Bannered Mare – release blistering new single ‘Pocket Picker’ video premieres @ 6pm 29/08/25

Bannered Mare formed in 2018 from the ashes of, Race the Flux, and born of a time mired by personal struggles with substance abuse and mental health issues. The band became a vehicle for founding member Joe Padfield (lead vocals/guitar) to explore the complex emotions around these issues and in doing so transmute negatives into a positive. 2024 saw the band release a number of singles including ‘Synapses’ which premiered on Amplify with Ailsha on RTE2XM. Most recent single ‘Hip Shot’ landed in June 2025 which caught the sharpened ears of Golden Plec, PureM Zine, IMRO, Genuine Irish, Rock N Load, Ragged Cast, TheBeat.ie, Otherside Reviews and was selected by Joe.ie as one of their Tracks of the Week. The band now return with the blistering ‘Pocket Picker’ and along with it, the announcement of their debut album ‘He’s Only Sleeping’. ‘Pocket Picker’ is result of the anger and frustration Joe felt during COVID, a time that was punctuated by confusion and division. The result is a break neck-pressure release valve which through the act of writing changed anger into hope.

At the heart of Bannered Mare’s sound is their undeniable chemistry and camaraderie as a band. Completed by Alan Kilcullen (drums/vocals), Paul Higgins (guitar/vocals), Derek Ellard (guitar/vocals) and Kyle Dee (bass/vocals). The band describe their music as ‘A reflection of the human experience, full of passion, emotion, and energy’. This is none more evident than on new single ‘Pocket Picker’.

From the off ‘Pocket Picker’ requires anyone listening to have a neck brace close by. A frenetic guitar riff opens the track and sets the intention for the song. As Alan’s drums join they pour gasoline on the pace with machine gun snare drum rolls testing vertebrae. Throughout the song they both anchor and become exclamation points to each riff and idea. The beauty intrinsic to any Bannered Mare song is found in their ability to take incredibly complex ideas and present them as accessible, all laced with impossibly catchy melodies and vocal harmonies. Think Beach Boys meets Don Caballero. The interplay between the three guitars adds infinite ear candy in headphones, whether interweaving melodies or locking into one riff together to form a gargantuan sound. The song moves seamlessly between riffs and ideas, going far beyond any verse chorus verse structure but always feeling natural and the next logical step to where the song needs to go. Gang vocals towards the end are a reflection for the desire for some unity during a time of confusion and division.

Joe says of the track, “The song became a kind of protest piece. I felt helpless, and this was my outlet. I wanted to inject as much energy into it as possible to capture the pace that anger can move through you. Toward the end, the song shifts into something more ethereal, reflecting a moment of clarity and the adrenaline crash that follows intense anger. The closing lyrics, “let us be light again, we move as one beam”, are a plea to whatever universal powers might be listening.

‘Pocket Picker’ and all previous singles were recorded and mixed by the band. Fully adopting a DIY approach to the process. The band set about sound proofing a steel garage where they would record drums during a three-day heatwave. Filling a daughter’s bedroom with various cabs, heads and combos and invading parent’s large sitting rooms to record vocals. Recorded and mixed by Joe the project becomes all the more personal.

For the video the band opted for a performance driven approach, creating a light show that reflects the movements and emotions in the music. Locking themselves in the Ballinasloe town hall theatre and playing through the song for six hours, the result is a raw and visceral piece that, again, reflects the out pouring of frustration while simultaneously capturing the hope found in unity.

Bannered Mare continue to carve out their own niche. Their ability to harness three guitars to blend complex melodic ideas and euphoric harmonies is the bands special alchemy. Somehow making it feel entirely accessible with hook after hook. Sonic bliss on record and a force of nature live, the band are becoming one of Ireland’s most vital and singular voices.