Little Green Cars

2008-2012: Formation and early years

Little Green Cars formed in Dublin, Ireland, in 2008. The band was founded by childhood friends Stevie Appleby (vocals, guitar) and Adam O’Regan (guitar, vocals), who began writing and recording music together daily after school. {{cite web | url=https://universityobserver.ie/adam-oregan-interview-growing-up-we-always-felt-a-bit-like-outsiders/ | title=Little Green Cars interview — "Growing up, we always felt a bit like outsiders" }} They were later joined by Faye O’Rourke (vocals, guitar), Donagh Seaver O’Leary (bass, vocals), and Dylan Lynch (drums, vocals), completing the five-piece lineup.

The members met as teenagers and rehearsed in a garden shed at Appleby's home, where they began crafting their early sound. In 2008, the band self-released two EPs, Volume I and Volume II, which helped attract attention from UK labels. Their first UK release was a 7" single of "The John Wayne" on the Young and Lost Club label, produced by David Kosten and backed with the B-side "Glass Case".

In January 2012, Little Green Cars signed with the New York-based label Glassnote Records and began touring extensively across the United States and the UK. Their growing reputation led to an appearance performing their single "Harper Lee" on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and slots at major festivals including SXSW, Coachella, Lollapalooza, and Osheaga.

2013-2015: Absolute Zero

The release of Absolute Zero in March 2013 marked a significant turning point in the trajectory of Little Green Cars. After years of writing and rehearsing in garden sheds and bedrooms in suburban Dublin, the band found themselves catapulted onto the international stage with a debut album that captured the raw vulnerability and melodic ambition that had defined their earliest work.

Produced by Markus Dravs—renowned for his work with Arcade Fire and Mumford & Sons—the album was recorded at Angelic Studios in Northamptonshire, England.{{cite web | url=https://milocostudios.com/2013/06/little-green-cars-absolute-zero/ | title=Little Green Cars - 'Absolute Zero' | date=9 June 2013 }} Dravs helped hone the band’s intricate arrangements, emphasizing their signature vocal harmonies and emotionally candid songwriting. The result was a collection of songs that balanced youthful introspection with soaring, cinematic soundscapes.

Absolute Zero featured standout tracks such as "The John Wayne", an anthemic single that introduced the band to a global audience. With its slow-burning build and evocative refrain—"it's easy to fall in love, it's easy to fall in love with you"—the track became emblematic of the band's ability to marry poetic lyricism with dynamic instrumentation.{{cite web | url=https://nialler9.com/little-green-cars-absolute-zero-review/ | title=Little Green Cars - Absolute Zero (Review) | date=23 May 2013 }} Another highlight, "My Love Took Me Down to the River to Silence Me", saw vocalist Faye O’Rourke step into the spotlight, delivering a powerful and emotionally charged performance that offered a compelling counterbalance to Stevie Appleby's more introspective tone.{{cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/aug/18/little-green-cars-absolute-zero-review | title=Little Green Cars: Absolute Zero – review | work=The Observer | date=17 August 2013 | last1=Fox | first1=Killian }}

The album also explored more experimental territory with songs like "Red and Blue", which incorporated electronic textures and vocoder effects—an adventurous departure from the band's largely acoustic instrumentation.{{cite web | url=https://radiomilwaukee.org/2013-05-31/album-review-little-green-cars-absolute-zero | title=Album Review | Little Green Cars: Absolute Zero | date=June 2013 }}

Upon its release, Absolute Zero debuted at number one on the Irish Albums Chart,https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/irish-albums-chart/20130328/ie7502/ and made its way onto the UK Albums Chart, peaking at number 94.https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/27989/little-green-cars/ It was met with critical acclaim both in Ireland and abroad, praised for its mature songwriting, polished production, and the vocal interplay between Appleby and O'Rourke.

The success of the album saw the band embark on an extensive international tour, including appearances at Coachella, Lollapalooza, Osheaga, and a performance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

2016-2018: Ephemera

After their debut Absolute Zero, Little Green Cars shifted focus to their next project. They started recording Ephemera (Little Green Cars album), their second studio album, in November 2014, working in Dublin at Exchequer Street and Magennis Place.{{Cite web |title=Little Green Cars – Ephemera |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/8297402-Little-Green-Cars-Ephemera |website=Discogs |date=11 March 2016 |access-date=March 26, 2025}} The sessions ran through September 2015, with the band producing alongside Rob Kirwan and Vlado Meller mastering the tracks. Personal events, like the sudden death of guitarist Adam O'Regan's father and navigating relationship changes, shaped the album’s themes of love, loss, and transition.{{Cite news |last=Clayton-Lea |first=Tony |title=Little Green Cars - tracing the line of progress from Absolute Zero to Ephemera |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/little-green-cars-tracing-the-line-of-progress-from-absolute-zero-to-ephemera-1.2558495 |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=February 26, 2016 |access-date=March 26, 2025}}{{Cite web |title=Good Grief: An Interview with Little Green Cars |url=https://www.hotpress.com/music/good-grief-an-interview-with-little-green-cars-17080209 |website=Hotpress |date=March 10, 2016 |access-date=March 26, 2025}} Glassnote Records released it on March 11, 2016.

The album includes 12 tracks, with "The Song They Play Every Night" released as the lead single on January 7, 2016.

Around this time, guitarist and singer Adam O'Regan stepped into directing music videos for the band. He began with "Easier Day," filmed in Tokyo with actor Hugh O’Connor and premiered on March 3, 2016, followed by videos for "The Garden of Death" and "Clair De Lune," released on July 5 and June 15, 2016, respectively.{{Cite web |title=Little Green Cars – "Easier Day" Video (Stereogum Premiere) |url=https://www.stereogum.com/1863259/little-green-cars-easier-day-video-stereogum-premiere/news/ |website=Stereogum |date=March 3, 2016 |access-date=March 26, 2025}}{{Cite web |title=Little Green Cars - The Garden Of Death |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2NNxh1uvDQ |website=YouTube |date=July 5, 2016 |access-date=March 26, 2025}}{{Cite web |title=Little Green Cars - Clair de Lune |url=https://www.euphoriazine.com/blog/2016/06/music/videos-little-green-cars-clair-de-lune/ |website=EUPHORIA. |date=June 15, 2016 |access-date=March 26, 2025}}

When Ephemera came out, reviews were split. The Irish Times highlighted it as having "the most harmonious songs you’ll hear all year" for its vocal arrangements.{{Cite news |last=Clayton-Lea |first=Tony |title=Little Green Cars - Ephemera: the most harmonious songs you'll hear all year |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/little-green-cars-ephemera-the-most-harmonious-songs-you-ll-hear-all-year-1.2568004 |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=March 11, 2016 |access-date=March 26, 2025}} HeadStuff found it "dull," suggesting it lacked spark.{{Cite web |title=Review {{!}} Little Green Cars keep it simple on the dull Ephemera |url=https://headstuff.org/entertainment/music/new-music-reviews/review-little-green-cars-ephemera/ |website=HeadStuff |date=March 14, 2016 |access-date=March 26, 2025}} The artwork, designed by Slater Design with photography by Matthew Thompson, used Patrick Scott’s Busáras mosaics, tying it to their Dublin roots.{{Cite web |title=Little Green Cars Ephemera {{!}} Slater Design |url=https://www.slaterdesign.com/work/little-green-cars-ephemera |website=Slater Design |access-date=March 26, 2025}} Unlike Absolute Zero, which topped the Irish charts, Ephemera didn’t gain the same commercial traction, reflecting a quieter chapter for the band.

2019-present: Dissolution and subsequent projects

Little Green Cars reached the end of their run after over a decade together. On March 21, 2019, they announced their dissolution via a statement on Twitter, describing it as a mutual decision based on personal and artistic reasons.{{Cite web |title=Little Green Cars Official Statement |url=https://x.com/littlegreencars/status/1108865432101236480 |website=X |date=March 21, 2019 |access-date=March 26, 2025}}{{Cite news |title=Little Green Cars have decided to disband |url=https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2019/0321/1037769-little-green-cars-have-decided-to-disband/ |website=RTÉ |date=March 21, 2019 |access-date=March 26, 2025}} They made it clear there were no conflicts, noting "no terrible calamity, no heartless betrayal and no punches thrown," after releasing their two albums, Absolute Zero (2013) and Ephemera (2016).{{Cite news |title=Dublin band Little Green Cars announce split after over 10 years together |url=https://www.dublinlive.ie/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/little-green-cars-split-up-16008251 |website=Dublin Live |date=March 21, 2019 |access-date=March 26, 2025}} Later interviews pointed to artistic differences as a key factor, signaling it was time for new directions.{{Cite news |last=Clayton-Lea |first=Tony |title=Goodbye Little Green Cars, hello Soda Blonde |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/goodbye-little-green-cars-hello-soda-blonde-1.3961611 |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=July 24, 2019 |access-date=March 26, 2025}}

Soon after, four members—Faye O'Rourke, Adam O'Regan, Donagh Seaver O'Leary, and Dylan Lynch—formed Soda Blonde in 2019.{{Cite web |title=Soda Blonde |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soda_Blonde |website=Wikipedia |access-date=March 26, 2025}} They kicked off with a debut gig at Hogan's in Dublin in May 2019 and released two EPs that year, Terrible Hands and isolation content.{{Cite web |title=Little Green Cars members debut new band Soda Blonde at secret Dublin gig tonight |url=https://nialler9.com/little-green-cars-soda-blonde/ |website=Nialler9 |date=May 31, 2019 |access-date=March 26, 2025}} Soda Blonde’s first album, Small Talk, came out on July 9, 2021, via Velveteen Records, earning a nomination for the Choice Music Prize in 2022.{{Cite web |title=Small Talk, by Soda Blonde |url=https://sodablonde.bandcamp.com/album/small-talk |website=Bandcamp |date=July 9, 2021 |access-date=March 26, 2025}} Their second album, Dream Big, followed in September 2023, topping the Irish Independent's "Best Irish Albums of 2023" list.

Stevie Appleby, the fifth member, took a different path. He stepped away from music for two years after the breakup, avoiding the guitar entirely during that period.{{Cite news |last=Clayton-Lea |first=Tony |title=Stevie Appleby: 'I didn't pick up a guitar for two years after Little Green Cars broke up' |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/stevie-appleby-i-didn-t-pick-up-a-guitar-for-two-years-after-little-green-cars-broke-up-1.4733374 |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=December 11, 2021 |access-date=March 26, 2025}} He returned in 2021 with his solo single "Mother Of Pearl," followed by his self-titled EP Stevie Appleby later that year, featuring tracks like "Hand Me Down".{{Cite web |title=Stevie Appleby EP |url=https://open.spotify.com/album/0tDbI2BaqOv8Z6iLnFJ3qv?si=Z4uzxHNGRJqe-mQXDkpj4Q |website=Spotify |date=2021 |access-date=March 26, 2025}}{{Cite web |title=Watch: Stevie Appleby perform 'Mother Of Pearl' in the ruins of a manor reclaimed by nature |url=https://nialler9.com/watch-stevie-appleby-perform-mother-of-pearl-in-the-ruins-of-a-manor-reclaimed-by-nature/ |website=Nialler9 |date=January 2022 |access-date=March 26, 2025}} Alongside music, Appleby pursued his career as a visual artist, holding exhibitions in Dublin and the UK and selling art through his website and Duke Street gallery.{{Cite web |title=Stevie Appleby Stevie Appleby is a singer/songwriter and visual artist |url=https://www.othervoices.ie/artists/stevie-appleby |website=Other Voices |access-date=March 26, 2025}}{{Cite web |title=stevie appleby {{!}} art & more |url=https://www.stevieappleby.com/ |website=Stevie Appleby |access-date=March 26, 2025}}

The breakup split the band’s legacy into two streams: Soda Blonde continued as a collective, refining their approach, while Appleby carved out a solo career blending music and art after a deliberate break.{{Cite web |title=Soda Blonde: "I feel very androgynous as a group, and I like that." |url=https://www.hotpress.com/opinion/soda-blonde-i-feel-very-androgynous-as-a-group-and-i-like-that-22862604 |website=Hotpress |date=July 8, 2021 |access-date=March 26, 2025}}

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class="wikitable"
Year ! style="width:220px;"| Details
style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2"|2008 | Volume I Released: 2008 Label: Little Green Records
Volume II Released: 2008 Label: Little Green Records
2013 | Harper Lee Released: 2013 Label: Glassnote

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Category:Irish alternative rock groups

Category:Irish indie rock groups

Category:Musical groups established in 2008

Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2019

Category:Musical groups from Dublin (city)

Category:Glassnote Records artists