Whenyoung

Whenyoung formed in Limerick before relocating to London, where they developed the sound that would earn them a place on the NME 100 lists for both 2018 and 2019 — a rare distinction that reflected the genuine excitement they generated in the British and Irish music press. Their music sits in a lineage that runs from The Smiths through to the more melodic end of the post-punk revival, combining driving rhythms with Aoife Power's distinctive vocals and a gift for a chorus that lodges in the memory.

Their debut album Reasons to Stay arrived in 2019 and was received warmly by critics who recognised in it a band with a clear sense of identity and purpose. The record drew on the experience of displacement and belonging that comes with leaving a small Irish city for the sprawl of London, themes that gave their music an emotional specificity beyond the generic indie rock of their contemporaries.

Whenyoung have continued to develop their sound in subsequent years, and remain one of the more interesting acts to have emerged from the Irish indie scene in the late 2010s. Their connection to both the Irish and British music worlds gives them a perspective that enriches their songwriting, and they represent a continuation of the long tradition of Irish musicians finding their voice in the UK.