Blue Slate – Melody In Melancholy: Kildare, Ireland based quartet Blue Slate return with the sprawling, fizzing new single ‘Melody in Melancholy’. Following live dates at Supersonic Paris, Beyond The Pale and Windmill Brixton, the four-piece capture the raw intensity of their live sound whilst displaying a considered, melodic undercurrent and yearning sense of emotion.
Hotly-tipped across tastemaker press and national radio, ‘Melody In Melancholy’ comes hot off the heels of the band’s debut EP, This Is How I Sleep At Night, released in early 2025 via Blowtorch Records. Blue Slate (John Harney- vocals, guitar, Pierce Devine – guitar, James Hargreaves – bass and Tim Tora – drums), once again showcasing their ability to craft soundscapes which tread the ground between post-punk, alternative-rock and shoegaze – a sound which captures a bubbling sense of visceral urgency whilst retaining an atmospheric, emotive flair.
Biting guitar tones, punching drums and grounding bass give ‘Melody In Melancholy’ a driving sense of direction under the gritty, gravelly lead vocals. Vibrant yet nuanced, messy and raw, yet thoughtful and heartfelt, the track moves from its unrelenting fuzzy grit to an ethereal, shoegaze leaning middle-eight which highlights the contrast in the band’s sound.
Talking about the single, the band explain: “Melody in Melancholy was the first song we went into record after the release of ‘This is how I sleep at Night’, our debut EP , and we had a short time away from the studio to sit with the release . After some time away from recording to plan the release of the EP , it felt right to get back in and begin preparing the next release .
The song itself is a reflection on how we can sell ourselves to different things , whether that be to people or substance . The lyrics are based around questioning the reason we always go back to someone or something that has harmed us in one way or another , attempting to figure out if it’s due to hatred or due to comfort.”
Blue Slate founders Harney and Devine met as kids, bonding over matching Brian Jones-style haircuts and hours spent digging through Harney’s older siblings’ CD collection—everything from KISS to Nirvana, metal to classic rock. Their music reflects those wide-ranging influences: from elements of The Velvet Underground, Sparklehorse, and Grandaddy, with others which are closer to modern grunge and post-punk.
Blue Slate’s mesmerising live shows and impressive singles earned them a spot on the Hot Press “Hot for 2024” list, while the band’s debut Ep has seen them gained support across the likes of RTE 2fm, Clash, Nialler9, Golden Plec, Earmilk and The Thin Air, landing multiple slots in the Irish Radio Breakers Chart.
The genre-defying rockers have played across Europe, including in London, Paris and at Rotterdam’s Left of the Dial festival as well as selling out multiple headline shows including The Workman’s Club and opening for Big Special among others.
Blue Slate – Melody In Melancholy
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