“The video is an encouragement to men to feel more comfortable in having a cry.”

We’re excited to present the very first piece of material from new Dublin-based group, Unit1. Comprising of  Tory O’Neill on vocals, Cian Tisdall on synths and production, Gerard Nash on synths and Vincent Sheridan on electronic percussion, it’s difficult to categorise Unit1, but that’s exactly how they want it, even when it comes to the visuals.

“Contextually the group wanted to avoid a narrative and let the video elicit an emotional response in the viewer,” Cian tells us. “Seeing men cry is extremely rare across all media and the lack of exposure forces men, especially young men, to avoid their emotions. The video is an encouragement to men to feel more comfortable in having a cry.”

The vocals on the track are by a mystery singer who the group titled the track after.

“‘Maya’ was named in honour of a friend of the group, who sang the original demo last summer. It was a very different song then, but without her version, the track wouldn’t have developed the way it has. Naming it after her was a way to acknowledge her contribution to the piece.

“Maya is a song about infatuation. It was written last summer, and the lyrics reflect that time and headspace – hopeful, expectant, and naïve. It was written about a co-worker who became the centre of a romantic fixation. It’s about how the feelings that arise from such an obsession, from limerence, can fuck a person up: knowing that indulging these emotions is a risk, but continuing down that road anyway.”

Unit1’s arrival is an exciting addition to Irish music and we’re already looking forward to what’s next from the group.