KEELEY’s third studio album ‘Girl On The Edge of the World’ is out now via Definitive Gaze, and it arrives as one of the more singular releases in contemporary indie rock. The Anglo-Irish trio, fronted by Dublin songwriter Keeley Moss with Lukey Foxtrot on bass and Andrew Paresi on drums, have built a 12-track record around one of the most haunting unsolved cases in Irish and British history, the 1988 murder of German teenager Inga Maria Hauser in Northern Ireland.
Inga was 18 years old and on her first solo trip abroad when she was killed. The case remains unsolved to this day. Moss has followed Inga’s story for over a decade through her blog The Keeley Chronicles, BBC’s Spotlight coverage, and the BBC/Netflix documentary Murder in the Badlands. ‘Girl On The Edge of the World’ is the culmination of that research and emotional investment, shaped into a musical portrait of Inga’s desire to see the world, drawing in places directly from her diary entries and postcards.
The album was produced in Dublin by long-time collaborator Alan Maguire and marks the first time KEELEY have featured guest vocalists. Miki Berenyi of Lush, Piroshka, and MB3 contributes to one track, and Sice of The Boo Radleys appears on another, two additions that deepen the record’s sonic range without pulling it away from its emotional center. Andrew Paresi brings additional weight to the rhythm section, having previously appeared on Morrissey’s first 3 solo albums.
Musically, the record draws on indie rock, shoegaze, dream pop, post-punk, and ambient electronics, built to function as a continuous listening experience rather than a collection of separate songs. Recurring themes of travel, youth, and loss move through vivid scenes set in cities and landscapes tracing Inga’s journey, evoking mood and movement rather than retelling events directly. Moss has described the approach as capturing the “sonic swirl” of the band’s sound, and across 12 tracks it builds something genuinely cinematic.
The physical release includes a limited sky-blue vinyl edition accompanied by a bonus 6-track 12-inch EP titled ‘Lost Magic,’ which explores further aspects of Inga Maria Hauser’s short life. It’s an extraordinary level of care and detail for a subject that Moss has treated with consistent respect and dedication.
A new documentary focusing on Moss and her involvement with the case is currently in production by the makers of the 2014 film From Scotland With Love, examining both her research into Inga’s story and its influence on KEELEY’s music. The album and the documentary together represent a genuinely significant body of work centered on keeping Inga’s story alive.
KEELEY have been building their live profile through recent support shows with Babyshambles and The Primitives, and the UK tour continues through May with upcoming dates remaining across England.
Upcoming KEELEY Live Dates:
Apr 30 – Todmorden @ The Golden Lion
May 1 – Wolverhampton @ The Giffard Arms (co-headline with TV Pins)
May 2 – Lyme Regis @ Marine Theatre (supporting The Smyths)
May 8 – Nuneaton @ Queens Hall (supporting The Smyths)