Music
02 Jul 25

Pebbledash release lively new single 'Cartography'

Pebbledash at The Grand Social. Photo copyright: Patrik Meier/hotpress.com.

Listen to the new track below.

Cork-based alternative band Pebbledash have released their new single 'Cartography' today ahead of their upcoming appearance at Outside the Box festival on July 5.

The new track comes two months after the release of 'Asha’s Waltz,' which reached over 15,000 streams in less than a week. Hot Press called the song a "significant milestone in their rapidly rising trajectory" since their debut EP Four Portraits Of The Same Ugly House.

Compared to the soft tones of 'Asha's Waltz,' 'Cartography' brings renewed energy, a polarity which Pebbledash synth player and vocalist Cormac Donovan O’Neill said was entirely intentional.

“In choosing to release 'Cartography' shortly after our recent single 'Asha’s Waltz,' we wanted to display the fullest extent of what we’re capable of as a band in microcosm - loud and soft,” O’Neill said. “Contrasting between textures and dynamics is vital to us as a band, both within a song and between releases."

O'Neill described the layered synth elements as representative of the intense energy of live performance, referencing Stereolab and Neu! as inspiration.

Lead vocalist and guitarist Fionnbharr Hickey said he wrote 'Cartography' with a sense of anxiety in mind, but still aimed to keep the sound upbeat.

“After deciding I didn't want this song to sound morose or sad even though the material signifies a difficult time for me, I wrote the guitar parts using an alternate tuning I liked at the time and one that felt uplifting and adventurous. I also wanted to write something I could picture people dancing to in their bedrooms or kitchens or wherever," Hickey said.

"In many ways, the song is about exploring simplicity and doing what we felt is right, not overthinking things. Recorded in a few hours and with only one vocal take, we are sort of exposing ourselves as a raw five-piece, and that felt good. There's nowhere to hide in this track.”

Pebbledash will perform at Outside the Box festival in Galway on July 5. Afterwards, they will play gigs across Ireland and the UK through the summer. They are set to begin their Of Seaweed and Sandstone tour in November, starting with a hometown show in Cork, stops in Dublin, Belfast, London and Manchester, before wrapping up in Leeds.

Upcoming Dates: