Debut single from Briar City

Irish songwriter, guitarist and producer Sean Francis was a founding member and primary songwriter of Dublin pop punk band Crown The King, with his lyrics earning international press, radio play and features on Spotify and Apple Music editorial playlists. Now, with his new solo project Briar City, Sean takes those talents somewhere new, trading the band set up for a solo endeavour where the ideas can go wherever he wants.

As Briar City, he crafts alternative pop designed to be played at full volume and shouted back at the speakers. Its creative spark comes from the early-2000s alternative records Sean grew up on, where distorted guitars collide with programmed drums, impactful production and flashes of hyperpop, creating a modern pop framework for songwriting that remains personal and occasionally impossible to keep polite.

The sense of creative freedom is central to Briar City; working alone has allowed Sean to follow his musical and lyrical ideas without anyone left to talk him out of them. It’s a project that stretches well beyond the themes of his previous work, tackling relationships and social media, reality television and religion, identity and the experience of living in a culture increasingly driven by outrage and screens. Years of immersing himself in contemporary music have given him room to pull unexpected elements into the songs, while his pop-focused writing keeps the writing accessible.

Now he makes his emphatic artistic entrance as Briar City with the debut single titled “Armageddon,” a break-up song with a distinctly modern twist, pairing pop punk energy with slick, hyperpop-leaning production, creating an appropriately chaotic backdrop for a relationship collapsing in full public view. The inspiration comes from ‘Scandoval,’ the 2023 cheating scandal involving Tom Sandoval and Vanderpump Rules. Sean’s fascination with reality television became the starting point for imagining what it might feel like to have the private devastation of a relationship transformed into public spectacle.

Opened by the stutter of buzzy synth tones, the track jumps into a lively scene of pattering percussion and bright vocal leads, forming an instantly catchy pop sound. Flowing with driving guitar rhythms and rising energy, the swell of crunchy chords ushers in an anthemic rock-inflected chorus where infectious vocal leads ring out above an enthralling arrangement which blends gritty guitar textures with playful synth elements. Capped by Sean’s expressive vocal performance and packed full of memorable hooks, it’s an epic showcase of his exciting vision for Briar City.

The track is produced by We The Villains, the Irish duo of Stephen Youster and Mark Hogan who co-wrote and produced “The Irish Roar” for The High Kings, a track that went viral and has since clocked almost two million spins. With Briar City, Sean Francis has found space to make his songwriting even more compelling while taking aim at relationships, religion, identity, social media and the strange realities of an increasingly online culture. With two more Briar City singles due before the end of the year, Sean Francis is sure to win over countless listeners around the world on what’s sure to be an exciting musical adventure.

Listen to Armageddon below

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