Lex Bucha Reveals New EP ‘Dark Mode’

There is a noticeable shift in perspective on Lex Bucha’s Dark Mode. The Dublin singer-songwriter’s second EP arrives after the emotional openness of 2025’s Painless Mode, but rather than retreating from those feelings, Bucha leans further into them. Across five tracks, he explores anxiety, resentment, resignation and reflection, creating a project that feels darker on the surface while carrying an unmistakable sense of progression underneath.

Recent single ‘Faithless (Sacrifice)’, produced by Liam Geddes, provides a strong introduction to this new chapter. Electronic textures give the track a cinematic quality, while Bucha’s songwriting keeps the focus firmly on the emotional weight at its centre. The EP continues that approach across ‘Paranoid’, ‘Pill’, ‘Watch Me Fall’ and ‘Sweet Pain’, with each track offering a slightly different perspective on vulnerability. Rather than repeating the same emotional beat, Bucha allows the project to move through several stages of uncertainty and acceptance.

That evolution makes Dark Mode feel like more than a darker follow-up to its predecessor. Bucha has been steadily building his presence since his debut single in 2024, earning national airplay across Ireland and the UK while contributing songwriting to artists including Emmy, Silver Omen and Mila Nikic. Those experiences appear to have sharpened his instincts as a songwriter, with the new EP bringing together intimate lyricism and a more developed electronic sound.

Bucha’s description of the project as a turning point in his healing gives Dark Mode its real significance. The anger and sadness are still present, but they no longer feel like the destination. Instead, they become material to work through, reshape and ultimately release. It makes for Bucha’s most fully realised work so far, a compact and emotionally charged EP that suggests the darkest chapter can sometimes be the beginning of something new.