MAICÍN

Maicín began as a creative escape for songwriter Matt Hurley and drummer Aidan Kelleher, two young architects worn down by London life. What started as weekly jams to escape the mundanity of corporate life quickly became a fully fledged band. Well not quite “fully fledged”. Upon returning to Ireland, the band was completed by a mix of childhood friends and family: Darragh McNamara (bass), Méabh Fitzgerald (keys), and Ryan Daly (lead guitar). Working with producer Oli Deakin (CMAT, Elanor Moss, Swimming Bell), the band are confidently creating a sound that is entirely their own. Equal parts angular and lush, with distorted guitars and omnichord living in precarious harmony with lap steel and harmonica. It shouldn’t work but it really does. Their rise has been fast. In 2025, Maicín won both the UCC Battle of the Bands and the Intervarsity Battle of the Bands, marking them as one of Ireland’s most exciting new acts. That same year, they toured the UK with Amble, stepping onto legendary stages such as Barrowland Ballroom, Albert Hall, and Shepherd’s Bush Empire. At home, they’ve played Cyprus Avenue, Coughlan’s, Cork City Hall, Roisín Dubh, The Academy (supporting Clifford’s), Crowbar Terrace, and the Spilt Milk Festival For Maicín, the band is where meaning and mischief meet. They take it very seriously… sometime.