Atlantic-inspired shoegaze meets post-punk as band launch vinyl release with Guilteens and Animal Animal
GALWAY alt-gaze outfit In Athens arrive at Record Room this Thursday, 13 November, to showcase their newly released EP Mirrorism, a four-track exploration blending the emotional immediacy of indie noise rock with the darker experimental textures of shoegaze and post-punk.
The band, who hail from the rugged meeting point of Connemara and the Wild Atlantic, will be supported by The Guilteens and Animal Animal for the launch of their vinyl release on Blowtorch Records.
Guitarist Manolis Pates will be familiar to you as he played with Limrockers Foxjaw.
Recorded and produced at Darklands Audio Dublin by Dan Doherty—whose credits include Fontaines D.C., The Jesus and Mary Chain, and Hope Sandoval—Mirrorism follows well-received singles “Or Anything” and “Tides” with a sound the band describes as deliberately contrasting.
“There’s nostalgia in what we do, for sure—90s alternative tones, a bit of shoegaze sprinkled here and there—but it’s not about looking back,” the band explained. “We’re interested in contrast. Warmth and detachment. Collapse and control. We like when things feel familiar yet slightly off, in the same way that a vivid, lucid dream can sometimes feel.”
The Atlantic landscape proves central to In Athens’ sonic identity. “The Atlantic isn’t just a backdrop—it’s a presence,” they note. “It doesn’t ask for your attention, it demands it. There’s a kind of humbling chaos in that, and it finds its way into everything we do.”
Lead single “Or Anything” explores existential questions through hypnotic grooves, whilst “Tides” paints a vivid portrait of emotional misalignment, drawing comparisons to Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Just Mustard as it swells and recedes “like the sea itself—all tension, no resolution.”
The band chose their name deliberately. “It references a place where art, philosophy, music, and storytelling became formalised,” they explain. “But we’re far away, surrounded by sea, silence, and storm. That tension between imagined legacy and lived reality is part of our sound.”
Having shared stages with Cherym, ARXX, Just Mustard, Virgins, and Winona Bleach, In Athens signed with West Coast label Blowtorch Records in May 2024, releasing Mirrorism on 12-inch vinyl in October.
“Vinyl just felt right for this release,” the band said. “It’s physical, imperfect, and it forces you to be present with it.”
In Athens with The Guilteens & Animal Animal play Record Room this Thursday November 13