Bannered Mare Release Highly Anticipated Album ‘He’s Only Sleeping’ – (Irish Math Rock/Alt Rock)
Bannered Mare formed in 2018 from the ashes of, Race the Flux, and born of a time mired by personal struggles with substance abuse and mental health issues. The band became a vehicle for founding member Joe Padfield (lead vocals/guitar) to explore the complex emotions around these issues and in doing so transmute negatives into a positive. Following a slew of singles including 2024’s ‘Synapses’ and ‘Liminal Space’, with the former premiering on Amplify with Ailsha on RTE2XM and 2025’s ‘Pet Particular’ and ‘Hip Shot’ which caught the sharpened ears of Golden Plec, PureM Zine, IMRO, Genuine Irish, Rock N Load, Ragged Cast, TheBeat.ie, Otherside Reviews and was selected by Joe.ie as one of their Tracks of the Week. The band are now ready to release their debut album ‘He’s Only Sleeping’. An album that over it’s 10 tracks is exhaustive in its exploration of ideas and sounds. The overarching themes of the album centre around navigating the cracks in the pavement of life, the pressures and doubt coupled with the chaos we all face. In Joe’s words, ‘It’s about trying, failing, and trying again, fleeting connections, and the quiet resilience that keeps us moving forward. I think each song captures a different part of that journey, but together they’re a testament to perseverance and finding meaning in the chaos.’
At the heart of Bannered Mare’s sound is their undeniable chemistry and camaraderie as a band. Completed by Alan Kilcullen (drums/vocals), Paul Higgins (guitar/vocals), Derek Ellard (guitar/vocals) and Kyle Dee (bass/vocals). The band describe their music as ‘A reflection of the human experience, full of passion, emotion, and energy’.
Writing and releasing an album is a monstrous task and brings it’s own set of challenges, but it was a release that Bannered Mare felt was necessary. Already having a number of EPs and singles under their belt, which offered a snapshot of the band at the time, their choice to release an album was an opportunity to fully express themselves and their ideas over a larger and cohesive body of work.
Taking a DIY approach to recording of the album meant that Joe was responsible for producing and mixing the album. A process which he says, at times, tested his mental health, as he tried to maintain perspective while being so close to the project, and letting almost imperceptible imperfections slide. Bannered Mare have a predilection for recording in unusual places which to both a shed and Joe’s daughters bedroom being retrofit to accommodate the recording process.
The songwriting for the album was vastly done by Joe, during sessions late at night. Ideas pulling him from his bed in the middle of the night and working through until the dawn, keen to capture lightning in the bottle before the idea slipped away. Then he would take it to the band who would each take their respective hammers to anvil, helping shape it together.
‘Synapses’ opens the album and was the first of 5 singles to be taken from the album. It sets the tone for the next 40 minutes. Alan’s gunshot kick snare acts as the starting pistol as the band join in with a gargantuan riff that endangers necks everywhere. One of the more traditional verse chorus verse songs on the record, it’s the closest we get to a loud/quiet loud approach but, the Bannered Mare way. The refrains of ‘breath in, breath out’ and ‘let me be’ stay with you long after the track ends.
‘Finger Rolls’ follows, opening with a Travis Baker-esque drum part. The three guitars of Joe, Paul and Derek compliment each other perfectly, as they each carve out their own area of the fretboard, resulting in a complex and full guitar sound. Whether they’re locked in syncopation hammering home a part, or weaving melodies in amongst each other, it never feels crowded or unnecessary. Joe says the song is a portrait of frustration, written at the height of COVID born of tension and uncertainty, he aimed to capture this energy. While also grappling with his place in the world and his anxieties around the existence of God, ‘even when I try, I don’t see it’.
‘Alright, 1,2,3,4’ is the rallying cry we hear at the start of ‘Liminal Space’, as the track opens up it blossoms into a blissful euphoria before dropping down, giving some space for Joe to come in. Some finger shredding lead lines fill the gaps between vocal melodies. As the chorus hits it feels like the sun finally breaking at dawn, with the infinite hopeful possibilities it contains. As the song draws towards it’s end, the short refrain of ‘sketch out a plan, on a clean slate, it’s never too late, lick your wounds, the familiar taste’ becomes a mantra. When writing the imagery of a sailor and rough seas became central for Joe using this as a metaphor for mental health, inspired by his own past struggles.
Track four on the album ‘Tetra’, found its life as a completely different song written years ago. This never saw the light of day but the lyrics made their way into Tetra. Joe says, ‘it’s a love letter to that addiction. When I sing ‘I’m yours, play God if you want,’ it’s really about being at the whim of my own compulsions.’ Musically, the song is driving from the off, the drums infuse the track with a punk energy, something which is replicated across the album, as guitars spiral around each other, plucking a flurry of notes and euphoric chords. Kyle’s bass anchors everything throughout and delivers some particularly gnarly sounds in ‘Tetra’. Bannered Mare’s ability to make a song with numerous parts make complete sense, completely accessible and catchy is beyond compare. Like a painter using every colour and brush simultaneously and still coming out with masterpiece.
Hitting the halfway point, track 5 was the fourth single to be taken from the album. There is an inherent tension to ‘Hip Shot’ from the outset. As twin guitars play intricate complementary patterns that feel like a conversation. Euphoric vocal harmonies offer respite from the building tension, as the bass seems to offer a way through the darkness and Joe intones ‘the cats are screaming like an abattoir’. The band eschew a verse, chorus, verse structure in favour of taking the listener on a journey through various musical movements and motifs, offering numerous horizons as we build towards the neck snapping riff at the end. There is a yearning imbued in the song, along with a quiet desperation to belong somewhere, to someone, to something.
Track six, simple titled ‘Patrick’ was entitled after its namesake said he loved when the band went all out and wished they done it more. Thus ‘Patrick’ was born, complete with a gang chant spelling of his name, shredding that would put Kerry King to shame, all married with Bannered Mare’s math-rock turn on a dime changes and angular guitar phrases. You can hear the band having fun on this song and much to Patrick’s delight they don’t hold back.
Third single off the album, ‘Pet Particular’, recalls math-rock behemoths Minus the Bear or a more upbeat Sharks Keep Moving. The music quietly hopefully, like you could almost sway to it, finding solace in the gentle rhythms and cascading melodies. Joe says, ‘Pet Particular is a straightforward love song. It’s about wanting to be seen and the longing and pain that come when things don’t work out. It’s about that bittersweet mix of hope, loss, and reflection.’
‘Footfall’ fools you into thinking the band might take their foot of the pedal for a track, not the case. Insistent kick drums herald the change before the track kicks in fully. The band switch up the feel on ‘Footfall’, it feels darker, meaner and brooding. This is reflected in the lyrics that address dangerous obsession over past events and drifting back into toxic situations/relationships, being lost in footfall, trampled and pulled along for the ride.
From the off ‘Pocket Picker’ requires anyone listening to have a neck brace close by. A frenetic guitar riff opens the track and sets the intention for the song. As Alan’s drums join they pour gasoline on the pace with machine gun snare drum rolls testing vertebrae. Throughout the song they both anchor and become exclamation points to each riff and idea. The interplay between the three guitars adds infinite ear candy in headphones. The song moves seamlessly between riffs and ideas, going far beyond any verse chorus verse structure but always feeling natural and the next logical step to where the song needs to go. Gang vocals towards the end are a reflection for the desire for some unity during a time of confusion and division.
Final track ‘Primordial’ opens with Joe and an acoustic guitar, a part that feels so intimate, it almost feels confessional. This is all before the band kick in with a quintessential Bannered Mare syncopated guitar part as drums help hammer the point home, did someone say math-rock breakdown? It’s no surprise that over the track’s 7-minute runtime that there are multiple twists and turns as one part births another, variations on themes emerge and we reach numerous peaks and horizons. Around the 5-minute mark there is a particularly nasty drop that will involuntarily illicit stinkface from any musician listening (the highest honour that can be paid). Joe’s euphoric refrain of ‘so far’ feels like a promise.
The beauty intrinsic to Bannered Mare is found in their ability to take incredibly complex ideas and present them as accessible; odd time signatures, changes that happen on a dime, angular guitar riffs and unexpected stops all become easily digestible and understandable. Each song is laced with razor sharp melodies, vocal hooks that live with you for weeks after and vocal harmonies that induce a transcendental type euphoria. Think Beach Boys meets Don Caballero. The band is exhaustive in its exploration of ideas, lifting every stone while writing and taking us to places we would never expect.
The real special alchemy comes from the players and their relationship with each other. Band’s like this can’t exist without having bonds beyond the practice room and it shines through here across the 10 tracks. An album that feels like a flag in the moon from one of Ireland’s most exciting and unique voices, but also a promise of more, as though they are only getting started.