SHOEGAZER ALIVE: 02.26

Virgins announce new single, a new EP and at the same time the end of the band and a farewell show. The band spent the last months of 2025 recording new material in their practice space, the results of which we hear on the new EP ‘Light The Space Left Behind’ out February 19th. This was the last material the band worked on together. The band will play their final show in Belfast on February 28th in the Oh Yeah Centre with support from Wynona Bleach and Gush. To mark the end of the band Blowtorch Records are releasing a very limited edition vinyl. A pink and blue marble record will feature the new EP, and previous single 'b l o o m s' on side A and the band's long sold out first ep 'Transmit A Little Heaven' on side B. The pressing is limited to 150 with 100 selling the first day and only 15 copies left now! As the band readied new material they decided to keep recording in house, with Michael (lead guitar) taking on engineering and production responsibilities, while Rebecca's vocals recorded were at home. The sessions took place in the band's practice space over two days in September, just before the band supported shoegaze behemoths, Slow Crush on their Irish tour dates. These songs mark the band's most collaborative material to date, Michael presented the bones of 'Crucible' to the band which was then shaped in the practice room, the Wolf Alice-esque 'Passing' arrived almost fully formed and final track 'Reveries' was born out out of the ether in a practice space jam, finding its way back down to earth through the band's careful guidance. Lead single released at the end of January, 'Crucible' bares all the hall marks of a Virgins track, walls of dreamy fuzz and distortion along with guitar melodies a wash with cascading shimmering reverbs, driving bass, thunderous drums and ethereal vocals that feel transported here from another world. However, not content with relying on a formula the band push their sound into new sonic spaces. Dave Sloan's guitar more prominent than before provides a tsunami of fuzz while offering a tonal-counter point to Michael's haunting guitar melodies accentuated by euphoric reverse delays and glide guitar. Matt McMullan's drums feel more insistent than before, conducting the eb and flow of the track from behind the kit. Mo O'Kane's bass is the lynch pin that locks the band together, melodic but driving, as the song reaches the mid point, his gnarled fuzz bass acts as a compass point while the band spiral and swirl into the gazy haze. Rebecca's vocals more pop-centric and forward than previous releases still feel celestial as they float along soft and dreamy. Second track on the EP 'Passing' showcases a new side of Virgins sound. Delving into more dream-pop influences, 'Passing' sounds like a collaboration between Wolf Alice and Slowdive. Opening with an avalanche of drums, we're quickly met with subtle layers of guitar, overdriven rhythm guitars are augmented by an acoustic guitar, adding a new colour to Virgins sonic palette, as the Mellon collie lead line floats along a top. This layered approach gives the part depth, dialling down the fuzz but dialling up the mood. Verses pull back allowing Mo's bass to act the anchor for Rebecca's introspective vocals. Guitars bloom as the verse progresses, multiple delays swirl around each other, and shimmering leads play just below the surface. The chorus hits and were greeted by a familiar fuzz, but with fuzz dialled back to 7 instead of 10. There's a sophisticated approach to the guitars as the band stride into more nuanced dynamic territory. Michael provides three separate melodic ideas here, a Cure-esque synth guitar line rises naturally to the top, complimenting the vocals, while long celestial notes cut through the chorus like a falling star, a picky melody feels reminiscent of Nothing Hurt and Everything Was Beautiful but takes a back seat, ear candy for those blocking out the world with headphones. A fresh sound for the band, still exploring new sonic territory as they come to an end. The appropriately titled 'Reveries' was born out of a moment in the practice room between songs. A simple bassline from Mo was the accelerant that sparked the fire to life, after playing through ideas three times, the song was arranged and formed in the room. The most collaborative piece of music the band created it feels appropriate to close out their tenure with this track. Rebecca takes the Liz Fraser approach, opting for vocals that transmit emotion as opposed to message, vocalising instead of offering up lyrics. While the rest of the track finds the band leaning into their strengths, Matthew McMullan's drums give purpose and direction to the track, expansive choruses pull back to tight verses, a north star and a rudder guiding the band through the various sections. Mo's bass is the pulse, providing the melodic foundation for guitars to spiral off into more stellar territory. A staccato break mid-track gives an opportunity for a wholly mammoth sized bass fuzz to test speakers. Dave Sloan's guitar moves between post-punk stabs in the verse and a blistering wall of sound in the chorus, a flood of fuzz is let loose, enveloping itself in reverse reverbs. Michael's guitar aims to offer transcendence, as cascading euphoric swells feel celestial, glide guitar bends are complimented by synth guitar lines, that wouldn't feel out of place on a Chvrches record. As the track draws to a close three drum tracks build, push and drive the track home to its natural conclusion, while the band hammer at their respective instruments, phasers and flangers warp underneath a shimmering melody that brings us softly back down to earth. Feedback slowly dies, and the last notes ring out, with a reverse guitar building in intensity then suddenly dying. When it came time to mix the record the band turned to Allan McGreevy (New Pagans/Dullahan) working out of his Badlands Studio. Allan brought a fresh sound to the band while still maintain their gazy essence, Michael says: "After a lot of hard thinking I’ve decided to bring Virgins to an end. Can’t stay a Virgin forever, not even Mary could. After being a band in various forms for 5 years it’s time to bring it to an end. Obviously there’s a lot of emotion tied up in this decision so not an easy one to make. On behalf of myself and the band we just want to say thanks to everyone for an amazing five years. We played so many great shows with so many great bands, met a ton of great people and got to do some amazing things. Got to play Stendhal, support my heroes Slow Crush, Som, BDRMM and Bleach Lab. We toured Ireland and the UK a bunch and got to play Other Voices. It’s been a wild ride. Special shout to Richard at Blowtorch for all the support over the years. Another big shout to Jonny Woods who was so instrumental (no pun intended) in the band, producing the EP, back when it was just me and Rebecca and then the album. We're excited to get the new material out and play for you all one last time." Over the course of the last 5 years the band released debut EP ‘Transmit a Little Heaven’ in 2022, highly acclaimed debut album ‘Nothing Hurt and Everything Was Beautiful’ in 2024 on Blowtorch Records and most recently the highly successful single ‘blooms’. The band’s dynamic live performances cemented their reputation, with sold-out headline shows at GazeFest, appearances at Stendhal Festival and Other Voices Wales, as well as UK and Irish tours supporting artists including Slow Crush, Som, Bleach Lab and BDRMM. The band have received support across radio and editorial playlists, Virgins have been championed by John Kennedy on Radio X, Dan Hegarty on RTE2XM, BBC Across The Line, BBC Radio Foyle, Radio Nova, and Amazing Radio, as well as inclusion in numerous tastemaker playlists from Nialler9, Hot Press, Golden Plec, The Last Mixed Tape, XSNoize and Chordblossom to features in Clash, Backseat Mafia, WhiteLight-WhiteHeat and shoegaze blog. The album was shortlisted for the NI Music Prize and featured in multiple Albums of the Year lists from Shoegaze Blog, Static Sounds Club, and Golden Plec.

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