Glasgow-based five-piece Ímar feature current and former members of Mànran, Mec Lir, RURA and Talisk, whose trophy cabinet includes several BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and All-Britain/All-Ireland titles. But the best reason to be excited is how excited the band are themselves.
The line-up brings together Cork-born uilleann piper Ryan Murphy (Mànran), Isle of Man fiddler Tomás Callister and bouzouki player Adam Rhodes (Mec Lir), Glasgow bodhrán player Adam Brown, and concertina virtuoso Mohsen Amini (Talisk). Between them, they hold nine All-Ireland and eight All-Britain titles, whilst Amini is BBC Radio 2 Folk Musician of the Year 2018 and BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2017.
Despite living in Glasgow, all share a strong background in Irish music. This foundation underpins Ímar’s distinctive sound—slides and polkas rarely heard in Scottish sessions today—making them stand out boldly from the crowd.