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WORDS Cailean Coffey PHOTO Ellius Grace As well a
s the financial burden it takes being a band in Dublin, there are also emotional and physical tolls to juggling life in an office and on the road simultaneously. “The burnout is definitely starting to kick in,” Chubb admits openly. “I have ADHD so I’m hyperactive; running on emotion most of the time but I’m starting to feel it in myself. My brain is clouded, I’m writing less than I was before. I’m getting more anxious about anything to do with touring, and things have definitely built up a little bit more in my head than ever before.” One of the unique aspects of Chubb and Sprint’s songwriting is their unwillingness to ever get too specific. Oftentimes, the band will have no preconceived idea of what each song will detail until they start throwing out ideas. It’s a process, Chubb notes, that’s aimed at preventing their music from becoming stale: “It’s hard not to get bogged down in other artists or influences,” she admits. Between tour dates, the band have begun work on their biggest project to date, a topic Chubb is reticent to discuss. “We’re not allowed to talk about anything yet but we’re working on a big body of work that we’re excited to release,” she smiles coyly. How does this creative process compare to their previous EPs? “It’s ten times more terrifying,” she laughs. “The EPs have been really good at helping us develop our sound and I think we’ve grown from each release but this is really a statement piece.” Chubb is not one to take criticism well (“I’m a sensitive soul,” she admits), so is terrified for the work’s inevitable reviews but is as excited as she’s ever been for a project. “It’s nice to have a body of work together and it really solidifies us as artists and that’s why we waited so long to do it. We really wanted it to be a proper statement and to reflect us accurately,” Chubb notes. Chubb says of the band’s new material that it tackles the present and future far more than any Sprints work to date, with their catalogue to this point referencing her own personal experience more than anything else. Chubb is self-diagnosed with terrible imposter syndrome, making writing autobiographically the best method of preventing herself from comparing her work to that of other bands. “I’ve sometimes stopped myself and been afraid of writing about something if I didn’t think it would be as good as someone else doing it,” she recalls. “If it’s autobiographical at least I know it will be from a unique perspective because it’s mine.” As the minutes of her lunch break tick by, there’s time for one final question. What does it mean to be part of such a strong and ever-growing post-punk movement in the city? “It’s amazing,” Chubbs smiles peacefully. “I think music in Dublin has got a bit of a spotlight on it which is great because it’s giving lots of people the opportunity to pursue their craft and their music. Our early stuff was very much inspired by the post-punk movement but as we’ve matured we’re less worried about the punk label,” she adds. “We’ve learnt to embrace that a little more and focus on influences like Savages, Patti Smith and Riot Grrrl influences. Working with Daniel Fox from Gilla Band has been amazing, as well. He’s been with us from our first EP to our most recent material so it’s been great to take that sound and make it a little more our own. I think we’re really starting to get to the bottom of what Sprints sounds like now,” Chubb notes. “It’s really exciting.” Sprints plays the Wider Than Pictures series presented by Singular Artists, at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, Dublin, alongside Just Mustard and Future Islands on Thursday, August 24th. Tickets from €62.45. sprintsmusic.com 43