Inhaler Explores a New Sonic Journey in Single "Open Wide"
Photo by Lewis Evans via Instagram.
Dublin lads, Inhaler, return with their second single, “Open Wide,” which is the title track of their third studio album out in February 2025. The four-piece indie rock band recently wrapped their 20-stop North American tour and released their first single, “Your House,” on October 29th. The band debuted “Open Wide” on their tour, building excitement among fans. Inhaler began teasing snippets of the track on Instagram, TikTok, and on their Discord. On December 2nd, the band officially announced they would be releasing the second single on December 6th.
A band for over a decade now, with the members meeting back in school in 2012, Eli Hewson (guitar and vocals), Robert Keating (bass), Josh Jenkinson (lead guitar), and Ryan McMahon (drums) released their debut album, It Won’t Always Be Like This, on July 9th, 2021, yet have been releasing music since 2018. This album was a blend of work they had released and toured for years prior, along with new tracks they wrote during the pandemic. Their sophomore album, Cuts and Bruises, released February 17th, 2023, showcased a more refined and mature sound reaching number one on the Official Irish Albums Chart and number two in the UK.
On Instagram, Inhaler said “Open Wide” has “existed for years but never felt destined to end up on an album. We brought the song into the studio where it took on a shape and colour that we fell so in love with we named our album after it.” Jenkinson in an interview with NME stated they have had the demo for the track since 2021.
The song opens with a kick drum creating an ambient introduction, followed by a fed back percussion element. The anticipation continues to build with Hewson’s shimmery guitar and Keating’s rich bass line. Hewson earnest delivers of lyrics describes a complex relationship filled with turmoil yet marked by a desire to stay. “I don’t need these ties as much as I need freeing from you” compared to the chorus, “I’ll stay with you when you are cruel / To the violent thoughts in your head / But sometimes you’ll do much worse / You can’t reverse / The beautiful things you said.”
The bridge delves deeper into the complexities of love, portraying it as a double-edged sword of fear and pleasure. “Love is a terror / When they stick together / Love is a terror / If it’s all forever / Love is a terror / Got my arms open wide.” The intensity of Hewson’s vocals culminates here, sounding as if he is gasping for air. Inhaler’s different approach when creating the new album is evident in the title track. In the band’s video message for Spotify Wrapped, Hewson stated it began as a “house track,” and producer Kid Harpoon suggested “recording it as a band in the room.” He went on to say from there, it wasn’t more than 10 takes. The euphoric sound, paired with intense vocals, reveals new ground the band is exploring both lyrically and musically.
Hewson stated back in 2021 that “part of the fun about being in Inhaler is that we’ll never find our sound.” The band's range and evolving sound add to their craft, keeping fans on their toes. McMahon told NME, “We’ve finally gotten to a point on this album where we actually sound like the band that we want to sound like.” Inhaler already has 48 gigs booked for next year, including their biggest headline show in their hometown at St. Anne’s Park in Dublin, Ireland. Stay tuned for Inhaler’s third studio album, set to be released on February 7th, 2025. For now stream their newest release and title track, “Open Wide.”
