THUMPER certainly have a name befitting their sound – meaning: “to strike against something heavily and noisily”.
THUMPER is a relatively new name that you should be made aware of, especially if you are a fan of IDLES, Fontaines DC and those of a similar ilk.
THUMPER are the band everyone’s talking about, delivering bubble-gum pop through a wall of sonic death. With a reputation for raucous and frenzied live shows and penchant for howling feedback and pounding rhythm, each show is an exercise in unpredictability.
The sextet are from Dublin and are made up of Oisin Leahy Furlong (vocals/guitar), Alan Dooley (guitar/vocals), Alex Harvey (guitar/vocals), Dav Campbell (bass), Stevie D’Arcy (drums), and Shane Holly (drums). Yep that’s right two drummers!
THUMPER are certainly following in the footsteps of Fontaines DC, as they have played showcases at ‘Music Cork’ and ‘It Takes A Village’, and are doing the festival rounds at all the major Irish festivals this summer including ‘Electric Picnic’, ‘Sea Sessions’, ‘Kaleidoscope’ and many more!
In 2019, THUMPER headed out on tour in support of their 5-track vinyl ‘Out Of Body Auto-Message’, which is certainly worth checking out. They played live here in Brighton and the Brighton & Hove News Music Team were on the case! Read our report HERE.
‘Out Of Body Auto-Message’ was the first studio record by the band and was produced by Dan Fox (Girl Band). THUMPER had stepped away from their early days of lo-fi bedroom recordings into a more widescreen effort – without losing any of the grit that defined the early material. From the mile a minute word vomit of ‘AFL’, to the 10 minute psych meltdown of ‘3am & Restless’, each song squirms to contain the dichotomy of its blistering psych and its saccharine pop sensibility.
A trio of releases followed in 2020, ‘Ad Nauseam’, ‘Topher Grace’ and ‘Topher Grace Remixes’.
Also in 2020, THUMPER performed a blistering show at Patterns in Brighton in support of their single ‘Ad Nauseam’. The Brighton & Hove News Music Team were again in attendance, read our review HERE.
This intense touring schedule was abruptly cut short in March due to Covid19, however the band channelled this momentum back into the studio. In June the single ‘Topher Grace’ was released to critical acclaim – scoring extensive radio play on BBC6, Kerrang! & RadioX amongst others in the UK, as well as support from RTE and others at home in Ireland. It was also included on several Spotify and GooglePlay playlists, making the cover of Spotify’s The Punk List.
THUMPER are a truly brilliant band! But don’t just take our word for it………….
“THUMPER are punching like heavyweights alongside Fontaines D.C. & The Murder Capital” – Chris Hawking, BBC Radio 6
“A band so far up my street they might as well be kicking my front door in” – Philly Taggart, BBC Radio 1
“Pop hooks and ragged guitar noises collide on THUMPER’s bratty, frenetic punk rock.” – Q Magazine
“My highlight of Eurosonic, Two drummers making an epic noise on stage. Such a huge band. Really really massive sound” – Abbie McCarthy, BBC Radio 1
“In Dublin it’s been thrilling to witness The Murder Capital, Fontaines D.C. & THUMPER to see who can be the most visceral on stage and on record” – Hot Press Magazine
“Cult heroes in their native Dublin, the band’s crunching sound and intense live shows are shot through with a dynamic, ultra-infectious sense of energy.” CLASH Magazine
Now with several successful live-streamed shows under their belt (including a collaborative show with Damien Dempsey, a Waves Vienna festival show, and a headline show from the Button Factory hosted by HotPress) THUMPER set their sights on late 2021 – including a festival slot at Iceland Airwaves and the announcement of a long awaited debut LP.
THUMPER have also today announced that they are set to hit the road this October and have announced a string of UK live dates for this Autumn including a date in Brighton at The Prince Albert. Tour tickets can be purchased HERE or from your local ticket distributors from 9am on Friday 6th August.
For Brighton concert tickets, click HERE.
Find THUMPER on the web:
Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Website
