top of page
Search

Virgins release new single 'Crucible' and announce new EP as they split up

  • Writer: Richard Blowes
    Richard Blowes
  • Jan 22
  • 2 min read

Belfast shoegaze/dream pop outfit Virgins release new single Crucible from their final EP Light The Space Left Behind as the band comes to an end.

Track: Crucible

Band: Virgins

Released: January 22 2025

Artwork for Virgins single Crucible

It's a bittersweet moment for longtime Blowtorch Records collaborators Virgins as they release a new single, announce a new EP and, at the same time, the end of the band and a farewell show.


Over the last five years Virgins became one of the most exciting voices on both the Irish music and wider shoegaze scene. The band spent the last months of 2025 recording new material in their practice space, the results of which we hear on the latest single Crucible. The host EP Light The Space Left Behind will be released on February 19th.



Crucible could only be a Virgins track with its dreamy fuzz and distortion, shimmering guitar melodies awash with reverb, driving bass, thunderous drums and ethereal vocals which feel beamed in from a different world.


However, even as the end was in sight the band continued to push their sound into new spaces. Dave Sloan's rhythm guitar is more prominent than before with its tsunami of fuzz offering a tonal-counter point to Michael Smyth's haunting echoing guitar melodies. Matt McMullan's drums feel more insistent as they conduct the ebb and flow of the track from the drum stool. Mo O'Kane's bass is the lynch pin that locks the band together, melodic but driving, as the song reaches the mid point, his gnarled fuzz bass acts as a compass point while the band spiral and swirl into the gazy haze. Rebecca's vocals, more pop-centric and forward than previous releases, still feel celestial as they float along, soft and dreamy.


The instrumental track was recorded by Michael in their rehearsal studio with Rebecca adding vocals via her home studio. Mixing came courtesy of Allan McGreevy (New Pagans/Dullahan) working from his Badlands Studio, bringing a fresh sound while maintaining the gazy essence.


Virgins will play their final show in Belfast on February 28th in the Oh Yeah Centre with support from Wynona Bleach and Gush.


Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and never miss out on gig info and our latest deals


Comments

bottom of page