New Music: SAOL – Lines

SAOL is at the forefront of the new Irish indie sound, one that takes from the underground and reconstructs it with a pop-aligned sensibility.

That pop side is most noticeable in the melody of Lines, with the chorus acting as a memorable focal point and the hooks having an immediacy that is immersive and engaging. It places the track alongside acts like Just Mustard and Cliffords in the way that SAOL – aka Zoë Gough – draws from post-punk and shoegaze, filtering in a Pixies-like emotional intensity, always wanting to reach out to the listener in terms of the relatable lyrics and a vocal delivery drenched with emotion.

Burning brightly and slowly, it’s a number that you can absorb easily thanks to those hook-heavy guitar lines. Though if you dig just a little beneath the surface, Lines becomes ever more revealing and engaging, new dimensions being revealed on each listen.

“When I reread the lyrics after I’d written Lines, I realised I was subconsciously exploring feelings of pain and grief that I hadn’t fully realised were there. The throbbing kick drum at the end, representing a heartbeat, is intended to tap into the universality of what Lines is exploring – the pain of being alive and not being alive, of loss and regret, the melancholy of being the one left behind, a prisoner to memory.”

She continues, “I wrote with various perspectives in mind and explored them simultaneously, hoping to allow the listener to feel untethered to any one experience, like a dialogue in a novel that shifts from character to character seamlessly. There are characters in there, and a story to be explored, felt and imagined. I really enjoyed developing different guitar tones for this song, and I’m looking forward to more experimentation with that as I continue on my journey as SAOL.”

The second half of June is a busy time for SAOL, as she plays The Sound House on the 18th and 27th, Lost Lane on the 25th, and The Anvil Inn in Portarlington on the 26th of June.

Lines is out now and can be heard on Spotify and SoundCloud. For more listening alternatives and to keep with all things SAOL, including news of an album, head to Instagram and hit that follow button.