3.12.2020
Hare Squead Announce the Superweird EP, Arriving March 20th via Independently Popular
The Dublin Duo Head to Berlin Give a Dynamic Performance of EP Single “Minor Gangsters (Gully)” on COLORS
Superweird EP artwork
Critical Praise:
“Hare Squead are pioneers of a creative boom taking place in Dublin… They have Ed Sheeran’s business savvy, compositional expertise , plus chiselled jaws and puppyish enthusiasm.”– The Guardian
“Blending hip-hop, soul and pop in a way that feels both soothing and full of energy, the results carry some heavy Chance the Rapper and De La Soul vibes with a distinctly Irish twist.” – Noisey
“With a name as unique as Hare Squead, their sound is just as special.” – XXL
“There’s no denying the group’s ascension; in Dublin, Ireland—a city only now becoming known for its hip-hop—Hare Squead is becoming one of its most recognizable acts.” – Pitchfork
The Announcement:
Leading a creative wave in their hometown of Dublin, Ireland, hip-hop duo Hare Squead specialize in eccentric and infectiously melodic rap jams. Capitalizing on a year’s-worth of momentum created by a string of quality singles and videos, Hare Squead announces Superweird EP, their upcoming project. Switching effortlessly between off-kilter melodies and lightning-quick rhymes, duo members Tony Konstone and Lilo Blues are masters of mutating their voices into strangely catchy hooks. Channeling their wildest impulses into an inventive 7-tracker, the new project collects previous singles like the boom-bap kiss-off “Minor Gangsters (Gully),” the electronic-influenced lust letter “Baeboo,” and the introspective “Meeting With Myself.” The sequel to 2018’s Supernormal EP, the Superweird EP pairs the acclaimed pre-release tracks with new highlights like the bubbly “Like I’m Barack” and the bass-heavy “Trenches.” The EP features appearances from Jay Prince and Peter Xan, and releases on March 20th via Independently Popular.
Along with the EP, Hare Squead partners with COLORSXSTUDIOS to share a brand new performance of “Minor Gangsters (Gully).” Released in January and listed on Spotify playlists like POLLEN and New Music Friday, “Minor Gangsters” claps back at racist UK politician Rory Stewart, who called them “minor gangsters” during a man-on-the-street interview. The song flips the phrase and gives it a new power, as the duo proves there’s nothing “minor” about the way they handle their business. In the COLORS performance, Lilo and Tony perform the boom-bap banger in front of a vibrant backdrop (today’s colors: cutty sark and gun powder), expressively enacting the rebellious spirit of the song’s lyrics.
Hare Squead recently returned from the “Minor Gangsters Tour,” which took the duo across Western Europe, with stops in Berlin, Amsterdam, Paris, London, and the duo’s hometown of Dublin. On the tour, they played Superweird highlights, singles like 2019’s “100 Miles“ (1.2 million Spotify streams) and the Clash Magazine-premiered “Petty (ft. Shauna Shadae & Wusu),” and older highlights like “Herside Story,” a 2017 single, featuring Goldlink on the remix, which has over 65 million streams on Spotify alone. With over 1.1 million monthly listeners on Spotify, Hare Squead is just getting started in their quest to bring their “superweird” sound to the masses.
Watch “Minor Gangsters (Gully)” on COLORS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0E1mCM930Y
Stream “Minor Gangsters (Gully)”: https://indiepop.ffm.to/minorgangsters
Superweird EP tracklist:
- Like I’m Barack ft. Peter Xan
- Baeboo
- Trenches
- Wanna Luv
- Meeting With Myself ft. Jay Prince
- Love Stuff
- Minor Gangsters (Gully)
Please contact Michelle or Kierra for more info.
The Background:
Way beyond, across the pond, Hare Squead are quickly making a name for themselves. Hip-Hop and Ireland may seem like two points on opposite ends of the spectrum but the now-band of two, comprised of Tony Konstone and Lilo Blues, are imprinted within both worlds and look at themselves as more than just an anomaly. In 2016, the group found success outside of their local scene with “Long Way to Go” and took advantage of that by dropping their Supernormal EP. The standout single off the EP, “Herside Story,” quickly became a favorite, which led to Goldlink including a remix of the group’s song on his At What Cost album in 2017. Combined, “Herside Story” has amassed over 40 million streams on Spotify to-date. Also in 2017, the group released two acclaimed singles “Flowers” and “Pure,” which earned more than 5 million combined streams on Spotify alone. However, as success builds, unexpected turns can arise to derail everything. After an 18-month absence from the spotlight, in February 2019, Hare Squead made their return with “100 Miles,” a bubbly, guitar-driven single that was inspired by the emotional vulnerability of Aretha Franklin’s “I Say a Little Prayer.” The group plans to release two EPs in 2020 and re-introduce themselves to the world as a formidable talent.
Links:
official site | twitter | facebook | soundcloud | instagram | spotify
Watch “Minor Gangsters (Gully)” on COLORS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0E1mCM930Y
“Minor Gangsters (Gully)”: https://indiepop.ffm.to/minorgangsters
“Meeting With Myself” ft. Jay Prince: indpop.fanlink.to/meetingwithmyself | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn_nB79TZLA
“Baeboo”: https://indiepop.ffm.to/baeboo / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7g_YY4a400
“Meeting With Myself” ft. Jay Prince: indpop.fanlink.to/meetingwithmyself
“Petty” ft. Wusu & Shauna Shondae: https://indpop.fanlink.to/petty
“100 Miles”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dwd85srobUE | https://open.spotify.com/album/2IgwnCEN1pT2NGd0WCBFOe?si=YxWjCJD8RXGm6-D9qM6lpw
“Pure”: https://open.spotify.com/album/4KwGcYRYvAlifOrPiW6li4?si=pztFwT-hRtyaw-B9ZV9DHw
“Flowers”: https://open.spotify.com/album/6219jeryZvGsnVSZj2vQj3?si=uoddrajdRd-aL0gL0jNlRA
“Herside Story” w/ Goldlink: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-zeV_s3bfY
“Herside Story”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXVJTRXgCCg
“If I Ask”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpTOnpd2THI
Supernormal EP: https://open.spotify.com/album/4J6AAwaW46J6REDAPI7x2e