Irish music mainstay and broadcaster Ray Wingnut presents new online show The Guerrilla Sessions, streaming online as an extension of his Spin ALT show, every Sunday morning.
Interviewed in this episode: Lynched, the iconoclastic folk band, soon to be renamed Lankum, ahead of their final dates under the name, including Vicar St. on the 26th.
Contemporary folk/trad outfit Lynched have today announced that they will no longer be going under the name, for reasons stated above.
Having used it for over a decade, in fairness, they have far outgrown its original use, when the brothers Lynch were a punk performance-art duo.
Lankum, as they will henceforth be known, is a name that draws from Irish Traveller culture, and rather suits their socially-conscious attitudes and output.
Fight!
Lynched – playing the BBC Folk Awards tonight at the Royal Albert Hall
1. Dublin traditional/folk four-piece Lynched are the antithesis of safe, diddly-aye stagnation in the genre, commenting fearlessly on austerity, social issues, trad tropes and modern Irish identity.
2. Having existed in various guises for over a decade, Lynched as we know them today came together when the Lynch brothers met bandmates Cormac and Radie at various trad sessions around Dublin around 2012, and began arranging songs the duo had been working on for the prior few years, as well as some lesser-known traditional pieces.
3. Streaming above is Cold Old Fire, the title track from their second album, recorded by Danny Diamond of Slow Moving Clouds in Merrion Street’s Irish Traditional Music Archive in 2014.
4. This was the tune that helped get them kicked off RTÉ Radio on Culture Night a few years back, when showrunners attempted to steer their set away from the recession ballad (how’s about that recovery!) before removing them from proceedings. Nevermind, though: they wound up on Jools Holland after.
5. Tonight, they’ll be a world away from upsetting the official narrative, representing themselves and performing at the BBC Folk Awards, live at London’s Royal Albert Hall. Streaming tonight on BBC iPlayer, because why should public-service broadcasters provide “niche-interest” television or anything, it’s only what they’re funded to do, like.
6. Fight!
Verdict: Alongside The Gloaming, as well as the likes of Daithí, Moxie, Slow Moving Clouds and others, Lynched are not trad’s future: they’re the genre’s present. Passionate and progressive while retaining a world-weary authenticity.
Cork camogie captain Ashling Thompson
‘sup?
The Ray D’Arcy Show on RTÉ One at 10pm.
Rayna Connery writes:
Recently married Ulster and Ireland rugby international Tommy Bowe will tell Ray all about his time at the Rugby World Cup and his plans for the future. Irish comedy rap act Abandoman will join Ray for a chat and a very special performance of their award-winning comedy routine. All-Ireland winning Cork Camogie captain Ashling Thompson will speak honestly about her experiences on and off the field. Fresh from appearing on Jools Holland’s show, Dublin based trad band Lynched will be performing a track from their album “Cold Old Fire.”
Previously: Cork camogie captain discusses depression and urges others not to hide their feelings
