LISTEN: Former Revelino frontman Brendan Tallon shares 'Old Man Superman'

Former Revelino and Saturday Captains bandleader Brendan Tallon has shared his first solo offering in the form of brand new single 'Old Man Superman'.

Indie band Revelino featured Brendan and Ciaran Tallon, Alan Montgomery, Shane Rafferty and Bren Berry - who launched a new website in September 2020, featuring music, photos and an extensive archive section. Originally formed as Crocodile Tears and then The Coletranes in the late '80s, Revelino before becoming one of Ireland's most noteworthy bands in the '90s with their unique style of jangle rock.

Brendan and Revelino enjoyed a lockdown renaissance in 2020 with the remastering and re-release of the band’s eponymous debut album, 26 years after its original critically acclaimed release. The renowned album includes an EP of previously un-released material, with the remastered debut project reaching No.1 in the Irish Indie Charts and No. 11 in the Official Irish Album Charts.

‘Old Man Superman’ was inspired by the actions of 72-year-old Yasuteru Yamada and the members of the ‘Skilled Veterans Corps’. As retired veteran engineers and scientists, the troop volunteered to enter the Fukushima power plant in Japan following 2011's nuclear disaster, with the purpose of shutting it down and delivering a damage report. They proposed that the older veterans should tackle the aftermath rather than younger staff who had young families and still had their lives ahead of them. Yamada lobbied the government hard for his volunteers aged 60 and older to be allowed into the power station.

"On average I probably have 13 to 15 years left to live," Yasuteru said at the time.

"Even if I were exposed to radiation, cancer could take 20 or 30 years or longer to develop. Therefore, us older ones have less chance of getting cancer."

This selfless act struck a chord with Brendan, reminding him of the countless acts of gracious sacrifice carried out on a daily basis by normal, everyday superheroes in the name of science, technology and for the benefit of mankind. The release of this number is all the more poignant, given the 10th anniversary of the disaster on March 11th this year.

Brendan's talent for songwriting and genre-bending fully shine through on this track, featuring flashing riffs, urban saxophones, floating dreamscapes and heavenly choirs.

Tallon's lyrics and soundscape, with accompanying video by Rory McDonald, attempt to depict the extraordinary deeds carried out by an otherwise ordinary man.

'Old Man Superman' was released last week as part of Bandcamp Friday, the monthly event which sees the streaming site waive their revenue share to help support the many artists who have seen their livelihoods disrupted by the pandemic.

Listen to 'Old Man Superman' below: