Photo Credits: @justgraycephotography
From the pubs of Ireland to the stages of mainland Europe, Croíthe (KREE-HA) are fast becoming one of those bands you feel before you fully hear them. Loud, layered, and unapologetically heartfelt, their debut EP A Brief Respite plays like a sonic diary – one filled with breakups, Catholic guilt, and a fierce political pulse. It’s a collision of youthful chaos and emotional clarity, stitched together by guitar textures that echo both the confusion and catharsis of growing up.
Time to introduce yourself – if you could overhear someone talking about your band in a pub, what would they be saying?
Caodán (guitar/vocals): Hello, we’re Croíthe (KREE-HA) from Dublin and we make guitar music. That’s tricky one. Maybe invest in a sound engineer or earplugs.
What is one unexpected influence that shaped you as a band?
Caodán: We listen to a lot of trad music, 60s girl group music and Chet Baker when we are on tour a lot. The wall of sound you hear in tunes like "Be My Baby" or "I Can Never Go Home Again" by the Shangri Las have been an influence on guitar layering for us, definitely.
Talk to us about your debut EP A Brief Respite. What do you hope someone feels listening to it for the first time?
Caodán: I hope they can relate to the feelings which are rooted through all those songs. There’s a lot of genuine things we tried to encapsulate - there’s no figure it out yourself. We’re a genuine band and we wear our hearts on our sleeves sonically, ya know?
What did the writing process look like? How can we imagine a Croíthe song being made?
Caodán: Usually I’ll come in with the lyrics and rough music on an acoustic to rehearsals and I’ll have an idea of what I want it to be, but it’ll go through the process of building off each others personal touches and come out the other side "croíthefied".
What’s everyone’s favourite off the EP?
Caodán: “‘I Heard, I Saw’—my favourite to write. It came from breakups and Catholic guilt, like a lot of our stuff. I’m proud of it lyrically.”
Ben (Guitar): “‘The Lovers’—I love the live reaction as it builds and how the guitars layer.”
Keevy (Drums): “‘The Diver’—the energy live and my drum part are just so fun to play.”
Frances (Bass): “‘I Heard, I Saw’—I love playing the outro live. It’s our most creative tune in terms of layering.”
What’s one sonic moment on A Brief Respite that you’re the proudest of?
Caodán: "The Lovers", for sure. The way the guitars are layered is something we were really happy with. Also the aggression of the tune came across really well on the recording, it hit the mark for us.
You tackle a lot of political themes in your music, most prominently in your single Soldier. Why is it important to you as an artist to write about those topics and does it ever come with difficulties? Is there ever a though of softening your political stance for broader appeal?
Caodán: Talking about and addressing the genocide in Palestine has never been a second thought to us. We believe every artist with any type of platform should be using it to raise awareness and use their voice. It goes for anyone. We should all be using our voice. We don’t face too many difficulties with it, there’s been a few eye rolls in the crowds when we talk about it, but we will never stop talking about Palestine. Having humanity and compassion for those facing something that horrible is not a choice, so no we have no thoughts of softening our political stance.
"Croíthe" means "hearts", if I am not mistaken. Do you feel like being Irish shapes your sound and lyrics? Do you feel connected to Ireland’s musical lineage?
Caodán: Yeah, means Hearts. Identity is a huge rule in our music. I think the songs come from location and a very specific feeling, a song like the "The Lovers" and going back to our older stuff like "The Kiss" came from living in Dublin. We do feel connected to those paved the way for us. We grew up on The Pogues and Thin Lizzy, and then acts like Just Mustard and The Murder Capital, when we started the band.
It’s no secret that Irish music is having a massive moment now. What does it mean to you, to be a young Irish band?
Caodán: It’s a truly amazing thing to be a part of this scene. And we do feel connected. The scene here is small but it’s blossoming. You have bands like Madra Salach, Theatre, Basht., and so many more brilliant acts that I’d be here all day naming, that come from Ireland. It’s so lovely to see everyone going to local shows and really getting their names out there.
And finally – what’s next? What can we expect from Croíthe in the future?
Caodán: We will be touring next year hopefully, and we are in the middle of writing our next project. We’re very excited to see what the future holds for us!
A BRIEF RESPITE IS OUT NOW.
M. Müller, 2025