Why Eve Hewson Playfully Dubbed Dad Bono 'The Male Kris Jenner'
Walking into music with Bono’s vocal cords is an intimidating proposition. Elijah Hewson has spent his entire professional life addressing the comparison. When Inhaler formed during their secondary school years at St. Andrew's College in Blackrock, Dublin, critics were primed to dismiss them as an industry vanity project. The band spent years grinding through damp pub venues across the UK and Ireland, deliberately avoiding U2’s orbit.
The strategy paid off. Inhaler’s 2021 debut album, It Won’t Always Be Like This, shot directly to number one on both the Official UK and Irish Albums Charts, making them the first Irish band to top the UK charts with a debut in 13 years. Their 2023 follow-up, Cuts & Bruises, cemented their standing on the festival circuit, earning high-profile slots at Glastonbury, Reading, and Coachella.
Elijah has made it a policy to turn down opening slots on U2 stadium tours. He recognized early that sharing a stage with his father’s band would permanently brand Inhaler as an opening-act novelty. Instead, the quartet chose support slots with Arctic Monkeys, Harry Styles, and Pearl Jam, acts that tested their mettle in front of discerning crowds who had no nostalgic allegiance to U2.