Debut EP from After Eight

Hailing from the Netherlands, Dutch five-piece After Eight have built their sound around the idea that alternative rock can be both impactful and emotionally complicated. Female-fronted and driven by three songwriters with distinctly different influences, the band balance energy with thoughtful songwriting, moving between heavy, expansive passages and quieter, more fragile moments. Their music draws from indie rock, alternative rock and folk rock, while touches of experimental rock, shoegaze and post punk give their songs an unpredictable aesthetic.

The current lineup brings together Sonja Wilhart on vocals and guitar, Jelle van der Sar on rhythm guitar, Joram van Noort on drums and backing vocals, Sako Milikian on bass guitar and Tim Grootscholten on lead guitar. Together, they’ve developed a magnetic live sound shaped by their varied musical backgrounds, creating something that feels experimental while retaining its accessibility. Their influences stretch from Radiohead, Mother Mother and Nothing But Thieves to Deftones, Arctic Monkeys, Geese, Royal Blood, Big Thief and Black Country, New Road, alongside countless ideas discovered beyond the spheres of rock and folk.

The story of After Eight began in early 2023, when Jelle was preparing to leave his childhood home. Not letting the occasion pass quietly however, he and Sonja decided to mark it with a garage concert. The set was largely made up of covers, but two original songs were enough to change the direction of what had initially been a one-off performance and the reaction from the audience suggested there was something worth pursuing.

Joram joined in March that year, reconnecting with Sonja after the pair had made music together as teenagers. Soon afterwards, the band made the decision to concentrate entirely on original material and the next step was finding musicians who could help expand their sound. Sako joined on bass, before recommending his former bandmate Tim for the additional guitar position. With that final piece in place, After Eight had the five-member lineup that would shape their current identity.

Now the band introduce that identity through their debut EP, titled The Reach, a five-track outing that presents the perfect run through of their shared sonic vision. Written across two years and recorded at Raiko Records with Stijn Donders, the release explores vulnerability, longing, love and the experiences capable of breaking us. Much of the songwriting starts with Sonja, whether in the form of a lyric, an idea or a feeling, before the rest of the band develops it collectively during rehearsals. Those sessions can send songs somewhere unexpected, with bridges changing direction or arrangements introducing moments that catch the listener off guard.

That sense of contrast is central to The Reach, with the band explaining, “The Reach is about the experiences that make us human,” describing a release concerned with the pain of running away, the complexity of loving, the choices we make and the simultaneous desire for and fear of something we long for. The release begins with “Dress And A Veil,” a song about constructing an imagined future with a partner before discovering that future will never exist. Its emotional centre is the anger and grief of letting go, captured in an enthralling rock soundscape that rolls with punching drums, crunchy guitars and impassioned vocal leads carrying poignant lyricism via gripping melodic lines.

“Blinded” takes a different route, exploring the comfort of an uncomplicated connection while recognising that a good person is not necessarily the person you are meant to be with. “All By Myself (So Quiet)” lands in the uneasy space between craving warmth and connection and finding security in solitude, while “Running Just To Hide” turns towards escapism and the instinct to flee from whatever feels impossible to confront.

Closing track “The Medicine You Take” considers the difficult choice of putting another person’s wellbeing ahead of your own desires, alongside the fear that declarations of love might not be sincere. Building from a downtempo, atmospheric sound, the song swells with belted vocals and charging instrumentation to serve up an anthemic finale to the band’s superb debut EP. Across The Reach, After Eight prove that intensity and intimacy don’t need to exist at opposite ends of the spectrum. Their debut captures a band able to let songs take shape in unexpected ways, while maintaining a clear flair for melody, emotion and connection. Whether screamed along to in a car, danced to in a living room or absorbed late at night, The Reach finds its strength in that space where loudness and tenderness collide.

Listen to The Reach below