Cork based trio Rowan have announced the date for the release of their debut album Does It Make You Happy?. The news coincides with the release of outfit's new single 'Irish to My Bones', this morning. The album – one of the most highly anticipated from an Irish band this year – will be available to stream on May 6.

Released in November of 2020 and born out of the pandemic, the band's debut EP No One is Safe Here reflected vocalist Dylan Howe's own life experiences. Drawing on his struggles with mental health, his approach to songwriting was rooted in a desire for self-expression. Songwriting is a way to "try and get the bad stuff out. It's like therapy," he said in a press release.

A similar approach is discernible in 'Irish to My Bones'. The single was written "to pierce the modern perspective of suppression and shame, brought on by generational trauma in Ireland," Dylan explains. The lyrics reflect this, with Howe addressing Irish stereotypes and stigmas over heavy guitar riffs and punchy instrumentals. The band's guitar maestro, Kevin Herron, was the winner of the Hot Press-run competition to win a copy of a Rory Gallagher Signature Fender Stratocaster, run during lockdown. Kevin was selected from thousands of aspiring guitar players, with the prize being presented in the Rory Gallagher Music Library in Cork, in September last year.

Rowan have teamed up with producer Tim Palmer, whose previous collaborators include U2 and Pearl Jam, for 'Irish to My Bones' – which sets the stage for a what promises to be a strongly lyric-driven debut album that will also be packed with superb instrumental work.

Rowan, made up of Howe, Fionn Hennessy-Hayes and Kevin Herron, signed to LA label Beverly Martel last year. Their second EP Everybody Talks  landed last July. Since then, the outfit have shared three other singles, 'Youth and Youthhood,' 'Nothing's Gonna Change,' and 'One of These Days.'

Check out the video for 'Irish to My Bones' below.