Sean Griffin’s People Are Mad feels less like a debut and more like the long-simmering next chapter from a veteran of New York’s Irish punk trenches. Known for leading the long-running outfit the Ruffians, Griffin steps out on his own with a record that captures the same rowdy, pub-soaked spirit that made his band a staple while letting his sharp storytelling and wide-ranging songwriting take center stage. The result is a gritty, heartfelt collection that pulls from both the Kingston-bred singer’s present-day reflections and a deep backlog of songs that have been waiting years for their moment.
Due out April 17th, People Are Mad arrives after roughly 25 years of the Ruffians carving out their place in Irish punk circles, a run that included sharing stages with the late icon Shane MacGowan and earning the nickname “the Y-Generation Pogues” from veteran rock critic Jim DeRogatis. The album also comes in the wake of personal loss within the band, including the passing of multi-instrumentalist Scott Mettey and banjo virtuoso Darren Maloney—events that left Griffin contemplating what his next creative step might look like. Rather than wait for the stars to align for another Ruffians session, he decided to move forward on his own terms.
That decision sent Griffin digging into a catalog of more than 50 songs spanning decades, including some that predate the Ruffians entirely. A few, like the fire-starting “Space Girls,” date back to his earliest writing days, now revisited with fresh perspective and a bigger sonic frame. Pulling from that archive, Griffin shaped People Are Mad into a set that feels both lived-in and newly energized.
To bring the songs to life, Griffin teamed up with Grammy-winning producer Kenny Siegal in 2023. Recording sessions moved quickly, with the pair capturing a live, in-the-room energy that echoes the Ruffians’ barroom stomp while adding a wider, more polished sonic scope. The performances were later refined with engineering from Grammy-winner Mathew Cullen and mixing and mastering handled by Paul Kolderie and Greg Calbi, giving the album a punchy clarity without sanding down its rough-edged charm.
At the heart of People Are Mad is Griffin’s knack for vivid storytelling. His songs lean heavily on character-driven narratives, often delivered from the perspective of the people inhabiting them, placing listeners squarely inside the scenes he sketches. It’s a style that fits the album’s ragged sing-alongs and hard-luck tales perfectly—songs built not just for headphones, but for crowded rooms where every chorus feels like it’s meant to be shouted back at the stage.
Today, Glide is excited to offer an exclusive premiere of Griffin’s new tune “Space Girls” along with its mindblowing music video. On the raucous rock and roll number, Griffin taps into his natural storytelling instincts. Working in influences and rockabilly, blues, and classic rock and roll, the song is wild, fun, and unhinged in the best kind of way with blasts of piano and harmonica. The swinging, barnburning track is a humorous, tongue-in-cheek tale of persistent alien women (“Space Girls”) who abduct the narrator against his will, possibly to date him or the band and explore human society, with him playfully complaining they won’t take no for an answer.
Sean offers his own take on the tune, saying, “I get stolen by Space Girls most every night. It is my burden to bare.”
WATCH:
