Sprints are from Dublin, Ireland, they play punk rock and are signed to an independent German label called City Slang. «Letter To Self» is their debut album, but Karla Chubb (vocals/guitar), Colm O’Reilly (guitar), and Jack Callan (drums) have played together since they were 10 years old, according to Wikipedia. Sam McCann (bass) joined the trio at some point, and then the band was complete. They released their first single in 2019 called Pathetic, but for some reason, that song isn’t available on any of the streaming platforms I use. However, Oliver Crook at Atwood Magazine wrote a piece on it and the band back when it was released.

They followed up with a great single called The Cheek, also in 2019, then a new single in 2020 called Kissing Practice before they released the EP «Manifesto». Back in 2020, Karla said that their writing is rooted in a real story, during a Q&A with Hotpress.com , and she described their music as a melding of genres, from grunge to punk to garage. «Manifesto» consists of four songs, where the title track, Manifesto, was inspired by the campaign to Repeal the 8th, and women’s fight for bodily autonomy. And according to their press release for «Letter To Self», Karla has always used her platform to address inequality.

In 2022 the band released their second EP, «A Modern Job». And so far I gotta say that Sprints has yet to disappoint. Two EPs and two singles in, and they’ve proven themselves on each one of the tracks. I’m kinda ecstatic to have come across this band, and to think that I almost got to see them live in Glasgow earlier this year kinda bums me out. What a night that would have been! But, there will be lots of chances to see this band live in the future I guess, and considering that the band themselves say the songs are made for live performances and the fact that a lot of their shows are sold out, I guess it’s a no-brainer to go see them whenever they are close to wherever the fuck you are.

And, of course, their debut album is not messing up their track record at all. The album is fire from start to end. There is no doubt in my mind that we are witnessing the start of something great here, and the punk scene, which in my absence (not because of my absence mind you, and please be advised that I really don’t know what’s crawling around in this genre at the moment, or the last…decade?) seems to have had a decline, should welcome any band of this caliber with open arms. Karla and the band are also writing songs about mental health, and the shame that comes with it, turning all these struggles into something healing; a communal catharsis. I salute them for that!

Their inspirations for «Note To Self» have been put into a Spotify Playlist that includes bands like Joy Division, Idles, The Strokes, Nirvana, to mention a few, and while Sprints definitely holds their own, it’s easy to hear some references in many of the tracks; subtle, but still. To try and pick out my favorite tracks from an album this good is futile, but I can mention Adore Adore Adore, Literary Mind, and Heavy as some of them. Great album! Great band! Great future!

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Petter Milde

This Band Could Be Your Life