Track Review: Bus Stop // Spearside

While their influences can be heard in their music, Irish trio Spearside try to “…mould their influences to fit their own identity rather than moulding themselves to fit their influences.” Making it quite difficult to define their sound, it is probably easier to say Spearside is genre-defying and not to be pigeon-holed. Despite having only one song to their name released in August 2022, the group are already turning heads. Featured on RTE, Its All Indie, The Other Side Reviews, Hot Press and various playlists, Spearside is reaching international audiences. Come with us as we look at their debut single ‘Bus Stop’.

Penned by frontman Oisin Walsh when he was 17, ‘Bus Stop’ is a youthful tribute to making music and dreams of being something greater than you are. He explains that ‘Bus Stop’ “…was the very first song I wrote with the idea of starting a band. It came after months of listening to all the great young Ulster punk bands…I thought ‘well, if they could do it maybe I can give it a go’.” Alright, so maybe I’m embellishing a bit when I say the song was written with the dream of something greater than you are; then again, starting a band is something greater than you are, isn’t it?

Bold, brash and intoxicating, ‘Bus Stop’ merges elements of grunge, indie-rock and punk into a fuzzy, catchy ball of sound. The Walsh brothers meld their powerful guitars and vocals with Dylan Zovich’s pounding drums creating a high-powered, hard-hitting melody. A sonic slap in the face, ‘Bus Stop’ leaves you stunned but in a good way.

In addition to the single, Spearside released an official music video for ‘Bus Stop’: