In Athens release first single from their upcoming debut EP
- Richard Blowes
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
Galway's In Athens have released their first single Or Anything and announced their debut EP Mirrorism due for release in October
Track: Or Anything
Band: In Athens
Released: August 15 2025
Or Anything is the debut single from Galway four piece In Athens and the first to be taken from their upcoming EP Mirrorism which will see a digital and a Blowtorch Records vinyl release in late October.
... a colossal musical collage which is simultaneously hazy yet punchy and razor sharp. Over this ride the dreamy vocals of Grainne Bleasdale - this is Mazzy Star on steroids.
Opening with a fuzzy bass riff as bracing as a wild Atlantic blow, it is soon sweetened by a lovely four note guitar arpeggio before drummer Mosey Byrne's crescendo roll gets the track into gear. And then we are rolling with a colossal musical collage which is simultaneously hazy yet punchy and razor sharp. Over this ride the dreamy vocals of Grainne Bleasdale - this is Mazzy Star on steroids.
The band comment: 'Or Anything asks the question, “if nothing truly matters……doesn’t everything then matter equally?”. In this view, meaning isn't dictated by some external cosmic order, but by individual perception and choice. This can be viewed as both nihilistic and liberating: when no single thing matters more than another by default, we’re free to assign our own value to experiences, relationships, and actions. In a meaningless universe, the act of caring becomes a radical and deeply personal choice - one that gives life its richness and weight. The song represents the distillation of these elements into a wonderful hypnotic groove that both feels familiar and entirely new at the same time.'
In Athens hail from the rugged meeting point of Connemara, Galway and the wild Atlantic and line up with Grainne Bleasdale on vocals and keyboards, Manolis Pates on guitar and vocals, Brian Ruane on bass and Mosey Byrne on the drumstool. Their music is a powerful blend of fuzz-drenched post-gaze nostalgia and razor-sharp modern post-punk energy, creating an evocative soundscape that reflects the majestic beauty, raw power and shimmering tranquillity of their surroundings.
Drawing on the untamed spirit of the Atlantic, In Athens channel this vital force into their recorded sound. Produced at Darklands Audio Dublin by Dan Doherty (Fontaines DC, Hope Sandoval), the EP features expansive, intimate guitars and hazy, 90s-inspired vocals that linger long after the last note. Their sound is both contemporary and timeless - immediately vital yet carefully considered.
Commenting on their sound, the band have this to say: “There’s nostalgia in what we do, for sure - 90s alternative tones, a bit of shoegaze sprinkle here and there - but it’s not about looking back. We’re interested in contrast. Warmth and detachment. Collapse and control. We like when things sound familiar but feel slightly off, like you're hearing a dream from another room. The production was all about restraint. Dan [Doherty] helped us find space in which to exist. The guitars are big, but not overblown. The vocals are close, but still ghost-like. We’re big fans of that emotional tension - of being inside something and far removed from it at the same time.”
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