Dublin post-punk band Sprints are back with a searing new single, Descartes, and news of their second album All That Is Over – set to drop in September – before bringing their explosive live energy to Luxembourg's Congés Annulés festival on 15 August.

Dublin's post-punk powerhouse Sprints return with a blistering new single, Descartes, and news of their upcoming second album All That Is Over, set for release on 26 September via City Slang. Known for their raw, emotionally charged live shows and frontwoman Karla Chubb's striking lyrical voice, the band will also be hitting the stage in Luxembourg as part of this year's Congés Annulés festival at Rotondes on 15 August.

With a reputation built on visceral performances and no-holds-barred songwriting, Sprints have quickly become one of the most vital voices in alternative music. Their rise has been rapid, but never hollow. Every track is anchored by Chubb's unfiltered perspective, balancing rage, reflection, and social critique. Songs like Up and Comer and Adore Adore Adore became underground anthems, and the band’s 2024 debut album Letter To Self broke into the UK Top 20, earning glowing reviews.

New single Descartes continues this tradition. Named after the philosopher but inspired in part by Rachel Cusk’s novel Outline, the track explores the destructive weight of ego and the power of self-awareness. "A lot of the negativity you see in the world is rooted in vanity", Chubb explains. "Writing for me is not just a tool to make music but a tool to process the world." She turns Descartes' famous line into something more personal and reflective: "I speak so therefore I understand."

Sprints have been everywhere in recent years, from ESNS and SXSW to supporting IDLES and Pixies, and playing festivals like Glastonbury, Reeperbahn and a star turn at Siren's Call back in 2023. Their sound, caught somewhere between catharsis and confrontation, places them in the company of bands like Fontaines D.C., Wet Leg, Yard Act and Savages.

More: The Hangover Interview with Sprints on Today Radio

Their upcoming album, All That Is Over, was written in the thick of touring life, at soundchecks, on buses, and against the backdrop of a fractured world. The result is a record that leans into the chaos but still finds something true and honest to hold onto.

Luxembourg fans will have the chance to experience that intensity live when the band performs at Congés Annulés this August.