if she was so inclined.

The band followed Manifesto like they were making up for lost time. ‘How Does The Story Go?’ turned existential dissatisfaction into a call to arms, setting the scene for their stunning 2022 EP A Modern Job, again produced by Daniel Fox. Sprints returned in August 2022 with ‘Literary Mind’, whipping up the anticipation for their forthcoming debut full-length.