On the Brink of Permanence: Permanent (Joy) and SMO Live at Oporto
Image Credit: Daniel Brown
It’s always hard to start again. Permanent (Joy) was born from a pivotal moment of transition for Alex Davison and Dan Stroud after the dissolution of their previous band, Blondes. Now joined by Dave Annis and Noah Roche, they’ve wasted no time in embracing the newfound opportunity to craft and define their new era of musicianship. In the past year, they’ve released their debut EP Despair Will Make Me A Modern Man (2025) and a collection of further singles whilst supporting some of the biggest bands in the indie-rock scene. The evolution of maturity, songwriting and experimentalism is clear to see, and last week, shrouded by a veil of darkness and northern rain, the band took to Oporto’s stage for a fifty-minute tour of their discography.
While it’s often easy for an indie-rock guitar band to monotonously stand and play their instruments, Permanent (Joy) did anything but. The four-piece thrived off the energy of ‘Stressed Out’, their synergy palpable and infectious, feeding off the crowd’s enthusiasm for new music. Fan favourites like ‘Josephine’ and ‘Aeroplane’ went down a treat, and it was really lovely to see some younger fans attending the show with their parents really get into the groove of the music, singing and swaying along to the band’s lyrics. Frontman Davidson was energetic and playful in his performance, putting down his guitar on occasion in lieu of jumping around the stage, grooving with shakers, or even affectionately flipping off their photographer for a picture. Although still very young, their skills as performers already surpass those of bands to their senior, solidifying them as ones to watch in the indie scene.
While the potential is clear for anyone to see, the lack of volume and breadth within their current discography made for a slightly disjointed set. Songs that thrive on the EP interrupted the flow between their heavier guitar-based singles like ‘Role Models’ and ‘I Wanna Go Home’. The experimental spoken word structure of ‘Untitled’, concluding Despair Will Make Me A Modern Man (2025), works excellently in the streaming format, as the listener then has the time and space to reflect on the band’s rather existential critique of modern life. However, positioned as the penultimate piece in the tight ten-song set, it felt sandwiched and suffocated without the space to breathe or be appreciated. That’s not to say it isn’t successful as a song in itself, as any unconventional form is always refreshing and exciting to see within a rather repetitive genre. However, you can see why, in their recent support slots, they gave it a miss in place of creating a more cohesive show.
They were nothing but self-aware of their predicament, though. Walking off stage, the band were hollered with the classic “one more song” comments from the eagerly awaiting crowd. They joked that they “didn’t have one more song” to play, having performed every release to date, as well as including some unreleased tracks. Headlining tours so early in their careers can really be a disadvantage for young bands. Although performance and musicianship-wise, they’re ready to play in larger venues, being well-versed from touring with bigger acts like Franz Ferdinand, Seb Lowe, and Blossoms, they often lack the extensive catalogue needed to carry a full headlining performance. It’ll certainly be interesting to see how the structure of their set develops further down the line, as they continue to expand on their discography.
The greatest surprise of the evening was the success of the SMO, the Dublin-based singer-songwriter set to open the evening before Permanent (Joy) graced the stage. While his name has popped up here and again in the circles of the Inhaler fandom, with support coming from indie-rock four-piece for his recent releases, there is very little known about the man behind the name.
SMO performing at Oporto. Image Credit: Daniel Brown
His music, however, stood for itself. While many remain unreleased, SMO’s songs pay homage to the likes of The National and Neil Young, taking the crowd of Oporto momentarily away from the dark and wet October evening to bathe in the perfect blend of up-and-coming indie-folk. It’s easy to imagine ‘Listen’ and ‘Lost My Way’ blasting on a car’s speakers, windows down, in the height of the summer sun, while ‘War’ offers a more personal, reflective exploration, touching on themes of love, self-destruction and longing for connection. Together with his band, he had the confidence and charm of a well-seasoned touring musician, enjoying being on stage without the obvious pressure of being the headline act.
It’s clear both are destined for great things. Given the time and space to continue to grow, the question posed to both Permanent (Joy) and SMO is less of if they’re going to break into mainstream audiences, but more of when.
Words by Arabella Wright