Exclusive Stream: Irish Indie Band The Burma Offer Glimmering Rock on ‘Same Again’

In a typically sheltered way, The Burma’s vocalist Tony O’Donovan tells us most kids in the town of Cobh in Cork, Ireland didn’t even know that a landmark like Burma Steps was named after a country. The singer adds, “[It’s] a bit infamous for young people and underage drinking and people smoking weed and stuff. We probably would have only realized it was the name of a country later on in school or something.”

Formed in 2012, The Burma only released their first single in 2018 “Quicksand” and have since been steadily working up to their first EP Sugar Moonlight (out April 3rd via Spooner Records). Two singles off the five-track EP – “Phoney Personality” and “When You’re Gone” – are already out, even their latest song “Same Again” was released in 2018. But for the EP, it’s been reworked and presented as a dancey, glowing indie rock number that shows hints of influences such as The Killers. A set opener at their gigs, The Burma chipped away at it, road tested it and finally found the right version to go with.

O’Donovan puts “Same Again” in the indie pop space, but says that the rest of Sugar Moonlight is “a bit varied.” He adds, “Pete [Piggott, guitarist] has got a knack for making guitars and basses sound like anything but so there’s some cool sounds in there, bass guitars sounding like Daft Punk synths and such.” Drummer Cian Doherty adds in a rhythmic openness that arguably leans it towards the rock sound.

With the EP out in April, there were shows announced in Ireland and even London (in May). O’Donovan updates the gig schedule and does say a few shows have been pulled and they’re waiting on updates on the rest owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. He adds, “It’s definitely a humbling time, it feels like the world is telling us that we’re not really in control of anything at all so I’d be a fool to suggest anything concrete at this stage. Hopefully we come out of this in to a better world and we can start playing music to people again.”

Listen to “Same Again.” Pre-save the song on Spotify.