Since 2012, Inhaler, comprised of vocalist and guitarist Elijah Hewson (the son of U2 frontman Bono), bassist Robert Keating, lead guitarist Josh Jenkinson, and drummer Ryan McMahon, has found its footing, with sold-out shows to prove it.
Ahead of the band's show at Revolution Live on Friday, March 14, Hewson and Keating spoke with New Times about their current tour and the success of Open Wide.
"I think it just felt like there was a lot of firsts, which excited us a lot," Keating says. "Our first two albums were with the same producer and someone who's a dear friend of ours now. But producer Kid Harpoon has a really good skill for identifying things that he loves in songs and finding out what the song's core is. We ended up sticking with a lot of the original demo stuff that we would have recorded ourselves before meeting Kid Harpoon at all and then putting them in the songs. And I think that approach he has — you hear it on Harry Styles's music — like little sound bites and little moments that you can tell have been there since maybe the start; that felt new for us, which we liked."
Throwing Out the Rulebook
British music producer Kid Harpoon (AKA Tom Hull) is best known for his work on the Grammy award-winning album Harry's House, as well as crafting hit songs like Miley Cyrus' "Flowers" and Florence and the Machine's "Shake It Out." While Hull can be credited with producing Open Wide, Inhaler's versatility defines its sound."We've always explored things very heavily because we do have quite an eclectic music taste as a band. We all listen to very different stuff," Hewson says. "I also think in music, it doesn't feel like there's any rules anymore. And we've never felt like we wanted any genre walls or anything like that. We just let the song become what it is, and then it becomes 'Inhaler' by us playing it over and over again. That's always been part of our DNA."
Beginning with the fast-paced, alternative-rock ballad "Eddie in the Darkness," Open Wide pulls from art rock, postpunk, and glam-pop. Tracks like "Billy (Yeah Yeah Yeah)" and "A Question of You" feature indie-pop stylings characterized by bouncy guitar riffs and danceability. Conversely, the modern rock songs "Again" and "Still Young" round out the record's themes of self-reflection and optimism. The seminal title track "Open Wide" is the heart of this exploration of music and self.
As a young group performing worldwide alongside seasoned artists like Harry Styles, Arctic Monkeys, Pearl Jam, and Kings of Leon, Inhaler has learned to prioritize longevity when creating hits. For Keating, playing an old crowd favorite for years and reliving a previous music era is akin to "wearing one of your haircuts from when you were 15," which, depending on the person, could go either way.
"Someone in the Arctic Monkeys was talking to us when we were on tour with them, and they basically said that one of the songs they didn't like playing it that much, but they played it most nights," Keating says. "It wasn't like advice; they were just kind of like joking around, saying, 'Oh, that song's a drag to play' or whatever. But I took it as advice because I think naturally, when you're in a band, and you make music, there are some songs that you fall in and out of love with. I think it's important to still value the art."
The Normalcy of Home
Part of Open Wide's timeless sound can be attributed to the band's return to its hometown roots. Except for the pandemic, Inhaler has had little opportunity to be home since supporting Oasis' Noel Gallagher in 2018 and its first headlining tour in 2019. After years of touring, living at home on their off time allows these childhood friends to maximize their time with their loved ones and focus on what's important: making music."We kind of went back to a space closer to where we used to rehearse when we were teenagers. So, we were closer to the sea this time. And I think that definitely brought back a lot of nostalgia and a sense of just being carefree again and a bit younger. We all still haven't moved out. There's no point in us getting places when we're just on the road all the time," Hewson shares. "I think being at home, being back with my parents and stuff, was actually really good for the music because there was a sense of no responsibility. Everyone was just excited to play music and go home and have dinner with their family or whatever. It felt very normal, which was exciting, to have a bit of routine for once."
After a period of recharging, Inhaler looks forward to continuing its North American tour and visiting Florida for the first time. While South Florida's trademark humidity might remind these Dubliners of home, the warm sunshine is a bright spot after touring in Canada this winter. Travel destinations aside, this growing number of stops on the Open Wide Tour provides an exciting opportunity to further connect with the band's American fanbase like never before.
Inhaler. With Benches. 6:30 p.m. Friday, March 14, at Revolution Live, 100 SW Third Ave., Fort Lauderdale; 954-449-1025; jointherevolution.net. Tickets cost $31.50 via ticketmaster.com.
