Samuel J Herlihy Launches New Solo Single ‘Insignificance’ Via Interactive Text-Based Adventure Game

Samuel J Herlihy, frontman of Hope Of The States, has released his new solo single, “Insignificance,” launching it through an innovative text-based adventure game format.

The release marks the latest step in Herlihy’s solo journey, which he initiated last year following the announcement of his departure from group projects to focus on individual work. His solo debut, “The Entire Span of Human Existence,” was well-received, leading to a successful solo performance in London and hints of a fully self-produced upcoming album. Notably, Herlihy plans to record and produce the entire project on the very same cassette tape he used to make his first childhood recordings at the age of 13.

“These songs are kind of sad, and funny, and heavy and odd and are I guess memorials of a sort to everyone’s friends,” Herlihy previously said of the upcoming material. “Weird childhoods, unhappy accidents and insane luck. They are for Them here, and Them long gone. I’d love anyone to come and hear me play.”

Alongside the announcement of his debut solo album, Poltergeist, Herlihy has unveiled the new track, “Insignificance.” The song opens with subtle nods to early Bob Dylan, building from an intriguing instrumental melody into a powerful, fuzz-dominated guitar chorus.

At present, “Insignificance” is exclusively accessible via the interactive text-based adventure game, which offers deeper narrative context to the track’s lyrics, though a wider digital release is planned for the future.

Herlihy opened up about the creative inspiration behind the single, explaining how watching the Bob Dylan biopic starring Timothée Chalamet sparked his reflection on classic early records. He also noted that the track’s title pays homage to Jim O’Rourke’s album Insignificance, which he holds in high regard.

“A bunch of the songs on the record are about other bands’ music and how those people and their songs are fucking important to me,” Herlihy elaborated. “Dylan, [Spiritualized’s] Jason Pierce, Kurt Cobain are iconoclasts. In the absence of any meaningful religion (to me) and in a world where music is relentlessly undervalued I think it’s important to celebrate people who can break your heart like that.”

Poltergeist is set for an October release, with physical editions including a white vinyl available via Spectral Operator and Rough Trade shops. The interactive game page also reveals a Rough Trade-exclusive baby blue vinyl edition, alongside The Exorcist CD, which contains bonus tracks and live recordings from the 2025 performance at St Pancras Old Church.

On the topic of Hope Of The States, the band marked their triumphant return in 2024, releasing their first new music since 2006 with the single “Long Waits In A & E.” This was followed by further tracks, “Footage/Steamtrain” and “Billboard Mountain,” alongside a reissue of their seminal 2004 debut album, The Lost Riots, for National Album Day 2025.

The group successfully completed a UK reunion tour last October, marking their first live performances together in nearly two decades, including a notable show at London’s Islington Assembly Hall.

Reflecting on the band’s revival, Herlihy shared his joy in creating music with the group once more, emphasizing a newfound appreciation for the experience.

“The new stuff we’re making is really good,” he remarked. “To be in a room with those boys and be on stage is exciting, and I’d like to just enjoy it. There is so much of it that we didn’t enjoy [the first time around]. We had a blast, but there was such a ‘thing’ around it all that we didn’t appreciate it like we should have.”

Herlihy added: “To be able to do this with a smile on our faces is all you can ask for. There’s a real sense of gratitude to be able to do this again.”

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