Irish ethereal post-rock outfit HAVVK have announced their sophomore album Levelling and shared their stirring latest single, 'Automatic'.

Trio Julie Hough (vocals, bass), Matt Harris on guitar and Sam Campbell on drums make up HAVVK as an outfit. Julie and Matt are also the founders of VETA Music - the artist-led record label that is home to Maria Kelly, Sive, DYVR and St. Bishop, as well as HAVVK themselves. Originally based in London, before packing up for Berlin - the label now calls Dublin home.

‘Automatic’ follows the success of previous album tracks ‘Home’ and ‘No Patience’, which have received major airplay worldwide.

The track takes a turn in a reflective direction, retaining the atmospheric sound of the first two singles, while adding subtle melodic touches with both the guitars and vocals. The verses are gentle, while the starker choruses and stabs of grunge powerfully permeate the track; reflecting through the theme of the song through sound - a look back at teenage years and an acknowledgement of the emotional highs and lows of that time.

“'Automatic' is about cherishing childhood friendships and the way that they evolve," singer and bassist Julie Hough says. "It’s about snapshots that will always be imprinted in our minds – for me it's hours talking on the landline, swapping clothes, burning CDs, mitching school or going to gigs for the first time. It’s about the fuzzy feeling of nostalgia when you slip back into a conversation with an old friend as if you saw each other yesterday. But it’s also about being afraid to lose that feeling; being anxious that those memories might burnaway and having to be open to growing together even as your paths change.”

Since their debut release in 2016, HAVVK have continued to produce a relentlessly dynamic, haunting sound that steers and surprises the listener from moments of immersive shoegaze to thrashing punk rock.

Over three EPs, 'HAVVK' (2016), 'She Knows' (2017), ‘Plans with Friends’ (2020), and with the launch of their 2019 debut album, Cause & Effect; HAVVK have consistently proved that they are unafraid to combine hard-hitting music with an equally hard-hitting message.

With pulsating singles like 'Always the Same', 'Birds on a Wire' and 'Shifting Shape', HAVVK tackle topics such as bodily autonomy, gender expression, mental health and equality, with ferocious power. Hot Press premiered the band's compelling previous single, 'No Patience', back in March.

Listen to 'Automatic' below:

Levelling Tracklist

Tides

Home

No Patience

Automatic

Easy

Under Your Breath

Halfway Out

Machines

Hold

By Night

Photo credit: James Byrne