Belters Only interview: New track '4EVA', selling out 3Arena, and what's next

Belters Only are an Irish Duo, made up of longtime friends Bissett and Robbie G, who have been on an absolutely meteoric rise over the last couple of years. From blowing up through their track 'Make Me Feel Good' to the absolutely monumental achievement of selling out Dublins 3Arena - a thing that few Irish dance acts have ever done - in just half an hour, these boys are on a path to the very top.

With the release of their epic new tune '4EVA' on the horizon, we caught up with Robbie from Belters Only to have a chat about the single, how it was made, and what inspired it, as well as touching on just what that sell-out date at 3Arena means to them. 

Scroll down and check out what Robbie had to say!

Hi there Robbie, how are you doing today?

“Yeah, I’m good, just over here in Ibiza. I’ve been over here the past week, and I'm heading home in two days, thank God haha.”

Oh has it been a heavy one?

“Yeah, mate, it has been. It's probably been the heaviest trip I've ever had over here, but, only because there are loads of us. I was out in Amnesia last night, so I'm done partying now because we're playing Ibiza Rocks tomorrow, so I just want to be fresh haha.”

So let's start things off with your new single, ‘4EVA’ which is being released this week, I gave it a listen and it's massive, a proper melodic house banger, What can you tell us about the track?

“Yeah, so the track was made at our first writing camp this year in London, and it was mad, the way the track ended up working out. 

“First of all, the morning we made the song was probably the worst day of the whole week because my laptop, which I only bought a year before, crashed. Like the whole thing just broke, the motherboard, everything. So I was like, right, this is going to be a shocking day.

“But then, Bissett still had his laptop with him and we continued on, doing what we had to do. It ended up that we actually didn't make the song during the camp. It was when we went back to the hotel room that we actually decided to write the track, just us in the room by ourselves. 

“It was actually the first track that myself and Bissett wrote together, just us, so I’m especially looking forward to seeing the reaction to it. 

“But the basis behind the track is, you know, it's like that old kind of happy hardcore, 90s vibe, but still with the Belters Only sound in it. I think it's shining a light on the kind of nostalgia and the older days in Dublin and Ireland.

“Um, and you'll see that the campaign rollout and the type of stuff that we're doing around its release, so yeah, it's kind of bringing you back to the 90s era and stuff like that. So, I'm really looking forward to this track coming out. It's one of my personal favourites.”

The hook on the track is so catchy and has that proper 90s raw and effect-heavy vibe to it, where did that come from?

“It’s funny actually, a cool little thing about that is that I'm actually doing the singing on the song. I sang it straight into my phone too, on a voice message, and then just upload it straight up. So yeah as you say, doing it like that made it sound so raw and unpolished which was what we were going for with it.” 

I especially love that pitched-up synth tone that repeats throughout the track, I can’t help but hark back to the classic ‘9pm’ by ATB there, was that track an inspiration for this tune? 

“It was definitely inspired by that track. But it's actually mad, I feel like there's been a couple of tracks that have come out now inspired by that same sound, around the same time that we've done it as well.

“So it's nice that the sound is kind of brewing again. That synth is so distinct and it's so beautiful, you know? So yeah, definitely a big inspiration for this track.”

What's the reaction to the track been like when you’ve played it live?

“Yeah, so we’ve just posted on our Instagram there of us dropping that at Longitude, on the main stage, to like 40,000 people, and it was absolutely surreal. 

“Everywhere we've played it, we played it at Life Festival in Dublin too, it's just gone off. People love the track, and it's such a great, energetic track to play during your sets. So, yeah man, people love it and I’m buzzing for it to be out there.”

For anyone who hasn't heard the track live yet, a pretty ideal spot to do so would be at your biggest headline show to date at the 3Arena in Dublin in October, if they’ve managed a ticket anyway. Selling out such a venue in your native Ireland must feel pretty special, no?

“Look, obviously, that’s been the dream since we started doing this. Both myself and Bissett have driven by that building so many times and envisioned ourselves there, you know. We’ve been like kids in the car thinking one day and we're going to sell that out, and the fact that we've actually done it is absolutely unbelievable and I don't think it's really hit me yet.

“I think till the day, till we walk on that stage, it's only going to really hit me then, you know?”

5000 in 30 min on presale and the rest selling in 15 minutes. Did you guys expect ticket sales to be just as mental as they were? 

"No, not really, I expected maybe the standing to sell out pretty quickly, but it's very hard for a dance act in Dublin to set out the seating. Usually, it's not selling out up until like the week of the show. But we sold out everything on the day, which was just unheard of, so yeah, it was a pinch-me moment for sure. 

"If I think about it too much, my mind will probably just explode. So I'll just say, we’re staying focused, keeping on making the music and keeping working hard and pushing forward, you know."

Just to finish off, we know about your date at 3Arena, but where else can we catch you this year, and is there anything new on the Horizon for Belter Only?

"We’re doing a few festival dates, but for our tour, where we're hitting places like Blackstone Street Warehouse in Liverpool is all sold out already. But we're just excited to get out there and for people to hear this track too."

If you want to catch Belters Only live, then they are playing a bunch of festivals currently on sale on Skiddle, to find out which ones, visit their artists page by clicking, or tapping - HERE

Check out our What's On Guide to discover even more rowdy raves and sweaty gigs taking place over the coming weeks and months. For festivals, lifestyle events and more, head on over to our Things To Do page or be inspired by the event selections on our Inspire Me page.

Header image credit: Belters Only