Ways of Seeing channel World Cup nostalgia into haunting new single ‘USA 94’

Cork indie outfit Ways of Seeing return with ‘USA 94’, a shimmering new single steeped in longing, memory, and quiet reckoning. The track reimagines Ireland’s 1994 World Cup highs not just as a national celebration, but as a personal inflection point for a generation coming of age.

Built on dreamy guitars and layered textures, ‘USA 94’ blends post-punk atmosphere with intimate storytelling. The result is something more than football nostalgia, it’s a reflection on what we hide beneath shared joy. Lyricist James O’Donnell frames the track as a meditation on memory and contradiction: “That summer was magic, but it didn’t save everyone.”

Against the roar of Ray Houghton’s goal and the euphoria of Jack Charlton’s legendary squad, the song conjures the ghosts left behind. Mental health, shame, addiction; silent struggles playing out behind closed doors even as a nation rallied on the world stage.

‘USA 94’ is a stirring ode to those who didn’t make the highlight reel. Washed-out synths and chiming guitar lines give the track a dreamlike quality, as if flipping through a photo album where faces are missing and the light hits just a little too bright.