The Dublin group preview what’s to come and reveal they are hitting the road.

Dublin four-piece Soda Blonde have revealed their debut album Small Talk is landing July 9 2021. The news comes alongside the release of the title track and a UK and Ireland tour in the latter half of the year.

Landing via Velveteen Records, the record is entirely self-produced and sees the group reflecting on their 20s.

“To put it simply, Small Talk is about life in our 20’s,” says frontwoman Faye O’Rourke.

“Every part of us is in here, both subliminally and literally. Lyrically, this record is like a collection of my flaws and insecurities. They’re lingering awkwardly by the bar at a crowded social gathering, waiting to integrate with the wider world”. 

Having played together since their teens and made their name as part of their previous band Little Green Cars, Small Talk is the next step in the journey of the Irish trailblazers.

Speaking on the album Faye said, “With feminism on one shoulder and trans-generational Catholic guilt on the other, it’s hard to find your way as an Irish woman”

“The truth is, I’ve found that process of deprogramming myself extremely hard, and now I lie somewhere between the past and future. 

“Small Talk touches on many things: indulging in the darkness, while also trying to derive some meaning from it; on having no degree; on the way I sabotaged multiple relationships, or let my parents down. It’s about looking for resolution and revolution in sex and politics. It’s about being abused mentally and physically by the people you love the most, and in turn, abusing the people who love you. It’s about my first heartbreak at 14, how it’s still intrinsically a part of me and the shame and embarrassment that it brings. It’s about having something you thought was a sure thing, like your career, ripped out from underneath you. It’s also about the idea of optical virtue over the reality of how we treat those around us”. 

Listen to the new single ‘Small Talk‘ below and scroll down for the full tour dates.

Tour Dates:

August 13 – 15 Wild Roots Festival, Sligo, Ireland
August 27 + 28 SoFFT Nights, Co.Meath, Ireland
September 08 Mike the Pies, Co.Kerry, Ireland
September 09 Cyprus Avenue, Cork, Ireland
September 10 Dolans Warehouse, Co.Limerick, Ireland
September 11 Roisin Dubh, Galway, Ireland
September 12 Whelan’s, Dublin Ireland
September 19 Belfast Empire Music Hall, Belfast, UK
September 21 Broadcast, Glasgow, UK
September 22 YES, Manchester, UK
September 23 Sebright Arms, London, UK
July 17. 2022 Iveagh Gardens, Dublin, Ireland (with Sinead O’Connor)

Tickets are on sale now from the band’s website. 

Elsewhere on District: We spoke to Denise Chaila about her influences, winning the Choice Prize and developing her sound.