On Monday night at Store Vega, Irish band Inhaler delivered a performance steeped in the sounds of predecessors like Pulp, Billy Idol, and The Killers. Even early U2. Their homage was clear—but so was their emerging individuality.
Founded in 2012, Inhaler’s debut album It Won’t Always Be Like This debuted at number one in both Ireland and the UK in 2021. A testament to their instant appeal, perhaps. Or a sign of an indie genre recycling proven formulas?
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The band favors short-form, guitar-centric pop-rock songs with a party-readiness baked in. Rarely do they stray from the 3:30-minute formula. It’s a sonic efficiency that borders on predictability.
However, their live presence adds dimension. On stage, the guitars become more assertive, the polish of studio recordings replaced with a muscular immediacy. Frontman Elijah Hewson’s voice, reminiscent of paternal tones, still finds its own authority.
Inhaler may not be reinventing indie pop-rock, but they animate it. Their performance in Copenhagen was both a tribute and a statement—not yet boundary-pushing, but undeniably relevant.
