Dallahan (SCO/IRE)

Dallahan

Forged in Scotland and Ireland's traditional music scene but drawing on the music of the Balkans and North America, Dallahan take their listeners on a journey. Traversing styles and countries of the world in a dazzling live show, they create their own unique brand of World-folk delivered with stunning virtuosity. The lineup consists of Jack Badcock on guitar and vocals, Ciaran Ryan on banjo, mandolin and fiddle, Andrew Waite on accordion and Benedict Morris on fiddle.

Following the release of their debut album 'When The Day Is On The Turn' in 2014, described by fRoots magazine as ‘the most exciting Irish music I've heard in a long time...Lunasa for the new generation’ ¬the band toured extensively in Europe and North America, establishing themselves internationally at such prestigious international events as Milwaukee Irish Fest, Celtic Connections, Tonder Festival and countless others. In its first year, Dallahan was awarded the Emerging Excellence Award from Help Musicians UK and their debut album was shortlisted for 'Album of the Year' at the Scots Trad Music Awards.

2016 saw the release of their second album, 'Matter Of Time', which they performed globally 103 times that year, including travelling to Kathmandu, Nepal on behalf of the British Council to perform at the British/Nepalese bicentenary celebrations. The band was again shortlisted for 'Album of the Year' and they were awarded 'Instrumental Cut of The Year' at the LiveIreland Awards (USA). In 2019, Dallahan released their third album, (and their first with the European record label, Westpark Records) ‘Smallworld’, to critical acclaim and were shortlisted in the German Music Critics Choice Awards in the Folk category.

To date, they have brought their live show to 23 countries, earned three nominations for ‘Folk Band of The Year’ in 2016, 2019 and 2022 and enjoyed collaborations such as with songwriting legend Dougie MacLean, a commissioned composition and collaboration with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra at a WWI commemorative concert and also a concert in Kathmandu with Nepal's folk music exponents, Kutumba.

Approaching a decade together as a band, Dallahan have become a veteran touring outfit and with each album they continue to evolve their sound, as is evident on their latest studio album, ‘Speak of the Devil’ released in June 2023.

‘The flying aces of Celtic folk’ - Mark Radcliffe, BBC Radio 2

‘Like a world music festival in one group’ - LiveIreland