Belfast-based indie-pop quartet Running Out the Clock release the new single ‘Without U’, an energetic new single that brings together raucous guitars, driving snares, bright synths and infectious chorus melodies.
Building on the foundations of their two 2025 releases, ‘Why Wait For Love?’ and ‘No Parking’, the track captures the band’s knack for pairing vibrant instrumentation with personal songwriting, marking another confident step forward for the Northern Irish quartet.
Driven by commanding vocals and an explosive arrangement, ‘Without U’ delivers an immediate, hook-laden sound that balances indie-rock grit with the melodic appeal of indie-pop. Its bright, forward-moving instrumentation gives the track a lively edge, while its origins in teenage songwriting bring a more intimate dimension to the release. The result is a song shaped by both personal experience and the creative chemistry that defines Running Out the Clock’s sound.
Originally written when its creator was just 13, ‘Without U’ began as two separate songwriting ideas, one inspired by a friendship that had fallen apart and another drawn from the everyday details of a bedroom. Since then, the track has evolved considerably, with the band’s collective input transforming its early foundations into the expansive, high-energy single heard today.
Discussing the song’s development, Running Out the Clock explain: “I wrote this song when I was 13, I think. It was a combination of two songs I had written. One was about a friendship I had that fell apart, and in typical teenage angst I wrote about it. The other was me trying to be creative and write about nothing. I picked something in my room, saw my bedsheets had daisies on them, and thought, yeah, ok, that’ll work. Hence the line “Daisies on my bed”. When I first brought it to the band, they loved it. Immediately, it transformed into something I could never have done by myself. Anisa wrote an amazing bass line to it and put her own spin on the harmonies. Josh added the drums and synths, and Aaron livened up the guitar with brighter chords than I had originally written. Together we made it into the song it is, and its always the closer of our set because of its explosive ending. The crowd loves it, as do we; it’s a lot of fun to perform.”
That collaborative approach is evident throughout ‘Without U’, with Anisa’s bass line and harmonies, Josh’s rhythmic and synth contributions, and Aaron’s brighter guitar chords helping shape the track’s distinctive character. Its explosive ending has also made it a regular closer at the band’s live shows, giving the single an established place in their set and reflecting the connection it has already forged with audiences.
The release arrives as Running Out the Clock continue to build momentum within Northern Ireland’s music scene. Having played to more than 300 people at Belfast’s Mandela Hall, the four-piece are developing a growing live presence while contributing to a musical community increasingly shaped by diversity and inclusivity. As a female-fronted band featuring two women of colour, they bring their own perspective to a sound grounded in experimentation, shared creativity and an instinct for memorable songwriting.
With ‘Without U’, Running Out the Clock open their 2026 chapter with a release that feels both personal and assured. Taking an early songwriting idea and reshaping it through collective creativity, the band have produced a lively, melodic single that highlights their evolving sound and growing confidence.
