Enemies

Enemies formed in the summer of 2007, within a thriving DIY music scene in the village of Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow, Ireland. Since then, the four piece have been creating expansive and complex math-rock while maintaining a simple ethos of self-sufficiency. In 2008, their *Alpha Waves* EP led to Japanese labels Machu Picchu Industrias and Stiff Slack Records picking up the band for releases. A two-week tour of Japan followed, which saw the band supporting their highly-esteemed label mates ‘toe’. 2010 marked the release of Enemies’ first LP, *We’ve Been Talking*, demonstrating the band’s unique take on instrumental rock: nuanced yet clear-cut, melodic yet ferocious and energetic yet emotive. Several more tours of Europe and Asia followed.

2013 sees the release of the band’s sophomore album, *Embark, Embrace*. Scattered (for the first time) with vocals on themes of escape and renewal, the album’s optimistic title is inspired by the band’s collective decision to put career and college pursuits on the back-burner, to focus on writing and touring more fully than ever before. The result is an album far more hopeful and jubilant-sounding than its predecessor, preserving the band’s recognisable melodic interplays and technical prowess while pushing towards the new and unexpected on levels of both theme and sound. Enemies have handled a large chunk of recording, designing and releasing *Embark, Embrace* themselves, strengthening their ‘do-it-yourself’ reputation while stepping tangibly forward in terms of their own music.