This is a defining moment in the band’s career, as their recent album was a departure from the sound established by their earlier works. They’ve traded out some of their heavier songs such as “My Honest Face” for a broader sonic range, resulting in tracks such as the playful electro-pop-infused “Billy (Yeah Yeah Yeah)” or “All I Got Is You,” a fast-paced synth bop led by Robert Keating’s aggressive bassline.
We spoke with the bassist, and with lead vocalist Elijah Hewson over Zoom while they were in Florida, somewhere completely new to the band. Hailing from across the pond, the guys realize that an international tour like this is only possible because of the connection that they’ve made with fans overseas.
“It’s like being in a dream,” Hewson says. “We grew up on American TV and movies, so I think when we come here, we feel like we’re in a movie. That sounds so corny, but it’s true.”
While being a frontman seems to run in the family for Hewson, having been born the son of U2’s Bono didn’t give Inhaler a free ride to the top. In most cases, the association gave potential fans an incorrect notion of what to expect from the young rockers.
“None of our own fans were there for the music,” Hewson recalls, bringing to mind visions of old cranky U2 fans put off by Inhaler, who fall closer to Sonic Youth or The Strokes in sound. “That was strange, but we got through that.”
“We were just lucky to have the right people around us at the right time,” Keating adds, pointing out that they could only take a year off after high school to pursue music because of their manager’s support.
Kid Harpoon played a crucial role as the record’s producer in their shift toward pop-rock, which makes sense given his track record. He earned the Grammy for Album of the Year in 2023 and Record of the Year in 2024 thanks to his work on Harry’s House and Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers." These also earned him bragging rights for co-producing the best-selling singles of 2022 and 2023, “As It Was” and “Flowers,” respectively. Inhaler learned about Harpoon the same way most everyone else did, then discovered they had a connection through their label, Polydor.
“I think everyone in the world heard Harry’s House,” Keating says. “We found out [Harpoon] was a fan of the band, so we jumped on a call and got on really well. It just snowballed from there.”
“He’s the funniest man,” Hewson adds. “A lot of producers have a big personality and want to tell you what to do, but he just kind of reads the room, and he’s firm when he has to be. I think his specialty is making sure everybody is heard and feels equally invested in what’s going on.”
Several tracks on the album include vocals from a choir, an idea from Kid Harpoon that the band was initially skeptical about, Keating says, but one that turned out to be “a great shout.” They can be heard supporting Hewson during the chorus on “Your House,” a rather obsessive love song and “A Question of You,” a groovy throwback track with playful riffs from guitarist/keyboardist Josh Jenkinson.
“When anyone has a really strong idea and you can really feel it, it’s quite a powerful thing,” Keating says. “We could tell he really wanted to do it, and that alone was enough to try it, and we were all pleasantly surprised.”
The sudden switch-up in style could be seen as a risky move considering their previous success with It Won’t Always Be Like This and Cuts and Bruises, which both topped the Irish Charts and debuted at No. 1 and 2 in the U.K., respectively. Still, Open Wide has been well received by critics and fans alike.
Hewson is grateful for their continued success but acknowledges that having a No. 1 album nowadays differs from how it would’ve been 20 or 30 years ago. Back in the day, a hit record was inescapable, but today it’s totally possible for a project to reach No. 1 even when seemingly no one around has heard it.
“That was probably our album,” Keating says with a wry smile.
They also discuss the differences in their tour lifestyle compared to earlier eras of rockers, swapping out the excessive use of drugs and alcohol for video games and reading, which Keating admits to passing over in favor of games more often than he should.
“I have a book that sits on my PlayStation, and every time I go to play something I think, ‘Not today,” he says with a chuckle. “‘Maybe tomorrow.’”
Hewson emphasizes the importance of touring for the band, prioritizing staying in good shape and avoiding unhealthy habits.
“If we were getting moldy every night — as we’d say in Ireland — we probably would’ve stopped touring a long time ago,” he says.
Keating adds: “I think because we’ve been friends for so long, way before we were able to have a drink together, it’s always been about hanging out in other ways, and thankfully we’ve kept that up.”
Hewson, Keating and drummer Ryan McMahon have been together since 2012 when they were “13 in the back garden playing guitars and eating pizza,” Hewson says, with Jenkinson joining in 2015. The guys have been playing as a group for so long that there’s a slight feeling of dissociation when they look back on older memories, like the time Keating got kicked out of one of their first gigs in Dublin right before they were supposed to play for being underage.
“We had to bring him back in through a window,” Hewson says as Keating shakes his head.
While everyone in the band is well past the point of getting tossed from bars (for being underage, at least) the Inhaler members are clearly far from finished with their sonic development. If Open Wide is any indication of the band’s future musical exploration, then we’re in for a treat.
Inhaler's Open Wide Tour stops on Wednesday, Mar. 19, at the House of Blues, 2200 N. Lamar St. Tickets can be found on Inhaler’s website, inhaler.band.
