Fronted by Bono’s son, Elijah Hewson, Inhaler has been steadily rising in the alternative ranks since 2019. After sharing a lauded debut album, touring with genre heavyweights, and headlining in the U.S., the group is set to share a second effort next month.
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Despite having some innate cred thanks to Bono, the group has carved its own path, becoming one of the most promising rock groups in recent memory. Below, we’re detailing the origins of the group, their journey so far, and how they landed on their name.
Behind The Band Name
In a very un-rock ‘n’ roll turn, the band’s name comes from Hewson’s teenage asthma. “I had asthma for a while and people just kind of started calling us the Inhalers,” the frontman told Rolling Stone. “It was something that stuck. It felt right.
“Everybody saw the band as quite nerdy and geeky and we thought it was cool,” he continued.
The members of the band – Hewson, Josh Jenkinson, Robert Keating, and Ryan McMahon – first met in school, drawn together by something that is often the onus behind burgeoning rock bands: a love of guitar music.
“It started off as us listening to anything with a guitar in it, really,” Hewson said in the same conversation. “None of our friends were really into it. We found each other through that. It was a little haven. The Stone Roses was our first big moment of, ‘Music is amazing!’ Then we tried to emulate it. Our first cover was ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ at our school.”
While expanding their catalog of covers, the group started penning their own songs, eventually landing a record deal. Their debut album, It Won’t Always Be Like This, came out in 2021.
The Journey So Far
Early on, the band started to garner attention on social media. Hewson’s vocals are deeply reminiscent of his father’s but the rest of Inhaler’s sound finds itself in the vein of The Killers or The Strokes.
Before even releasing their debut, Inhaler earned guest spots on tours with the likes of Noel Gallagher. After sharing It Won’t Always Be Like This, the group embarked on a headlining tour of the States, igniting their star further.
Their second effort, Cuts & Bruises, will arrive on February 17. The band has teased the release with singles “Love Will Get You There” and “These Are The Days.” Check out both songs below.
Inhaler by Dan Kenny
