BIO

Saying goodbye is never easy, but Kodaline have written the perfect closing chapter to their story with We Were Only Young, their fifth and final album. The Irish rock band, who triumphed against the odds and who have enjoyed an extraordinary career spanning more than a decade, offer listeners this last statement, a contemplative and hugely moving work that explores pertinent themes of growth, connection, love and closure, as they look towards a bright and hopeful future.

It’s an incredible run, one that many bands would envy. Kodaline formed in Swords, Dublin, when its founding members were just 15. “It’s pretty wild looking back, particularly at those early shows where it’d just be our schoolmates coming to see us,” frontman Steve Garrigan says. “We’ve got fans who feel like family, who’ve grown up with us and played our music at their birthdays, weddings, funerals, the births of their children… It’s a strange feeling, reflecting on all of it now.”

The enormity of this impending farewell was enhanced by two huge open-air homecoming shows the band played in June, at Virgin Media Park in Cork and Malahide Castle in Dublin. “In all honesty, we’re still coming down from those gigs,” Garrigan admits. “They were incredible, and you forget sometimes, when you’re not on the road, just how far the music travels. Seeing such enormous crowds and having everyone singing your songs back at you… it’s definitely still sinking in.”

You can understand how overwhelming it must be, considering Kodaline’s phenomenal career. Along with guitarist Mark Prendergast, drummer Vincent “Vinny” May and bassist Jason Boland, Kodaline scored a No 1 album in Ireland and No 3 in the UK with their debut, In a Perfect World, in 2013. Having racked up significant support from BBC Radio 1, the band also found singles like ‘High Hopes’ and ‘Love Like This’ providing the soundtracks to some of the biggest and most pivotal scenes in TV and film. Their sprawling, cinematic and anthemic sound was the perfect accompaniment to hit shows like Grey’s Anatomy, The Vampire Diaries, The Fault in Our Stars and Love, Rosie… even providing the theme to Channel 4’s beloved series, Gogglebox.

Another No 1 album followed with 2015’s Coming Up for Air, topping the charts in Ireland and making the Top 5 in the UK, as well as producing hit singles ‘Honest’ and ‘The One’. “I guess our sound lends itself to those moments onscreen,” Garrigan acknowledges. “I never set out for that to happen, it’s just the music we made, but it never gets old and I don’t think it ever really sunk in.”

The band had decided that We Were Only Young would be their final album – as well as being their first since 2020’s One Day At a Time – long before they set foot in the studio. “Every song tells a different story – there are some goodbyes in there, and a few tracks that look back at the music we were releasing at the very beginning,” Garrigan explains. “So many of our songs have travelled further than we could ever have imagined.” Recorded at the state-of-the-art Black Mountain Studios in Dundalk, Co Louth, with its stunning views of the Irish sea, the album was created with a close-knit group of trusted, longtime collaborators. There’s a clear narrative arc, as it opens on a darker, brooding tone before expanding into something altogether more reflective and hopeful.

“It’s a great feeling to be releasing new music, giving the fans something new before we go our separate ways,” May said. “I think we owe it to them – some of them have been with us from the very start, supporting us through thick and thin, and we wouldn’t be who we are without them.”

The album certainly has its share of emotional moments. ‘Back to Me’ opens with Garrigan’s pared-back vocals and tender piano notes that fall like autumn leaves: “I should have called, I should have asked, I should have said that I was there,” he sings. “I would have stayed, I would have made more time if I only knew.” The lyrics are steeped in sorrow, and that sharp sting of fear at the possibility that it could be too late. But as the song builds, with swoons of strings and layered harmonies, Garrigan’s own voice grows stronger, urging: “You’ve got a whole lot of life left/ So don’t give up quite yet, come back to me.”

He wrote ‘Without You’ for his own wedding – and there’s no doubting that there wasn’t a dry eye in the house when Garrigan sang to his new bride. “For the first time in my life, I’m not scared of getting older,” he sings over delicate guitar-picking. “‘Cos when we reach the other side, I know I’ll feel the same.” It’s a turning point on the album, where the frontman is suddenly full of hope for the future, having opened up about his vulnerabilities.

Earlier, ‘Who Will Save You Now’ serves as a fantastic but ominous beginning to the record, with a rumble of piano like thunder in the distance. Garrigan’s voice here is superb, with a keening pitch that turns into a full-blown howl on the chorus. The drums seem to signal a call to arms, building the tension until the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

It’s a song that could only have been written by Kodaline, with a fantastic full-circle moment from one of their earliest songs, ‘Pray’. That song, too, made the most of Garrigan’s unique vocals and an innate understanding of how to create something truly evocative. “I definitely had a lot to get off my chest when I wrote ‘Who Will Save You Now,’” he says. “It unleashed a lot – I wasn’t in the best place but that’s what it produced.”

The title track, though, is stepped with a fonder kind of nostalgia, with Garrigan (and the rest of the band) laying their demons to rest. It’s an important and incredibly timely message, with the outside world in such a tumultuous place, as Kodaline remind themselves to be grateful for everything they’ve been through: “You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.”

Kodaline’s success is all the more impressive when you think back to their origins: Garrigan busking on Grafton Street or playing in pubs. “I remember telling my parents I wanted to be in a band, and I didn’t even believe myself at the time, because in our town it just wasn’t a viable thing,” he says.

“We’ve had a lot of fun as a band, but there’ve also been the times that have really tested us along the way,” May adds. “It’s definitely not been easy, and sometimes we’ve felt that the cracks were showing – it’s been tough on everyone.” He recalls some encouraging words from Bono, after U2 championed the band when they were first starting out: “He said there were teams of writers who’d sit in a room trying to emulate what we were coming up with.”

The band are nothing if not self-aware: “We know we’ve never been critical darlings, or had a lot of radio success,” May points out, “But actually thinking of how many tours we sold out, playing these incredible venues around the world, connecting with so many people… It’s a family, at the end of the day. People from every corner of the Earth have been listening to our songs and finding meaning in them.”

On ‘Vultures’, the band are able to make light of the industry pressures they faced over the years, having survived everything that was thrown at them. Buoyed by uplifting guitars and rousing percussion, the mood is celebratory even as Garrigan jokes: “Early morning sky is falling/ television people talking/ man, is this the end of it all?” There were certainly times when they felt the vultures circling: “But it’s a fun song about sticking to your goals, learning to forget all the outside noise and making it through.”

“It’s amazing to be going out on our own terms, and I think the decision has given everybody a lot of time to reflect on what the band’s meant to them,” May says. “We’ve been in this band for over half our lives, and we’re definitely ending it on a high.” Garrigan agrees that “a lot of bands can fizzle out, and I think it’s better to call it a day yourself, and step away with intent into a new era”. The band who formed in Swords are laying down their arms, and leaving with peace in their hearts.

Credits

Side A

1. Who Will Save You Now (03:04)

(Steve Garrigan)

Steve Garrigan (IMRO Copyright Control)

2. We Were Only Young (03:20)

(Steve Garrigan – Kasper Daugaard – Mads Christensen)

Steve Garrigan IMRO Copyright Control / Kasper Daugaard (Koda), Mads Christian Damgaard Christensen (Koda)

3. Back to Me (03:39)

(Steve Garrigan – Steve Robson – Benjamin Francis Leftwitch – Nolan Sipe)

Steve Garrigan (IMRO Copyright Control) / Steve Robson / Nolan Sipe / Benjamin Francis Leftwidge

4. Without You (03:57)

(Steve Garrigan – Benjamin Francis Leftwitch – Hugo Silvani)

Steve Garrigan (IMRO Copyright Control) / Benjamin Francis Leftwich / Hugo Silvani

5. Get Me High (03:25)

(Steve Garrigan – Benjamin Francis Leftwitch – Hugo Silvani – Billy Maybury)

Steve Garrigan (IMRO Copyright Control) / Benjamin Francis Leftwidge / Hugo Billy Maybury

6. All I Ever Need (02:15)

(Steve Garrigan – Ciaran Warren)

Steve Garrigan (IMRO Copyright Control) / Ciaran Warren

Side B

1. Vultures (03:14)

(Steve Garrigan – Benjamin Francis Leftwich – Nolan Sipe – Steve Robson)

Steve Garrigan (IMRO Copyright Control) / Steve Robson / Nolan Sipe / Benjamin Francis Leftwidge

2. Last Forever (03:00)

(Steve Garrigan – Mads Christensen – Kasper Daugaard)

Steve Garrigan (IMRO Copyright Control) / Mads Christian Damgaard Christensen (KODA) / Kasper Daugaard (KODA)

3. Learn to Lose (03:16)

(Steve Garrigan – Jon Green)

Steve Garrigan (IMRO Copyright Control) / Jon Green

4. Hindsight (03:51)

(Steve Garrigan – Mads Christensen – Andreas Lund)

Steve Garrigan (IMRO Copyright Control) / Mads Christian Damgaard Christensen / Andreas Lund

5. It’s Not Over (03:05)

(Steve Garrigan – Jason Reeves – Fraser Churchill)

Steve Garrigan (IMRO Copyright Control) / Fraser Churchill / Jason Reeves

6. The One For Me (03:37)

(Steve Garrigan)

Steve Garrigan (IMRO Copyright Control)

Produced by Mads Christian Damgaard Christensen, Philip Magee and Jon Green (Learn to Lose)

Additional Production: Hugo Silvani & Benjamin Francis Leftwich On Without you and Get Me High

Executive Producer: Steve Garrigan

Recorded by Philip Magee at Black Mountain Studio, Ireland, The Mill Recording Studios, Swords, Dublin, Ireland & Signal Flow Studios, Ashbourne, Ireland.
Assistant Engineer: James Luckie

Mixed by Matty Green (except All I’ll Ever Need mixed by Steve Fitzmaurice)

Mastered by: Simon Francis

Photography: Jennifer McCord

Package Design: Natalia Szmidt

Musicians & Instruments

Steve Garrigan- lead vocals, backing vocals, piano, organ, mandolin, harmonica, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, synths, bass, additional percussion.

Jason Boland – bass

Vinny May- drums

Mark Prendergast – electric guitar

Mads Christensen – synthesiser, percussion, drum programming

Kasper Daugaard- backing vocals, piano, organ, synth

Andreus Lund – additional guitars
Philip Magee – additional keyboards, percussion, guitar

Cian MacSweeny – saxophone

Mette Kathrine Mortensen – backing vocals

David Doyle – cello

Denise Doyle – violin

Artist Representation/Management: East City Management

kodaline.com

concord.com

Lyrics

Who Will Save You Now

I’m wide awake, tumbling down
People are talking in this town
Tell me the truth, tell me no lies
I’ll be your friend if you’re still mine

Who will save you now?
Who will save you now?
Who will save you now?
Who will save you now?

Take me away, far out of reach
Let’s play a game of hide and seek
Remember the days, everyone
Everyone knows just what you’ve done

Who will save you now?
Who will save me now?
Who will save me now?
Who will save me now?

We Were Only Young

Walking alone in the city
Hearing the sound of the rain
I thought that I saw you on 5th street
I suddenly missed you again

Remember the night in the taxi
You said you were moving away
Holding your hand in the backseat
I wish I could call you and say

There are things that I could’ve done better
Things I wish I had said but I never
Got the chance, now I know that the moment is gone
But life goes on

Every little word I said, you know I meant it
Every little touch you gave, you know I felt it
We were only young
We were only young

Heavy on my heart, I wish it never ended
Even at the start, I didn’t understand that
You were moving on
You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone

I know if I make it to 80
I’ll always remember your name
Because you came along and you changed me
I guess what I’m trying to say

There are things that I could’ve done better
Things I wish I had said but I never
Got the chance, now I know that the moment is gone
But life goes on

Every little word I said, you know I meant it
Every little touch you gave, you know I felt it
We were only young
We were only young

Heavy on my heart, I wish it never ended
Even at the start, I didn’t understand that
You were moving on
You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone

Back to Me

I should’ve called
I should’ve asked
I should’ve said that I was there for you
I would’ve stayed
I would’ve made more time
If I only knew

You needed help
You hid it well
That’s no excuse, I should’ve seen straight through
And if I could
You know I would
Go back — am I losing you?

Oh, I hope these words
Don’t land too late
And I hope you hear me when I say

You’ve got a whole lot of life left
So don’t give up quite yet
Come back to me

Hopeless — don’t tell me it’s hopeless
If you’ve got some fight left
Come back to me

Let’s stay awake
And talk about
Whatever you’re afraid to say out loud
Don’t wanna wait
And give it time
God knows that it’s running out

I’m not ready
I’m not ready
To let you go
I’m not ready
To face this world alone

You’ve got a whole lot of life left
So don’t give up quite yet
Come back to me

Hopeless don’t tell me it’s hopeless
If you’ve got some fight left
Come back to me

Without You

For the first time in my life
I feel as if I’m floating
And it’s a different kind of high
I’ve never felt before

For the first time in my life
I’m happy I got broken
Because it got me here tonight
Couldn’t ask for any more

Look, I don’t know how, but you found me
And I don’t know what my world would be

Without you, my love
Without you, my love
Without you, my love
Without you

For the first time in my life
I’m not scared of getting older
And when we reach the other side
I know I’ll feel the same

The future’s in your eyes
And it’s in the way you know me
Yeah, you know me
In a messed up world now
All I want is you

Look, I don’t know how, but you found me
And I don’t know what my world would be

Without you, my love
Without you, my love
Without you, my love
Without you

There may be trouble and hard times ahead
Let’s live a life that we’ll never forget
There’s one thing I know that I’ll never regret
And it’s you, my love

I got you, my love
And you got me, my love
That’s all we need, my love
That’s all we need

Get Me High

Oh, my heart was getting jaded
I hadn’t opened it in ages
If I had my mother’s patience
I’d be fine

See, ’cause I’d been thinking lately
If I made it close to 80
If it’s just my dog and me
Then that’s alright

But I found you
Or you found me
Well, it doesn’t really matter
This is where we’re meant to be

It’s only you
You’re all I need
And when I feel the lowest lows
You come and sweep me off my feet

You get me high
You get me high
You get me high
You get me high

You got me higher than the sunlight
Singing, dancing in the moonlight
And I kinda like the man you made of me

There was nothing like the moment
That my tired eyes were opened
And it felt like for the first time I could see

You get me high
You get me high
You get me high
You get me high

But I found you
Or you found me
Well, it doesn’t really matter
This is where we’re meant to be

It’s only you
You’re all I need
And when I feel the lowest lows
You come and sweep me off my feet

You get me high
You get me high
You get me high
You get me high

Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh

All I Ever Need

From the moment that we met
I had a feeling in my chest
And it took me by surprise
I saw my future in your eyes
You were the only one for me

All I’ll ever need in life is you
All I’ll ever need in life is you
You could give me everything
But everything won’t do
’Cause all I’ll ever need in life is you

People grow and people change
But we will always be the same
You’re my dear and closest friend
And I’ll love you till the end
You’re the only one for me

All I’ll ever need in life is you
All I’ll ever need in life is you
You could give me everything
But everything won’t do
’Cause all I’ll ever need in life is you

Vultures

Early morning
Sky is falling
Television
People talking
Man, is this the end of it all?

Slowly sinking
Tides are rising
You could be my silver lining
We could ride a wave in the storm

Oh darling, when the ship goes down
I know we’ll be going down together

I feel the vultures circling
Can’t you see what’s happening
This whole world’s caving in
Spinning out of control
But I’ll never let you go

It’s alright, shake it out
No rain left in these thunder clouds
You know I’m with you now
Through all the highs and lows
I’ll never let you go
Oh, oh, oh

We could sit and count the days
Or make the most of what remains
No, I’m not wasting time anymore

So let it go, let’s let it be
’Cause we are all we’ll ever need
It’s just like I told you before

Oh darling, when the ship goes down
I know we’ll be going down together

I feel the vultures circling
Can’t you see what’s happening
This whole world’s caving in
Spinning out of control
But I’ll never let you go

It’s alright, shake it out
No rain left in these thunder clouds
You know I’m with you now
Through all the highs and lows
I’ll never let you go
Oh, oh, oh

Last Forever

All night
I’ve been busy drinking
Sunrise
Got me overthinking
Goodbye
Tryna let it sink in
It’s alright
We can share another weekend

Floating away, leave our troubles behind
I know someday I’ll be back by your side

Like the wind blows
Like the world goes on
Like my heart knows
A love like this will last forever

When the cracks show
And we all get lost
Still my heart knows
A love like this will last forever

Good times
Yeah I know we had them
Lost sight
Of what truly mattered
Time flies
Can’t you see it passing
One last night
We should cheers and raise our glasses

Like the wind blows
Like the world goes on
Like my heart knows
A love like this will last forever

When the cracks show
And we all get lost
Still my heart knows
A love like this will last forever

Floating away, leave our troubles behind
I know someday I’ll be back by your side

Like the wind blows
Like the world goes on
Like my heart knows
A love like this will last forever

When the cracks show
And we all get lost
Still my heart knows
A love like this will last forever

Learn to Lose

Lately I’ve been looking at that box you kept
With photographs of all the days and nights we left behind
Crazy how the years go by, you blink and then you miss it
I’ll forever see those moments in my mind

It’s true
You’re there in everything I’ll ever do
I am the way I am because of you
And the world keeps turning

The more I live, the more I learn to lose
Still hoping that you’ll walk into the room
But the world keeps turning
Learning real love’s cruel

Real love
Real love’s cruel
Real love

I still remember what you said
About living life for what it is
Your face in every picture says the same

There’s one of you in that old chair
With tipsy eyes and messy hair
We used to talk for hours when it rained

It’s true
You’re there in everything I’ll ever do
I am the way I am because of you
But the world keeps turning

The more I live, the more I learn to lose
Still hoping that you’ll walk into the room
And the world keeps turning
Learning real love’s cruel

Real love’s cruel
Real love
Real love’s cruel

Real love
Real love’s cruel
Real love
Real love’s cruel
Give me real love

Lately I’ve been looking at that box you kept
With photographs of all the days and nights we left behind
It was real love
It was real love

Hindsight

Woke up lying on the bathroom floor
I was all messed up from the night before
When I broke down crying in a stranger’s bed
Like a time bomb ticking in the back of my head

Where did my mind go?
Where did my mind go?

But I know now what I didn’t know then
They say hindsight is a beautiful thing
If I went back, would I do it again?
They say hindsight is a powerful thing

Powerful thing
It’s a powerful thing

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

My best friend said he was worried about me
Said I asked for help, but it didn’t come free
When it all went wrong in my colourful world
Could’ve lost my house, should’ve lost my girl

Where did the time go?
Where did the time go?

’Cause I know now what I didn’t know then
They say hindsight is a beautiful thing
If I went back, would I do it again?
They say hindsight is a powerful thing

Powerful thing
It’s a powerful thing

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

Where did my mind go?
Where did my mind go?

’Cause I know now what I didn’t know then
They say hindsight is a beautiful thing

It’s Not Over

Let’s take a little walk to take us back in time
Back to where it started
Let’s have a little talk, just say what’s on your mind
It’s better being honest

What we had was something
Don’t say it was nothing
I’ll give you all I’ve got, just give me one more night
One more night, yeah

’Cause we were young and now we’re older
But I can’t help looking back
I should’ve stayed, I should’ve told you
You’re the best I ever had

I know it was something
Don’t say it was nothing
’Cause we were younger and now we’re older
It’s not over ’til it’s over

It takes a little spark to reignite this fire
And burn it forever
Just take another step out on the tightrope wire
We’ll do this together

Only thing I know is all we have is moments
You gotta learn to crawl before you learn to fly
Learning to fly, yeah

’Cause we were young and now we’re older
But I can’t help looking back
I should’ve stayed, I should’ve told you
You’re the best I ever had

I know it was something
Don’t say it was nothing
’Cause we were younger and now we’re older
It’s not over ’til it’s over

It’s not over ’til it’s over

We were young and now we’re older
But I can’t help looking back
Still got truths I should’ve told you
And regrets I’ll always have

I know it was something
Don’t say it was nothing
’Cause we were younger and now we’re older
It’s not over ’til it’s over

It’s not over ’til it’s over
It’s not over ’til it’s over
It’s not over ’til it’s over

The One For Me

If I had a dream
I would go back to the time
The time before I met you
When I used to feel alright

And if I had a choice
I would leave you standing there
So we could still be strangers
And I wouldn’t be stuck here

But I won’t fall down
No, I won’t fall down

You were the one
Were the one for me
You were the one for me

And if I had a reason
To go back and make a change
I’d probably still be with you
Lying in your arms again

And if I got to tell you
Tell you how I truly feel
Instead of keeping secrets
Then maybe you would still be here

But I won’t fall down
No, I won’t fall down

You were the one
Were the one for me
You were the one for me