Luke Reilly from Otherkin performing at Slane 2017. Photograph by Enda Casey.

Otherkin to depart the scene after Picnic and farewell tour

Otherkin have stunned the Irish music scene with the sudden announcement that they intend to go their separate ways after a farewell tour that will see them play their final date in the Roisin Dubh in Galway on Saturday 21st December.

With Luke Reilly from Beauparc, Navan, as their front man and lead singer, Otherkin burst onto the scene when they played support to Guns N Roses in Slane in 2017, and they subsequently embarked on a marathon European tour promoting their highly acclaimed debut album ‘OK’.
A couple of superb sets at the prestigious Electric Picnic festival established Otherkin as 
one of the fasting rising and most exciting bands in the country.
After taking a brief spell off from touring to write and record their six-track mini-album, ‘Electric Dream’, Otherkin have been on the road again this year, but earlier this month they announced they were splitting up.
“We have some difficult news to share. After seven amazing years together we’ve decided to call it a day,” the band revealed on social media.
“This band is a huge part of our lives and while breaking up is not an easy thing to do, it’s what feels right for us. 
“We understand this may come as a shock to a lot of you and as such, we feel we owe you an explanation. The truth is that there’s no single thing that we could pin it on. 
“The unfortunate reality is that life in a band these days is one of extreme highs and extreme lows; there’s the elation after an amazing gig to the pressure of mounting 
bills, the pride of releasing music that you’ve laboured over for months to the 
deflation of struggling ticket sales. 
“It’s all in there and a band needs a lot of fuel in its tank to get through it. Some bands have more fuel than others and unfortunately, the day arrived where our fuel ran out.
“It’s been a hell of a ride. ‘Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.’ All our love, Conor, David, Luke and Rob,” they concluded.

Before embarking on their farewell tour Otherkin will play not one, but two sets at next weekend’s Electric Picnic in Stradbally.
Tickets for Otherkin’s farewell tour which will include dates at Cyrus Avenue Cork on Thursday 12th December, Mike The Pies, Listowel, on Friday 13th December and The Button Factory, Dublin, on Friday 20th December before their final gig in Roisin Dubh the following night, are on sale on Ticketmaster.