Bannered Mare unveil darker, tense sound on new single

Music Review | 24th June, 2025 Bannered Mare

Indie band, Bannered Mare emerged in 2018 from the remnants of their former band, Race the Flux, during a period marked by personal battles with substance abuse and mental health challenges. Their sound lies in the band’s unmistakable chemistry and camaraderie. The lineup—Alan Kilcullen (drums/vocals), Paul Higgins (guitar/vocals), Derek Ellard (guitar/vocals), and Kyle Dee (bass/vocals)— bring a strong connection and energy to their music.

After releasing a series of early EPs, the band made their return in 2024 with a number of singles, including Synapses, which premiered on Amplify with Ailsha on RTÉ 2XM. Following their Irish tour in February 2025, the band is now set to release their new single, Hip Shot.

Driven by a relentless drum and pulsing bassline, Hit Shot, has a more tense sound than their earlier work. Guitars intertwine, weaving intricate melodies that form a textured sonic landscape, rising into powerful vocal harmonies.

The writing process for the track started from what Joe describes as a late night confession. Lying in bed unable to sleep with a jangly guitar line playing endlessly in his head, he eventually relented and got up at 3am to record the music. One riff led to another and by sunrise Joe had penned the core of the song.

Lyrically, the track details the frustration of hitting walls in your personal life, in relationships, and within yourself. A reflection on the internal tug-of-war between wanting to connect and feeling completely isolated. There is a yearning imbued in the song, along with a quiet desperation to belong somewhere, to someone, to something.

Hip Shot was recorded and mixed by the band. Fully adopting a DIY approach to the process. The band set about sound proofing a steel garage where they would record drums during a three-day heatwave. Filling a daughter's bedroom with various cabs, heads and combos and invading parent's large sitting rooms to record vocals. Recorded and mixed by Joe the project becomes all the more personal.

Bannered Mare - Hip Shot

The single, Hip Shot, is available through all streaming platforms.

Photo Credit: Old Crows Promotions