Maicín are an Irish five-piece folk rock band making what they like to call “Channel-Surf Rock”: A flickering eclectic blend of jangle pop, folk, new wave, and even boogie woogie.

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 went from playing small shows in their hometown and winning the UCC’s Battle of the Bands to stepping onto legendary stages such as Barrowland Ballroom, Shepherd’s Bush Empire and Manchester’s Albert Hall. At home, they’ve played Virgin Media Park (supporting Amble), Cork City Hall, Cyprus Avenue, Coughlan’s, Roisín Dubh, Whelans, The Button Factory, The Academy (supporting Cliffords and Brógeal). Τhis year they also supported Madra Salach for a run of shows across Ireland and the UK.

For Maicín, the band is where meaning and mischief meet.

They take it very seriously… sometimes