Dublin and Kildare four-piece Kampala finally drop their long-awaited debut Madernity today, and it arrives sounding like a band that has spent the last few years staring down the noise of modern life and plugging straight into the amplifier. Written across five chaotic years, the album channels the strange emotional weather of the 2020s into a set of guitar-driven songs that feel immediate, restless and very much alive.
At the heart of the record sits its fourth single, “It’s Not Me, It’s You”, the album’s emotional pivot point. Where much of Madernity scans the wider social landscape, this track zooms in on the moment someone realises a relationship has turned toxic. It captures that split-second shift from confusion to clarity, delivered with the directness of a band that knows when a hook has teeth.
“The chorus hook was irresistible. As soon as we heard it, we knew it had to be on the record.”
Like the rest of the album, the song was captured in a single live take. Kampala recorded Madernity in their Ballymount rehearsal space using ageing gear and a stripped-back approach that favoured feel over studio shine. Bass, drums and guitars were tracked simultaneously, with vocals and synths layered later. The result keeps the sound of four musicians locked into the same moment rather than polishing it into something sterile.
Long-time collaborator Diarmuid Breathnach handled mixing and mastering duties, giving the recordings extra depth while leaving the band’s rough-edged energy intact.
Across the album, Madernity wrestles with the fractured mental landscape of the present day. Digital overload, splintered attention spans and the endless churn of political noise form the backdrop. The songs question what intimacy, identity and real communication even mean in a world filtered through algorithms and soundbites. Still, the record does not stay in the shadows the whole time. Moments of vulnerability surface, including a classic love song that brings a little light into the album’s darker corners.
Kampala formed around vocalist and guitarist Rob McDonnell, bassist Baz Daly and drummer Justin Capocci, with former Keeley guitarist Dan Kane later completing the line-up. Quietly, steadily, the band have built a reputation as one of Ireland’s more compelling underground guitar outfits.
Their sound pulls threads from several decades of alternative music. You can hear flashes of Depeche Mode and The Cure, the widescreen mood of Smashing Pumpkins and Suede, and the grit of Seattle grunge. There are also echoes of Johnny Marr’s melodic instinct, the stark pulse of Joy Division and the angular edge of Gang of Four. More recent influences range from Fontaines D.C. and The Murder Capital to NewDad, The Twilight Sad, Osees, Lo Moon, The War on Drugs and Deep Sea Diver.
Since 2022, Kampala have built their following the old-fashioned way, gig by gig across Ireland and Germany, developing a reputation for intense, immersive live shows.
With Madernity, Kampala step fully into focus, delivering a debut that captures the chaos of the moment while reminding you what a guitar band can still do when the amps are loud and the tape is rolling.