By: Jessica Rodgers Roche
When it comes to playing live, Sudden Impact knows how to put on a good show.
If one is lucky enough to catch the rising band, the vibrancy and passion stemming from singer Eve Martyn is apparent.
Her background as a backing vocalist for a Mötley Crüe tribute act might inform where the bravado came from.
Any good rock band is only as good as its singer and their charisma, with Eve being no exception.
Her frontwoman energy is apparent in speaking to her; the kind of person to speak with their hands and raise their voice at opportune times; she gives the impression that the only way out is through for any young rock band.
The band is very much a family affair; founded by sibling duo Eve and Sean Martyn in 2024, with friends Pearse Hodson and Bowden Donnelly joining later.
Their father has played in bands since the 1980s and is still going strong to this day.
Sean said, “he first gave me the opportunity to play live with his band when I was 12, and ever since I’ve played weddings and pubs in Ireland and abroad, standing in whenever I am needed.”
Those early exposures to music and live crowd was to Sean’s advantage; he explained, “when forming my own band, I already had confidence playing live shows, which was a huge benefit.”
In speaking to guitarist Sean Martyn, there is the classic axe-man, livewire edge to him; he explains, “the engagement and interaction between the crowd and the members create an intimate and personal touch,” and that is the band’s fuel.
Boasting a range of influences as diverse as Queen, Mötley Crüe, Jamiroquai and Sonic Youth, the drive and determination of this group of Dubliners can’t be understated.
“Powerful yet danceable” is how their bassist Pearse Hodson describes the band, with the band also incorporating elements of hip-hop, funk, and soul into their sound.
Social media is the making or breaking of most groups; Eve said that “selling yourself and being confident” is half the battle.
“The music scene is all about who you know and being heard, and that’s not going to happen if you are not pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and putting yourself out there,” she explained.
“If you have one follower or one thousand posts, you are going to feel embarrassed, but if you don’t try, you won’t succeed; keep posting your videos, and people will see what kind of music you can do,” she stated.
Of course, the traditional way still works for bands; she said that good old-fashioned networking is how to get a band off the ground.
“You have to get yourself out there,” she explained, and said that going to gigs, as well as talking to “anyone and everyone,” is how a band goes from a daydream to a reality.
Many bands have come and gone over the years, but Sudden Impact is determined to be the one to break through the brick wall.
In the era of the Sex Pistols or The Clash, bands could just pick up and play without formal training and worry about the logistics later; 50 years later, the financial realities of being a musician haven’t changed.
Sean explained that in a band, the actual recording of music is when the wallet takes a hit.
He conceded, “it can get expensive” to get studio time, with all the band members scraping together enough money to get into the studio.
As a result of the studio sessions, tracks Let You Down and Karma were recorded and brought up to a studio quality, and Sean’s background in audio engineering helps the band on the financial end of things.
“We have begun recording from home, that’s how we recorded our upcoming EP, and that really cut down on costs,” he explained.
With the EP set for release in July, the band will be drumming up support with a series of gigs across Dublin; a February 28 gig in Fibber Magees (in support of the Mötley Crüe support act Dr Feelgood) and an April 9 charity gig in the Button Factory (sharing a billing with Nonsense and ULTRAS) are on the punchcard for the Dubliners.
The last word goes to Donnelly; he stated, “Sudden Impact still has a lot more to come in the future.”