ANCHR's Artist of the Week: The Murder Capital

Photo by James Kelly

This week’s artist of the week goes to The Murder Capital.

Hailing from Dublin, Ireland, The Murder Capital consists of members James McGovern, Damien Tuit, Cathal Roper, Gabriel Paschal Blake, and Diarmuid Brennan. The group has a sound that tiptoes the lines between experimental rock, punk and post-punk— if you’re a fan of Shame, Dry Cleaning or Fontaines D.C., then they should definitely be on your radar as well.

The Murder Capital first started playing together back in 2017, but their first recorded release came in 2019 with singles like “Feeling Fades” and “Green & Blue,” which led up to their debut album entitled When I Have Fears. The band actually released this album on their own label called Human Season Records. Most recently, the band put out their sophomore album entitled Gigi’s Recovery, which just dropped in January of this year. The album begins with an atmospheric, slow-burn of a track called “Existence” that starts off with an eerie instrumental as vocalist James McGovern slowly recites the lyrics “Existence fading.” Eventually the introductory track swells into a crescendo that runs right into track 2, “Crying,” which features similar atmospheric, electronic elements that blend into more traditional guitar riffs. This push-and-pull pattern continues throughout the album’s twelve tracks, where certain moments soar to an explosion before being met with a more serene plateau on the other side. The record’s title track really exemplifies this motif, with another gradual build-up that ebbs and flows throughout the course of the song.

In support of Gigi’s Recovery, The Murder Capital is currently on the road in North America, including a stop in Chicago at Lincoln Hall on April 3rd. See all of their tour dates here, and tune into the music video for their single “Return My Head” below.