PREMIERE: Van Panther – 'To Live and Die'

Limerick five-piece Van Panther are making their much-anticipated return to the spotlight with 'To Live and Die', out tomorrow on all streaming platforms.

The single is a strange concoction of genres that – on paper– shouldn't compliment each other. Somehow, though, the band have made 'To Live and Die' a cohesive, infectious track. Using rock and post-punk as a springboard from which to jump into other genres, the group marry electronic-infused pop production with alternative instrumentation.

"I wrote the songs myself, in my bedroom," Kieran explains down the line from Limerick. "A lot of the stuff you hear production wise is just me in my room, and it's very much a kind of bedroom project."

Kieran initially wrote the track for their last EP, but he figured that because 'To Live and Die' was a more upbeat, summer song, it made sense to hold on to it. "I think it tied in very well – unfortunately but fortunately – with lockdown kicking in," he reflects. "Because the song really took on a new meaning. It always had that theme of isolation, but that really shined through a lot stronger during the lockdown. We definitely toyed with the idea that this was a perfect time to put out this track. There's been a case of enforced isolation here, whereas usually you're totally in control of your own liberty."

Listen to 'To Live and Die' below.