The Halez’s upcoming single, Coming for You, is a high-energy, chant-along indie rock anthem that’s bound to get crowds moving. Out today February 28, 2025, this track marks the band’s first release of the year, and it’s easily their most rock-centric effort yet. If you’re a fan of The Fratellis, Kaiser Chiefs, or early Britpop-era anthems, this one’s right up your alley.
From the first few seconds, there’s a familiar energy—it kicks off sounding like The Fratellis’ classic Chelsea Dagger, with an irresistible rhythm that instantly grabs your attention. It’s an instrumentally driven track, focusing more on the beat and raw energy rather than intricate lyrics and melodies. Vocalist Kieran Murphy has proven his range on previous tracks like Charlie and Faces and Places, but here, the vocals take a backseat to the band’s full-throttle sound. That’s not to say the delivery isn’t effective—quite the opposite. The chant-style hook is designed for maximum crowd participation, something Murphy and the band leaned into from the very start. Their recording process even included a makeshift singalong session in one of the band member’s sheds, complete with some whiskey-fuelled fun. That energy translates effortlessly into the final track, making it feel authentic, loose, and a little mischievous.
Lyrically, Coming for You plays with a bit of mystery. Murphy teases that the song’s femme fatale theme could represent anything from an obsessive admirer to a modern-day catfish, something that’s been a hot topic on social media in Ireland the last few weeks. It’s a fun listen that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
For a band that only debuted last year, The Halez are moving fast. Finalists in Hot Press’s “New Local Hero” competition, they’ve already made waves in the Irish rock scene, and Coming for You is another step toward cementing their reputation. Produced by Billy Farrell, who has worked with The Corrs and Brian Kennedy, the track is polished but still carries that raw, pub-band-turned-main-stage energy that many fans are crying out for these days.
The Halez—Kieran Murphy (vocals), Jerome Sheerin (guitar), Cormac Sheerin (bass), and Eamonn O’Toole (drums)—came together over a few pints at Ireland’s oldest pub, Sean’s Bar in Athlone, and their mission has been clear ever since: to bring back proper, honest guitar music. Their chemistry is undeniable, and if they keep delivering tracks with this kind of energy, they might just help lead the charge in revitalizing rock in Ireland. It’s refreshing to see a proper band doing so well in the modern music industry of hyper-produced tracks.
Coming for You isn’t reinventing the wheel, but it doesn’t need to. It’s loud, it’s catchy, and it’s built for live shows, hopefully big crowds, and beers in the air. If this is how The Halez are starting 2025, we’re in for a hell of a ride.
‘Coming For You’ comes in at a 7.5 out 0f 10
Reviewer – Alan Robinson @alan_robinson_photography
Photo credit – press photo