the olllam

the olllam at Songbyrd

Friday November 6th

the olllam w/ Miraje

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With a name aptly deriving from the old Irish for a grand master of a skill, the olllam is a Transatlantic collective of formidable talent, marrying stunning instrumental virtuosity, Irish tradition, and Detroit’s post-rock psych-sensibility. Their genre-defying compositions are lush with cyclical trance-like melodies, co-written by Belfast uilleann piper/whistle player John McSherry, his US protégé Tyler Duncan, and master-drummer Michael Shimmin, whose intricate, often complex, rhythms are then underpinned in recording by the phenomenal bass-playing genius of Joe Dart (Vulfpeck, Fearless Flyers.) Their 2012 eponymous debut album is now considered something of a cult classic, winning the 2012 Indie Acoustic Music Award for Best Instrumental Album.

Over the years the olllam has toured as a live collective augmented by additional master musicians and collaborators, including Dart’s Vulfpeck bandmates Theo Katzman and Woody Goss. Since the recording and release of 2022’s long-awaited follow-up album elllegy, which saw the olllam named as RTE Radio Best Group at that year’s Folk Awards, the band has featured Limerick’s Seán O'Meara on guitar and Michigan producer Joe Hettinga on keys. In 2024 Scottish whistle-player and piper Ross Ainslie joined the olllam, as Tyler decided to focus on his career as a producer. A hugely successful tour of UK and Ireland followed, including sell out shows at Glasgow Barrowlands and London Jazz Cafe, and a collaboration with Zedd on his August 2024 album, Telos.

“… the result is described by them as Neo-Acoustic Celtic Post-Rock. I’d describe it a little differently – it’s f***in’deadly!” - The Irish Times

"If Lúnasa set the gold standard for traditional acoustic music, these guys are bucking for platinum. The word ollam is old Irish for a master musician, and there are three master musicians here."