At just 18 years old, with several singles and a debut EP, Passion + Paper, already under her belt, Sadhbh Keane continues to broaden her sound with Hate Me Now. The Dublin singer-songwriter turns the fallout of a relationship into a vibrant indie-rock track that feels more defiant than melancholic. Produced by Philip Magee and recorded at The Mill with Oisin Conroy, Jay-Lee Trieu and Claudia Preston, the single offers a first taste of her second EP, due this autumn.
The song portrays a relationship shaped by emotional imbalance, in which one person takes up all the space, controls the narrative and leaves the other carrying issues they were never able to voice. Keane writes from a place of frustration, but also with the distance that comes from choosing not to return. Built around the repeated line “That’s why you hate me now”, the chorus initially lands as a statement of defiance, before exposing a wound that remains raw when the assertion turns into a question.
“Hate Me Now” is driven by rising guitars, propulsive drums and a vocal performance that balances clarity, tension and grit. Its folk character comes not from traditional instrumentation, but from the narrative phrasing, the vocal melody and several guitar riffs, all woven into a fuller, full-band rock sound. The track recalls the direct folk-rock of Jade Bird and the melodic ease of Orla Gartland, although Keane takes those influences into a space of her own, brighter than it is sorrowful.
Rather than a lament, “Hate Me Now” is a song about reclaiming control without pretending the pain has disappeared. Keane confirms an increasingly direct approach to songwriting and an identity capable of growing from intimate storytelling into a sound built for bigger stages.
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