airu

The inhabitants of the Basque Country are known worldwide for their unbroken resilience and their need for autonomy. The capital city of Bilbao – located in Bizkaia – is home to several bands that appear to be quite politically and musically based: creative individuals of conviction, artists of conviction. Since the release of their debut album, ‘Con lo bueno y con pena’ (2023), Airu have continued to develop their unmistakably dreamy indie pop with a self-confidence that has allowed them to crystallise their own sound language from their song repertoire across the boundaries of any genre. In addition to possessing captivating indie charm, they also lay out driving beats with shimmering synth carpets on which influences ranging from the Arctic Monkeys to King Krule and other northern Spanish bands such as Melenas play a role. Nevertheless, Airu sound like no other band in Spain at the moment, which is due not least to the sonorous vocals of singer Irune Vega and the almost-cinematic songwriting. The fact that they are also constantly developing this sound further was recently impressively demonstrated once again with the EP ‘Yo No Sé Nada! Nada!!!’ (2024). For their first gig with us in Hamburg, however, they are also bringing fresh material with them.