Greywind are an emo rock duo from Killarney in Ireland formed by siblings Steph and Paul O'Sullivan. In their first 40 shows as a band they have already achieved playing some of the biggest festivals in the world, including Reading and Leeds Festival, Isle of Wight Festival, Download Festival, Rock Am Ring and have supported the likes of Palaye Royale, Thrice and You Me At Six. Greywindâs music ha
s been described by Zane Lowe as "a moment you won't forget if you're a fan of rock music." Their debut album âAfterthoughtsâ was recorded in Texas with Grammy-Winning producer Jason Perry and charted in the Official UK Rock Chart on the day of their sold out debut headline show in London. In 2021 Greywind released their acclaimed new single âAm I Asleep?â, with the track being described as âa stadium-ready alt-rock anthemâ by Record Of The Day. In June 2022 Greywindâs songs âAfterthoughtsâ and âCar Spinâ went viral on TikTok reaching over 1 million views. The Greywind story is a potent reminder that a whole new world of possibilities could be waiting just a few clicks away. Rewind a few years and an aspiring band had one option: to hit the road and get their talents in front of as many potential fans as humanly possible. By contrast, Greywindâs rise to prominence started before theyâd even played a single gig. Located on the shore of the Lough Leane lake in the south of Ireland, Greywindâs home of Killarney is a beautiful town and a popular tourist destination. For young people passionate about music â like the OâSullivan siblings Steph (vocals) and Paul (guitar) â itâs a place of limited opportunity. âMy best friend at the time said, âyou live in Killarney, youâre never going to be a singerâ,â recalls Steph, who admits to being an outsider as she grew up. âI was shy and people probably just thought âthereâs that weird girl who listens to My Chemical Romanceâ.â
Inspired by the likes of Thrice and Jimmy Eat World, the OâSullivans would dream of a bigger future: touring the world and playing on the Warped Tour. Bargain flights to the UK to see some of their favourite bands live offered a glimpse into a whole other existence, but a dearth of other local musicians meant that their dreams of forming a band never really progressed beyond that. One potential guitarist jumped ship before heâd even joined. âWe told him, âWe donât want this to be a hobby, we want to tour the world.â We probably sounded like lunatics when weâd never even played a show,â laughs Paul. Grasping the shortness and fragility of life, Steph and Paul decided to forge ahead despite their lack of a conventional band line-up. Still a hive of enthusiasm, the siblingsâ bond is evident with their continuing eagerness to finish each otherâs sentences. âWe wanted to make a start and feel like we were doing something,â explains Paul. âAnd we thought it would take years,â interjects Steph. âWhich it usually does.â
Those anticipated years were condensed into a single week. On an ordinary Wednesday night, the pair polished off the lyrics to their first completed song Afterthoughts and then recorded a demo of it the following day. They uploaded it on the Monday and were then immediately deluged by a flood of industry interest. The journey only continued. Radio 1 quickly took notice when Zane Lowe picked the demo as his Next Hype. After the industry-focused rush of meetings subsided, Greywind focused on developing those ideas during a creative spell with Grammy-winning producer Jason Perry. Enamoured by Perryâs creativity and enthusiasm, Greywind called on his skills again to record their debut album during a three-week stay at Texasâs Sonic Ranch Studios. From the studioâs rich history to the scorching weather, it was an opportunity of a lifetime. Most importantly, however, was a chance to hear their ideas â almost entirely written on acoustic guitar â evolve into beefy layers of sound. Featuring lyrics which address the dark heart of the human condition, the resulting album possesses the visceral crunch and the soaring hooks of the bands that have so inspired them. Dynamically, however, they move in ways more mysterious than that template would suggest. Often an ethereal drift of atmospherics explodes into controlled chaos â an approach that echoes their love for the post-rock soundscapes of Caspian and Explosions in the Sky. Alternating at will between tender, evocative and aggressive, Stephâs voice is the magic ingredient that elevates Greywind into another dimension. PRESS
"A moment you won't forget if you're a fan of rock music." - Zane Lowe
âIf a more poetic and graceful, yet musically powerful debut album is released this year, we'll eat Slash's hat - A stunning debut albumâ - Kerrang! Magazine
"Greywind turned in the most exciting set of Reading Festival, make no mistake, Greywind are headed for the big time." -Louder Than War
"Greywind take things to skyscraper heights at Download Festival, the stage can barely contain them." - Upset Magazine
âGreywind are rapidly building up a reputation as one of the most compelling alternative rock acts in the countryâ â Hot Press Magazine
"A striking record full of depth and epic soundscapes - roaring guitar surges, powerful volume crescendos and Stephâs sky scraping vocals" - Alternative Press Magazine
"Truly incredible and awe-inspiring - Afterthoughts is something that comes out once in a generation, if we are lucky" - Cryptic Rock
âAfterthoughts, one of the best debut albums we can remember hearing for a long time - trademark stadium-sized choruses, and honestly, all of them feel like theyâre already classics.â - Bring The Noise UK
"âGreywindâ turn pain into something beautiful with their debut album" - The Huffington Post
âTheyâre an act born to create stadium sized heart hittersâ - New Noise Magazine
"Huge, stadium ready alt-rock" - Punktastic
âSounds enormous - The band clearly know their way around a blockbuster chorusâ - Rock Sound
âGreywind have captured a daydreamers spark and used it to light something grand, wonderful and humanâ - Upset Magazine
âHuge anthemic choruses, rich instrumentation and soaring vocals - Beautifully hypnoticâ - Front Magazine
âAn impeccable debut - Hypnotising and truly remarkableâ - Devils Gate Media
âA true inspiration - This band has made a special place in my heart with their stories told in this recordâ - Shockwave Magazine