Browse By

THE WHA Unveil New Single ’40 Odd Year’

The Wha, an Irish band hailing from the quaint city of Kilkenny, have released their second ever track 40 Odd Years on Chess Club.

The Wha 2019

The four-piece, having gathered increasing momentum off the back of their debut single Innocents in August, have also confirmed their first ever London date – on 28th November at The Sebright Arms for Good Karma Club.

40 Odd Years is a laid-back, sunshine infused Twin Peaks-esque four minutes of fuzzy guitars and compressed vocals. It’s messy, but the incohesiveness adds an endearing twist to an otherwise straight-forward garage rock, indie pop tune. It falls more in the realms of pleasant than groundbreaking, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Their influences range from Julian Casablancas, and Alex Turner to Jack Kerouac and The Beatles, merging the classic and the contemporary since they formed a songwriting partnership aged just 15 years-old.

With lyrics about a grandmother turning lesbian and her lover subsequently murdering her husband, The Wha hardly blend in to the background when it comes to songwriting – perhaps inspired by the lack of any real direction in their hometown:

Growing up in Kilkenny has its ups and downs. It’s a small city, you can’t really run away from anything. I think lots of young people here get to the point where they want to leave, whether it’s for two years or forever. It is a fun town to grow up in. Some nice spots, some nice pubs. It’s easy to waste time here.