Walking on Cars
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2010 |
| Headquarters | Dingle, County Kerry , Ireland |
| Products | Music albums, singles, EPs |
Number of employees | 4 (2020) |
Walking on Cars was an Irish rock quartet, comprising the 2020 lineup of Pa Sheehy (lead singer and lyricist), Sorcha Durham (keyboardist), Paul Flannery (bass player), and Evan Hadnett (drummer). Their initial single, "Catch Me If You Can" (2012), topped the Irish iTunes charts. They followed with their first EP, As We Fly South, in 2013, and then released Hand in Hand in 2014, which featured the track "Always Be with You". The 2015 single "Speeding Cars" gained international recognition, paving the way for their debut album Everything This Way (2016), which reached number one in Ireland. Their sophomore album, Colours, was launched on 12 April 2019.
The group declared their disbandment on 21 August 2020, coinciding with the release of a final six-track EP entitled Clouds.
Origins and formative period
In 2010, five friends from school started performing in their hometown of Dingle, County Kerry. Dedicated to their craft, they secluded themselves in a remote cottage on the Dingle Peninsula for six months to focus on writing and recording demos without interruptions.
Winning the Redbull Bedroom Jam competition in 2012 boosted Walking on Cars’ profile significantly. Their track "Catch Me If You Can" received extensive radio airplay, reached number 27 on the Irish charts, and remained there for over twenty weeks. It also climbed to number one on iTunes and accumulated more than 450,000 views on YouTube. Their follow-up single "Two Stones" peaked at number 12 in Ireland and surpassed one million views on YouTube.
Their four-track EP As We Fly South (2013) was recorded at Attica Studios in Donegal and produced by Tom McFall, known for his work with R.E.M. and Snow Patrol. In July 2014, they released the EP Hand in Hand, featuring the single "Always Be With You".
Commercial achievements
The band’s first full-length album, Everything This Way, was released in 2016 accompanied by promotional events including CD signings and live performances throughout Ireland. The album achieved double platinum certification and secured the top position on the Irish album charts while also charting across various European nations.
In early 2020, their song "Monster" was selected as the opening theme for Netflix’s series The Stranger, which premiered on 30 January 2020.
Disbandment and subsequent endeavors
In August 2020, coinciding with the release of their EP Clouds, Walking on Cars announced their dissolution.
Following this, former frontman Pa Sheehy embarked on a solo career in 2021, releasing his debut single "Saw You at a Funeral" in June and "Roisin" in August. He also revealed plans for an EP titled The Art Of Disappearing along with scheduled tour dates across Ireland.
Band members
Past members
- Pa Sheehy – lead vocals, piano, guitar (2010–2020)
- Sorcha Durham – piano, backing vocals (2010–2020)
- Paul Flannery – bass guitar, backing vocals (2010–2020)
- Evan Hadnett – drums, percussion (2010–2020)
- Dan Devane – guitar (2010–February 2018)
Studio albums
| Year | Description | Highest chart rankings | Certifications | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IE | BE | DE | NL | UK | |||
| 2016 | Everything This Way
|
1 | 157 | 23 | 76 | 26 | IE: double platinum |
| 2019 | Colours
|
2 | 200 | 7 | -- | 50 | |
EPs
| Year | Description | Irish album chart rankings |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | As We Fly South
|
|
| 2014 | Hand in Hand
|
|
| 2020 | Clouds
|
13 |
Singles
| Title | Year | Highest chart rankings | Certifications | Album | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IRL |
IRL
Homegrown! |
NZ | AUT | GER | SWI | BEL | NL | UK | ||||
| "Catch Me If You Can" | 2013 | 27 | N/A | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Everything This Way | |
| "Two Stones" | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Tick Tock" | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Hand in Hand" | 2014 | 19 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Always Be with You" | 39 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Speeding Cars" | 2015 | 11 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 46 | 87 | |||
| "Monster" | 2018 | — | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Colours | ||
| "Coldest Water" | 2019 | 72 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "—" indicates the track did not enter the chart.
The Irish Homegrown Top 20 chart was established on June 7, 2019. | ||||||||||||
Music videos
| Title | Year | Director |
|---|---|---|
| "Two Stones" | 2013 | Luke Daly |
| "Tick Tock" | Template:N/A | |
| "Hand in Hand" | 2014 | Luke Daly |
| "Always Be with You" | 2015 | Filmawi & Esrael |
| "Catch Me If You Can" | Template:N/A | |
| "Speeding Cars" | Luke Daly and Nathan Fagan (Luna) | |
| "Don't Mind Me" | 2016 | Luke Daly and Nathan Fagan (Luna) |
| "Monster" | 2019 | Luke Daly and Nathan Fagan (Luna) |
| "Coldest Water" | Luke Daly and Nathan Fagan (Luna) | |
| "Too Emotional" | Template:N/A |