“It won’t always be like this.”
The six words to hang on to.
Dublin based quartet Inhaler released their debut album It Won’t Always Be Like This in July of 2021. Singer and guitarist Elijah Hewson, bassist Robert Keating, guitarist Josh Jenkinson, and drummer Ryan McMahon formed Inhaler as teenagers seeking to emulate the big-thinking, big-chorused indie-rock bands they worshipped with some uplifting anthems of their own.
It Won’t Always Be Like This takes in a dazzling array of sonic textures, where huge, hooky choruses perfectly meld with intricate, dynamic instrumentation.
This debut album charted at number one in the UK and Ireland. With this, Inhaler became the first Irish band in thirteen years to chart at number one on a debut album.
It Won’t Always Be Like This is a record that not only represents the band but it captures their evolution from exciting upstarts, teenagers, to refined adult writers. Songs about meeting girls turned into reflections on society and how to get through tough periods.
“We started writing this when we were teenagers and now we’re adults,” says Keating. “I wanted the songs to feel positive,” adds Hewson, “Because… it won’t always be like this.”
Inhaler wrote the title track over four years ago, but its meaning has changed between now and then, especially in the middle of a pandemic.
The main goal of the album being titled It Won’t Always Be Like This is to share a sense of hope and positivity. “There’s a sense of optimism on this album and the song It Won’t Always Be Like This is the main catalyst for that,” says Hewson. “We kept coming back to that title.”
After the pandemic started and they announced their album title, they were told by music fans that it could get worse. Inhaler responded with the simple thought of, “yeah… well things could get worse lads… they are right but it wasn’t the intention of naming it that.”
Want to learn more about how they created the album? Check out this mini-doc on YouTube that gives an inside look:
Taking inspiration from a variety of things including the world around them and star musicians like The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Oasis, Joy Division, this eleven track album is certainly one of the best debuts I have listened to because of this vast diversity, lyrics, and inspiration.
Just like other artists and their albums, Inhaler truly recommends listening to their debut album in order. They put these eleven songs in a specific order for a reason. Inhaler wanted the album order to feel like a live show.
And when it comes to the best environment to listen to the album in, the band has some varying ideas. One location would be driving very fast, legally, in your car (maybe with the windows down) while the other preferred location would be in a place where there are no distractions whatsoever.
Regardless of how you listen to this debut album, Inhaler truly appreciates the support. “I couldn’t imagine doing anything else,” says Elijah Hewson.
The album opens up with the title track and “My Honest Face.” Ryan McMahon says, “We’re a rock band, it made sense to open the record with two uplifting and powerful rock tunes.”
Elijah shared that “Who’s Your Money On (Plastic House),” comes from a very personal place. The band loves this song more than the others because it was a track that naturally revealed itself and reminded the group of why they love making music.
“Who’s Your Money On (Plastic House)” almost didn’t make it on the album because of the length. This is the longest track on the album coming in at over six minutes long.
One of my favorite things to discuss about releases from artists is the visual part of things, whether it be the album artwork, music videos, and other related photo and video content. Now, I’ve already shared their YouTube mini-doc where they give an inside look at the album. I really recommend you check it out not only to learn more about the band but for the high quality and thought they put into it.
The album artwork for It Won’t Always Be Like This is truly something to talk about as well. Inhaler wanted this cover to be something that represented the band as a whole and something that gave people a proper introduction to the band. The creative process of this cover art was done by the band themselves with one other person. It is a handmade cover that not only gives a proper introduction to the band but gives an honor to other older, classic bands that Inhaler is inspired by.
Along with this amazing album artwork, Inhaler just released a music video for the second track off of the album “My Honest Face.” The video was shot by Lewis Evans and Ewan Ogden over the band’s first run of shows this summer and includes their rousing performance at Reading Festival.
Watch the official music video for “My Honest Face” here:
If you can’t listen to the whole album right now, check out the title track “It Won’t Always Be Like This,” “My Honest Face,” and “Who’s Your Money On (Plastic House)”.
And the next question is, will we be getting more music from Inhaler soon? They seem to think that something might happen. There’s no set date or plan but as Inhaler shared, they feel as if they are in the perfect spot for moving forward to writing and creating a second album.
Ireland has a history of rock music. So if you are looking for some more artists to listen to that inspire Inhaler, they strongly recommend checking out Sam Fender, The Clockworks, and Fontaines DC.
Inhaler will come to the states for a handful of sold-out club dates in November 2021, with a full North American run set for March 2022. They shared that they are looking forward to a variety of things when they come back to the states including the various food choices, cultural differences, and meeting a variety of people, whether it be fans, restaurant staff, etc.
Along with that, they shared that having fans outside of Ireland is “a little bizarre but it feels great.” They have a lot of “pinch me” moments because they see themselves as a group of friends, not a band. Inhaler is truly happy that people value them and are excited to see them, especially this winter and upcoming spring.
View the complete list of their tour dates here: https://www.inhaler.band/tour/
