Strand evolution shines on new single

Dublin five-piece indie rock outfit Strand is a band that continues to evolve musically. Originally forming with a raw punk sound, they have since moved towards a sleeker, poppier indie style with their recent releases.

Following a number of single releases in 2024, the band released their debut EP, Can You Blame Us?, a five-track project that earned them spots on multiple playlists and widespread coverage on RTÉ 2FM.

The latest single Strange Hill is a high-energy track bursting with catchy hooks, poppy rhythms, and jangling guitars. Clean, melodic riffs and pounding rock drums drive the song forward, while the indie-anthem chorus is built to be shouted back by a crowd. As the track climaxes, crossing guitar lines crash together beneath a snarling vocal delivery, blending the band’s polished new sound with a nod to their raw punk roots.

Strange Hill is a song about being stubborn - knowing something is wrong but but being willing to die on that hill for no apparent reason. It's nearly a human universal, that individual experience of intransigence that everyone goes through, in one way or another.

We wrote the song on a bit of a whim - we had just released our debut EP which picked up some attention from RTÉ, BBC and the likes, and knew we had to follow it up quick. It clicked really quickly, it probably took less than half an hour to come together, and lyrics came quickly after that. We all seemed to be on the same wavelength when we tried it out, which was a new experience but one we're glad for.

The opening riff came first, and the song formed around that. It's far from complex, but the bells and whistles we added in the studio with our producer Keelan really made the song shine. We were nearly overcome with joy hearing the final mix, it felt like a real accomplishment, mixed with some relief that we had something to follow our EP with so soon. - Strand

The single, Strange Hill, is available through all streaming platforms.

Photo Credit: Kate Lawlor @daisychainphotos