It’s only been two years since their inception, but siblings Steph and Paul O’Sullivan have notched up many experiences on their belts with their band Greywind. In the past year alone, they’ve toured with Moose Blood and performed alongside Thrice; they’ve played the acoustic stage at Slam Dunk and played to a packed out tent at Reading and Leeds this summer; and they have an upcoming tour with Farro. “It’s really crazy,” Paul, the guitarist, explains. “When we read everything we’ve done in a list like that, it’s crazy because, a year ago, we had never even played a show in our entire lives before!”

And that’s how this fairy tale begins. Two years ago, the siblings were struggling to recruit fellow musicians in their hometown of Killarney – one guitarist left before he’d even started – so, instead of wasting more of their time and resources in locating band members, the pair teamed up to create Greywind. They recorded a demo of their hit single ‘Afterthoughts’ which dramatically altered their life as, the next morning, the pair woke up to find messages from management companies and labels, heaping praise upon their musicianship and asking to hear more. Since then, they’ve penned deals with Raw Power Management and Spinefarm Records; both are powerhouses within the industry. Not bad at all for a band who are only just getting ready to release their debut album.

It can, however, be difficult to keep grounded when the majority of your dreams come true almost overnight. As Paul explains, the pair had never even played a live show and were receiving emails from some of the biggest names within the industry; but himself and Steph have both feet firmly planted on the ground. “We’re still in shock over how quickly we got off the ground, considering it was over two years ago. But this is all we’ve ever wanted to do and, even though we’ve achieved some of our biggest goals already, it still feels like only yesterday that we were queuing up for some shows ourselves, waiting for hours to see our favourite bands,” he says. “We appreciate every second of this.” And working with your sibling isn’t all too bad either, despite what Oasis now looks like – it’s not all scraps and fights. As Paul explains, the pair don’t argue much as they’re “usually on the same page about most things. I don’t think we’ll ever have to arrive at venues in separate tour buses!”

Since the release of their single ‘Afterthoughts’, Greywind have constantly been going from strength to strength – tours, features, and festivals were all offered to them, and they had yet to start properly working on their debut album. However, that changed after working with producer Jason Perry (Don Broco, Fatherson, Kids In Glass Houses) in Texas, US. “Working with him [Jason] was incredible,” Paul states. “He completely understood the direction that we wanted to take this album in and we learnt so much from him too. We probably should have felt pressure in the studio recording our debut album, but he has a way of making it so relaxed and fun.” The change in scenery and weather was welcomed with open arms too; “We’re used to looking out the window and it being dull and grey, so recording in Texas was a bit of change!” Paul enthuses. “Sonic Ranch is such an incredible place and we still talk about it nearly every day.”

The result of their trip to the US is their debut album ‘Afterthoughts’, due for release in late January. Paul looks forward to its release at the beginning of next year, “definitely comforting to not hold anything in. We had to tap into a dark place to write these songs and, in doing so, it helped us get past other experiences too.” And it is; ‘Afterthoughts’ contains tracks that are steeped in haunting power.

Now is the time to buckle up – if you thought 2016 was a wild ride for Greywind, next year will only see them reach dizzying new heights.

‘Afterthoughts’ is released on January 27th via Spinefarm Records, and you can catch them on tour at the dates below.

18 LEEDS The Key Club, Leeds
19 NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE Think Tank?, Newcastle Upon Tyne
20 GLASGOW Cathouse, Glasgow
22 MANCHESTER Sound Control, Manchester
23 NOTTINGHAM The Bodega Social Club, Nottingham
24 BIRMINGHAM The Rainbow, Birmingham
25 KINGSTON The Fighting Cocks, Kingston Upon Thames
26 BATH Moles Club, Bath
28 SOUTHAMPTON The Joiners, Southampton
29 LONDON The Borderline, London

JESS TAGLIANI