Who is Madra Salach?

Madra Salach burst onto the folk‑punk scene out of Dublin’s cramped pub rooms, turning old Irish work songs into something that feels both ancient and freshly electric.

Meet Madra Salach

The sextet formed in 2023 when vocalist Paul Banks and drummer Dara Duffy were already playing nightly covers of The Pogues and The Dubliners at The 1884. Guitarist Adam Cullen, bassist Jack Lawlor, mandolinist Jack Martin and harmonium player Maxime Arnold completed the line‑up, each bringing a piece of the city’s musical heritage.

Martin’s family ties to the Irish labour movement sparked the idea of reworking workers’ anthems with tape loops and drones, while Banks and Duffy’s pub‑session roots kept the music grounded in communal sing‑alongs. Their debut EP, It’s A Hell Of An Age, arrived in January and took its title from a line in the traditional tune “Murphy Can Never Go Home”.

Their sound and recent rise

From the outset, the group has fused the raw drive of punk with the melodic structures of Irish trad, layering ambient textures beneath fiddles and mandolin. Tracks like “Spancil Hill” from the 1870s sit comfortably beside newer compositions such as “The Man Who Seeks Pleasure”, a mandolin‑born lament that Banks describes as a “behavioural pattern” he can scream over a drone.

Live, the band’s set‑closers are often described as gut‑punching, with Banks’ vocal delivery turning the emotional weight of the lyrics into a cathartic release for both the performer and the audience. Their reputation grew quickly: after a support slot at Kneecap’s London all‑dayer, they secured spots at Green Man, TRNSMT, Electric Picnic and a headline night at The Great Escape’s Chalk venue in Brighton.

Even as their commercial profile expands, the members say they still aim for intimate rooms in Dublin, hoping to carve a niche within the broader folk revival while staying true to the project’s original intent.

In a scene where tradition often feels static, the band’s willingness to blur lines between old and new keeps the old songs alive and relevant for a new generation.