I was a teenager searching for meaning and identity when Nine Black Alps exploded into my life in 2005, with Everything Is. I instantly related to the frustration of ‘Shot Down’, the dark sarcasm of ‘Not Everyone’, and the carefree vibe of ‘Just Friends’.

The band looked like me. They made music that sounded like I was trying to sound. I felt like I was a part of something. I used to skip school to fly over to the UK to catch them on tour, because gigs are 14+ over there. We would fly over early, hang around the venue, see the show and sleep in the airport.

Once, after sneaking into their gig in Dublin, I missed my bus home and sat outside the venue. The singer Sam Forrest came out for a smoke and asked if I was OK. I went backstage to wait with the band until I could find a way home. Bizarrely, I later read that this exact same situation had happened to Sam, except with Elliott Smith. I know – wild!

The album gave me the confidence to start my own band and write my own songs. Years later, I can amazingly say that I’ve become friends with the guys. These four dudes probably don’t know how much they changed and saved my life with this remarkable album – at a time when I really needed it.

https://open.spotify.com/album/7m8quty5yRGVx8XzL82TNv