READY PLAYER ONE

Inhaler's Josh Jenkinson is living proof that this generation's guitar heroes actually got hooked on guitar courtesy of — you guessed it — Guitar Hero

- MARK MCSTEA

IRISH ROCKERS INHALER have been on a steep upward trajectory since releasing their debut single, "I Want You," in 2018 (having appeared on a various-artists release, Garageland, Vol. 1, the previous year). Singer/ guitarist Elijah Hewson, bass player Robert Keating and drummer Ryan McMahon had been playing together since 2012 — when they were just 12 years old — with guitarist Josh Jenkinson coming on board three years later at age 16. His arrival coincided with the band’s determination to focus on writing their own music, establish themselves on the Irish club circuit and break into the U.K. market. They attracted immediate attention, especially when the news got out that Hewson was the son of U2's Bono (not to mention the younger brother of Bad Sisters star Eve Hewson). For the band, that family connection wasn't something they ever thought about or even tried to capitalize on.

“Growing up in Ireland in our mid-teens, it didn’t seem like anyone knew about that or cared,” Jenkinson says. “We'd been playing at a venue called Garageland in Dublin, getting regular gigs, and it was weeks before the promoter knew about Eli's connection. He was amazed when someone told him. We've never really experienced much pushback, but then we've never taken advantage of Eli's connections anyway.”

By the end of 2019, Inhaler had released three more singles and were creating a huge buzz, dropping another three singles the following year. There was a strong sense that they were deliberately biding their time, letting the anticipation build before releasing their debut album, It Won't Always Be Like This, in 2021. Clearly, the plan paid off as they achieved the impressive feat of reaching Number 1 on the U.K. albums chart.

Momentum was maintained with the release of Cuts & Bruises