‘Existing Condition’ from Petrel, is a tense, brooding meditation on fractured identity, and the strange calm found in chaos. It is on general release tomorrow, Friday July 11.
Built on jagged guitar textures, busy basslines, pounding toms, and stark, poetic lyricism, ‘Existing Condition’ captures the band’s raw dynamic energy and obsession with light versus dark. Recorded in Dublin in the early half of 2025, and produced by Darragh Winters, the track balances noise and melody, evoking flickers of early post-punk and alternative indie.
Petrel comprises vocalist Gerry Sheil, with Ian McFarlane on bass. Guitarist Eoin Reilly is formerly of Galway’s electric Slyrydes, alongside Tayne’s and Rural Savage’s Mosey Byrne on drums.
The band considers itself a four-piece post-punk band, with four frontmen in one room. Inspiration is wide, and fans of Murder Capital, Smiths, Interpol, Fontaines DC, and Radiohead may detect influences.
“Our main goal with this project was to truly be us. We went through a few line-up changes and different sounds until it felt right and real, it was never worth doing if it wasn’t going to sound real," says Sheil. “We felt there are a lot of bands out right now that have a very similar voice. We didn’t want to blend in.”
The band’s name, drawn from the storm bird said to glide just above crashing waves reflects an attitude to sound: intense and always moving forward.
