Inhaler (stylized as ) are an Irish rock band originating from
Dublin
Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
. Formed in 2012, the band consist of vocalist and guitarist
Elijah Hewson
Elijah Bob Patricius Guggi Q Hewson (born 17 August 1999) is an Irish rock musician. Born to U2 frontman Bono and activist Ali Hewson in Dublin, he grew up in Killiney and featured on the cover of U2's ''Songs of Experience'' in 2017. He for ...
, bassist Robert Keating, guitarist and keyboardist Josh Bartholomew Jenkinson and drummer Ryan McMahon.
Their debut album, ''
It Won't Always Be Like This'', was released on 9 July 2021. It entered the
Irish &
UK Albums Charts at number one, while also entering the top 10 and top 20 album charts in other European countries such as the
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
and
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
. The band's second studio album, ''
Cuts & Bruises'', was released on 17 February 2023, and their third album, ''
Open Wide'', was released on 7 February 2025.
Career
2012–2017: Early years
Originally formed in 2012 at
St Andrews College in
Blackrock
BlackRock, Inc. is an American Multinational corporation, multinational investment company. Founded in 1988, initially as an enterprise risk management and fixed income institutional asset manager, BlackRock is the world's largest asset manager ...
, Dublin, the band decided on the name Inhaler in 2015.
Jenkinson joined the band right after the band name was decided.
2018–2022: ''It Won't Always Be Like This''
The group self-released their debut single "I Want You" in 2017. The single was featured on ''Garageland Volume 1'', released on 14 April 2017. This was later followed by three more singles in 2019, namely "It Won't Always Be Like This", "My Honest Face" and "Ice Cream Sundae". They placed fifth on
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
's annual music poll,
Sound of 2020. On 21 January 2020, the group released their fourth single, titled "We Have to Move On".
In 2019 Inhaler toured in support of
Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds are an English Rock music, rock band formed in 2010 as the solo moniker of Oasis (band), Oasis songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist Noel Gallagher. The touring band consists of former Oasis members Gem Archer ( ...
as their opening act.
On their 2019–2020 tours, the band released a self-titled debut
EP featuring the singles "It Won't Always Be Like This", "Oklahoma" (Late Night Version), "My Honest Face" and "There's No Other Place".
For
Record Store Day
Record Store Day is a semi-annual event established in 2008 to "celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store". Held on one Saturday (typically the third) every April and every Black Friday in November, the day brings together f ...
2020, the band released their singles as limited-edition vinyl records.
The band were one of the winners of the Music Moves Europe Talent Award 2021 and were also shortlisted for the MTV Push UK & Ireland 2021.
On 17 March 2021, the band released a single titled "Cheer Up Baby" and announced that their debut album, ''
It Won't Always Be Like This'', would be released on 16 July 2021. On 13 May 2021, the band announced on their social media that the album release would be pushed forward by a week, to be released on 9 July 2021.
The band presented the album live on summer festivals in 2022 (including
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts (commonly referred to as simply Glastonbury Festival, known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts held near Pilton, Somerset, England, in most su ...
) and did opening acts for some
Kings of Leon
Kings of Leon is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, in 1999. The band includes brothers Caleb, Nathan, and Jared Followill and their cousin Matthew Followill.
The band's early music was a blend of Southern roc ...
shows on their When You See Yourself tour.
2022–2024: ''Cuts & Bruises''
The band released their second album ''
Cuts & Bruises'' on 17 February 2023. It reached number 2 in the United Kingdom album chart and number 1 in the Irish album chart.
The band was selected by
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. One of the key bands in the grunge, grunge movement of the early 1990s, Pearl Jam has outsold and outlasted many of its contemporaries from the early 1990s, ...
to open their shows in Chicago, Indianapolis, and Austin in Pearl Jam's 2023 concert tour. On 10 June 2023, the band performed at
Slane Castle
Slane Castle () is located in the village of Slane, within the Boyne Valley of County Meath, Ireland. The castle has been the family seat of the Conyngham family since it was built in the late 18th century, on land first purchased in 1703 by ...
as the opening act for
Harry Styles
Harry Edward Styles (born 1 February 1994) is an English singer, songwriter, and actor. His showmanship, artistry, and flamboyant fashion have had a Cultural impact of Harry Styles, significant impact on popular culture.
Styles's musical ca ...
'
Love On Tour show.
Earlier on in the year they toured with
Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Sheffield in 2002. They comprise lead singer Alex Turner, drummer Matt Helders, guitarist Jamie Cook and bassist Nick O'Malley. The co-founder and original bassist Andy Nicholson ...
as their opener and also opened for
Sam Fender
Samuel Thomas Fender (born 25 April 1994) is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. Born and raised in North Shields (near Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle), Fender discovered his passion for music during his teenage years and released sev ...
at his St James Park show.
After the release of ''Cuts & Bruises,'' Inhaler announced a world tour starting in November 2022 at the
Olympia Theatre, Dublin
The Olympia Theatre, branded since 2021 for sponsorship purposes as the 3Olympia Theatre, is a concert hall and theatre venue in Dublin, Ireland, located on Dame Street.
In addition to Irish acts, the venue has played host to many well-known in ...
The tour ended on the 11th of November 2023 at the
3Arena 3Arena may refer to the following:
* 3Arena (Dublin)
The 3Arena (originally The O2) is an indoor amphitheatre located at North Wall Quay in the Dublin Docklands in Dublin, Ireland. The venue opened as The O2 on 16 December 2008 and was re-bran ...
after many shows all across the US and Europe. They also played 6 extra London and Glasgow dates before returning home to Dublin.
Ryan McMahon posted on his Instagram after the 3Arena tour: "I didn't think we'd ever play this venue let alone play it so soon. Thank you for all of the love you've shown us and our songs on this chaotic journey. Now i'm gonna go and mend my fragile head while I try to figure out what's just happened to this little band of ours."
2024–present: ''Open Wide''
After debuting it live during their autumn 2024 tour of America, the band released the song "Your House" on 29 October 2024. Along with the release of the song, the band announced their third album, ''
Open Wide'', produced by
Kid Harpoon
Thomas Edward Percy Hull (born 20 April 1982), known professionally as Kid Harpoon, is a British songwriter, record producer, and musician. In 2023, he won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year and the Brit Award for Songwriter of the Year for ...
, would be releasing in February 2025. On December 6, 2024, the band released "Open Wide" as the second single from the album.
Artistry
Hewson named 80s and 90s bands such as
the Stone Roses
The Stone Roses were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1983. They were one of the pioneering groups of the Madchester movement in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The band's classic and most prominent lineup consisted of vocalist I ...
,
New Order,
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Salford in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist, guitarist and lyricist Ian Curtis, guitarist and keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris (musici ...
,
Happy Mondays
Happy Mondays are an English rock band formed in Salford in 1980. The original line-up consisted of brothers Shaun Ryder (vocals) and Paul Ryder (bass), Gaz Whelan (drums), Paul Davis (keyboard), and Mark Day (guitar). Mark "Bez" Berry la ...
,
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music, electronic band formed in Basildon, Essex in 1980. Originally formed with the line-up of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher (musician), Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke, the band currently consists ...
,
Echo & the Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch (singer), Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bassist Les Pattinson. By 1980, Pete de Freita ...
,
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American Rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 1975.[Talking Heads](_blank) , and
Oasis
In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment[Kele Okereke
Rowland Kelechukwu "Kele" Okereke (born 13 October 1981), also known :wikt:mononym, mononymously as Kele, is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. He is best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the indie rock band Bloc Part ...]
of
Bloc Party
Bloc Party are an English Rock music, rock band that was formed in London, England, London in 1999 by co-founders Kele Okereke (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano, sampler) and Russell Lissack (lead guitar). Their first four albums all featur ...
to pursue alternative and rock music.
In 2023, Inhaler called
the Strokes
The Strokes are an American Rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 1998. The band is composed of lead singer and primary songwriter Julian Casablancas, guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond, Jr., Albert Hammond Jr., bassist Nikola ...
an "idol". While recording ''Cuts & Bruises'', the band watched ''
The Beatles: Get Back''.
Members
*
Elijah Hewson
Elijah Bob Patricius Guggi Q Hewson (born 17 August 1999) is an Irish rock musician. Born to U2 frontman Bono and activist Ali Hewson in Dublin, he grew up in Killiney and featured on the cover of U2's ''Songs of Experience'' in 2017. He for ...
– lead vocals, guitars, keyboards
(2012–present)
* Robert Keating – bass guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
(2012–present)
* Ryan McMahon – drums, percussion
(2012–present)
* Josh Bartholomew Jenkinson – guitars, keyboards, synthesizers, percussion, backing vocals
(2015–present)
Current touring musicians
* Louis Lambert – keyboards, synthesizers
(2017–present)
Discography
Studio albums
Singles
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
*
Official Site
{{Authority control
Irish alternative rock groups
Irish indie rock groups
Irish pop rock music groups
2010s in Irish music
2020s in Irish music