Dublin, IE · garage punk

Sprints

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Dublin garage-punk catharsis — Karla Chubb turns anxiety into anthems, every chorus a controlled explosion, the city's loudest catharsis specialists.

Sprints are a Dublin four-piece formed in 2019, fronted by singer and guitarist Karla Chubb. The current line-up also includes bassist and vocalist Sam McCann, drummer Jack Callan and guitarist Zac Stephenson. Chubb, original guitarist Colm O'Reilly and Callan were childhood friends who had played music together since the age of ten, before recruiting McCann to complete the band.

Their sound draws on garage rock, post-punk and noise, with driving bass, distorted guitars and vocals that move between a flat spoken delivery and a shout. Chubb has named Patti Smith, Siouxsie and the Banshees and PJ Harvey as key influences on how the band writes and performs.

Chubb's lyrics deal directly with anxiety, sexuality, class and religion, often circling a single repeated line until it breaks open. The band's earliest single, 'Pathetic', set that tone: Chubb has described the goal as writing songs that are honest, raw and rooted in real life rather than polished statements.

The band came up through the same Irish scene that produced Fontaines D.C. and Gilla Band, and built their reputation on live shows before releasing a debut album. Between 2019 and 2022 they released a run of singles and EPs on the Nice Swan label before signing to City Slang.

Their debut album, Letter to Self, arrived in January 2024 to widespread critical acclaim, followed by extensive touring across Europe, the US and the UK. O'Reilly left the band that May, citing a wish to step back from performing, and Stephenson took his place permanently after a summer of guest guitarists filled in. The band's second album, All That Is Over, followed in September 2025, alongside a cover of Le Tigre's 'Deceptacon'.

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garage punk