"I despise admitting it, but I do have the urge again - when are we hitting the road again?"
— Karla Chubb
Whether it was their last-minute appearance on the main stage amid the muddy conditions at Bearded Theory (“There seems to be a curse on Sprints – it's either boiling hot or pouring rain, nothing in between”) or the growing crowd at the Guinness stage during All Together Now in their home country of Ireland, Sprints’ festival experiences are already filled with memorable moments. Looking ahead to 2025, it feels like there are many more unforgettable experiences to come.
For instance, Iggy Pop has personally chosen the band to open for him at Dublin’s In The Meadows, a dream come true for Karla, who was amazed by his performance at All Together Now in 2023. “I listened to The Stooges while growing up,” she shares. “The Stooges and Iggy Pop were key influences for Sprints. To share a stage with him, it hasn’t fully sunk in yet, but I think I might pass out.”
While Karla considers Confidence Man’s exhilarating, sun-filled Other Stage performance at last year’s Glastonbury as one of her all-time favorites, Savages at Electric Picnic also holds significant importance for the band as a whole. “That was a show Jack, Colm [O’Reilly, former guitarist], and I attended, and we thought, ‘This is the kind of music we want to create. Why aren’t we making music like this?’ That moment basically sparked the formation of Sprints, so that set has really stuck with me.”
Fast forward to today, and Sprints’ situation is quite different. After experiencing changes within the band – with Zac now replacing Colm – and managing their personal lives, the idea of diving into another festival season brings with it a greater sense of responsibility.
“We’re definitely professionals now, and we aim to approach it that way,” Karla states. “We’ve left our day jobs to focus on this full-time, so we treat it like a job, which sounds quite un-rock‘n’roll! We have accountants, we’re looking into setting up pension plans and all that mundane adult stuff…
“To be honest, [it’s about] cutting back on drinking and late nights, since we’re in it for the long haul. We want to attend all these festivals, have a great time, and catch as many bands as we can, which is pretty impossible if you’re completely wasted and hungover every day. It’s about enjoying and being present for all the lucky moments we get to experience.”
Reviewer: Isabella Ambrosio Release Date: June 20, 2025 Label: Transgressive
A bit more cohesion would have been beneficial.
The track marks the Dundalk band's first new release in three years.
There’s just under a month left until the amazing Madrid weekend!
As emotionally stirring as it is musically pleasing.
Their seventh album, 'The Hives Forever Forever The Hives,' is set to be released at the end of August.
Following the successful celebration of their debut album ‘Letter To Self’ with 103 performances last year, the Dublin band Sprints is poised to be one of the standout acts of the 2025 festival season. With a busy lineup of live shows ahead, this will serve as an excellent chance to try out some new music…