Inhaler chosen as 2FM’s pick for Eurosonic 2020

In February 2018, Inhaler frontman Eli Hewson declared the band's intentions in two years time: "Croke Park,” he said with a smile. While it's not quite Croke Park, the lads have scored a major gig as they were chosen as 2FM's pick for Eurosonic 2020.

"In 2019 we picked @fontainesdublin as 2FM's pick for @esns," reads a tweet from 2FM. "We're very proud to announce @InhalerDublin as our pick for #Eurosonic2020! Hon the boys 🇮🇪"

In 2019 we picked @fontainesdublin as 2FM's pick for @esns...

We're very proud to announce @InhalerDublin as our pick for #Eurosonic2020!

Hon the boys 🇮🇪https://t.co/MtWHV54wwF pic.twitter.com/SNKk3L5Vqw

— RTÉ 2FM (@RTE2fm) September 17, 2019

"Huge thanks to @RTE2fm for choosing us as their 2FM pick for @esns 2020", the band tweeted in response.

Huge thanks to @RTE2fm for choosing us as their 2FM pick for @esns 2020. Looking forward to coming back to Holland so soon 🇳🇱 https://t.co/lVugS7uJFH

— Inhaler (@InhalerDublin) September 17, 2019

“I think, as a band, we fit together so well – and every time we play together, we just know we want to do it," said Hewson, son of U2's Bono. "Obviously I’ve been around music since I’ve been born, but I only really got into rock ‘n’ roll when I was 13. We really believe in our music. Obviously connections are gonna come into play, but that can only get you in the door once.”

Hewson admitted to Hot Press that the band's name is a slight dig on his less-than-cool-kid status when he suffered from asthma.

“I’ve never been an athletic kid. I had asthma. I have athletic-induced asthma. I can show you the articles; it’s a real thing," he insists, laughing. "That was my slag as I was growing up, and my family and my sisters would call me that. I remember we were looking for a name, and my sister Jordan just said, ‘You should call yourselves Inhaler’. Everybody laughed, but it just sort of stuck with us.”

2FM's last pick for Eurosonic was Fontaines DC, who went on to receive a Mercury Prize nomination this summer. Needless to say, landing this pick is a big push in launching Irish musicians beyond the island.

Read the full Inhaler interview here.