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SOUND BLONDE AMBITION Alt-Pop act Soda Blonde eme
rge from the ashes of Little Green Cars with an air of of twentysomething sophistication and ambition. Lead singer Faye O’Rourke takes to the mic to tell us more. words: Zara Hedderman photo: Ste Murray Musically speaking, there’ve been numerous break-ups that continue to rouse emotions as raw as the day they occurred. No one knows that enduring pain better than fans of Take That or Spice Girls. In 2019, on the day Dublin-based indie rock outfit Little Green Cars announced their disbandment, the shock and subsequent outpour of support from their fanbase dominated social media. Over their decade-long tenure, the group reached a point in their career most bands in Ireland could only dream of arriving at; two critically adored records, endless praise from press, countless shows under their belt and, crucially, a devoted following. Barely two months passed when Faye O’Rourke unveiled Soda Blonde, a new project featuring several members of her former band. Much attention and acclaim surrounded their debut gig in Dublin’s Hogan’s and the ensuing pop-centric singles. The excitement from critics and audiences alike, coupled with the rapid rate at which Soda Blonde’s trajectory was accelerating, was incredible to behold. The only thing able to put a pin in their progress was a pandemic. Eighteen months on, the four-piece – completed by Dylan Lynch on drums, guitarist Adam O’Regan and bassist Donagh SeaverO’Leary – are back on course to become one of Ireland’s biggest acts. A title they’ll surely claim on the back of their highly anticipated debut, Small Talk. Its release will see them touring again, eventually opening for Sinéad O’Connor in the Iveagh Gardens in July 2022. The supposed swiftness of the group’s renaissance was surprising to all, except the individuals involved. Having experienced so much with her first band and, on the surface, appearing to jump straight into something new, you’d wonder whether they’d had sufficient 58