Ireland’s music scene has been in full bloom for a number of years now. I have read reviews comparing it to the Seattle scene at the end of the 80’s (grunge) and Manchester at the beginning of 1990 (rave and brit pop) that dominated radio airwaves for at least two next decades. I’m not sure if modern Irish music will have the same impact but the local bands are finally being appreciated and are breaking through into the main European market. From Fontaines DC, Sprints to Bambie Thug and Problem Patterns, there is an amazing variety on offer that should appeal to a large number of listeners.
Single cover
I’m a big fan of Bambie Thug, we reviewed their Eurovision song in January but Problem Patterns are really close to my heart too because of their punk rock roots. Their new single “I think you should leave” is probably their best one yet. When Kathleen Hanna, Gordon Ramsey, Steve Lamacq and Henry Rollins are telling you a band is fucking brilliant (they really used those words!) you better believe it. Problem Patterns are everything that a punk band should be: loud, proud, unapologetic, politically engaged but also very good at proper stage entertainment.
Official bio: Problem Patterns are four shouty queers who write songs for right now, swapping roles and instruments to get their point across about whatever angers them this week. After many lonely nights screaming alone in their bedrooms over the state of the world, Alanah Smith, Beverley Boal, Bethany Crooks, and Ciara King came together in 2018 to invent a new genre they called PUNK. It’s shouty, it’s heavy, it’s tongue in cheek, it’s inclusive, it’s hopeful and it’s fun. The four DIY punk dads are all about creating havoc in celebratory and cathartic spaces. Bigger than , but not yet quite as big as, the band have played notable support slots with Le Tigre, Dream Wife and Ash. Problem Patterns released their ferocious debut album in October 2023 through Alcopop! Records.
Picture by Angie Ricchiuto
If you are a follower of new music, you must have heard about Problem Patterns by now. Their debut album “Blouse Club” released last October, received almost universal acclaim, From high street music magazine Clash (“ferocious debut”), online Noizze mag (“It’s rough, frantic and discordant body of work“) to indie Joyzine (“one of the albums of the year”). The reviewers praised vocals, socially and politically engaged but poetic lyrics and, of course, the music itself calling it unforgettable, delightfully loud and ferociously raw.
The band’s newest single ,”I Think You Should Leave”, is melodic, angry and absolutely anthemic. I love every single second out of its 4 minutes. The band is not discovering America here, it’s a classic punk/riot rock track yet it’s thoroughly modern and fresh as newly washed tea towels. The song was brilliantly produced, mixed and mastered by Nial Doran (Tim Wheeler of Ash, Nathan Connolly of Snow Patrol, ROE, Queen Zee) at Start Together Studios, Belfast.
One thing you may notice is that the song features quite a few guitar solos. They may not be a standard feature in punk rock but then the Belfast four piece draws a lot of inspiration from classic Irish and British mainstream rock too, mostly from The Undertones, The Pogues, The Cranberries to name just a few. Vocals may be horse and shouty but everything has its own special rhythm and some sort of an infectious internal groove. Whatever it is, it’s irresistible and will make you listen to this track all over again.
The track, despite the sarcastic title, is a love song to Belfast praising its culture, inhabitants, history and uniqueness despite a myriad of social and political problems. The title actually comes from an interview the band held with an unnamed male journalist who actually asked them why they hadn’t left their hometown. I’m not sure why he felt it was ok to suggest something like this, maybe he thought that more opportunities awaited them in Dublin or in London, but it’s a very insensitive thing to ask. The quartet took his idea though and wrote a song explaining why they want to stay and try to change a few things – and good for them. Not all young people want to leave their hometowns, and their choice should not only be praised but encouraged. I left my home town in Poland very early. I moved to the UK, because I didn’t want to stay, but some of my childhood friends remained and it’s great. I personally think that young people are criticized too harshly for their choices these days – if they stay it’s seen as wasting their potential, if they leave, everybody is complaining that the youths are abandoning smaller cities and villages. One truly cannot win.
Problem Patterns released a self filmed video to the song and it’s brilliant. The band will appear at many big summer festivals this year, so catch them live when the opportunity presents itself. You will not regret it.
“I Think You should Leave” is now out on Alcopop! Records.
You can follow the band on socials:
https://www.facebook.com/probpatterns
https://problempatterns.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/probpatterns
https://twitter.com/probpatterns
https://www.tiktok.com/@problempatterns
https://www.youtube.com/@ProblemPatterns
https://soundcloud.com/problempatterns
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4u5UG0TxXroCBnpgBruPO
Rita Dabrowicz
Indieterria 