LANKUM (formerly Lynched) are a four-piece traditional folk group from Dublin who combine distinctive four-part vocal harmonies with arrangements of uilleann pipes, concertina, Russian accordion, fiddle and guitar.

They return to Cardigan’s Theatr Mwldan on Thursday, October 19 at 7.30pm.

Their repertoire spans humorous Dublin music-hall ditties and street-songs, classic ballads from the Traveller tradition, traditional Irish and American dance tunes and their own original material.

Having spent the last number of years performing as Lynched, the band decided that they would no longer continue with the name due to the unavoidable implications that it has in regards to acts of racist violence. Their new name comes from the ballad ‘False Lankum’, as sung by the Irish Traveller John Reilly Jr.

The band was originally formed as an experimental-psychedelic-folk-punk-duo by brothers Ian and Daragh Lynch in the early 2000s, and has since progressed through a number of incarnations, culminating in the four piece group playing today (along with Cormac MacDiarmada and Radie Peat who joined in 2012).

They have gained somewhat of a reputation after the release of their album ‘Cold Old Fire’ and an appearance on Later… with Jools Holland as well as three nominations at the 2016 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.

Although an acoustic group whose repertoire is fundamentally based on traditional song, influenced by legends such as Frank Harte, Planxty, The Dubliners and the Watersons, subtle traces of the group’s collective influences can be detected, from American old-timey music, krautrock, ambient techno and psychedelic folk, to black metal, drone, punk and rock n’ roll.

Their new album ‘Between the Earth and Sky’ will be available on Rough Trade Records on October 27.

“The most convincing band to come out of Ireland for years! 5 stars.” says The Guardian, while Mike Harding says: “Anarchic, yet connected, rootsy and gutsy… I love their music, it is just so damn good.”

Tickets for Lankum are £15, £13.50 (for concessions) and £3 mates rates (for 11-18 year olds, see website for details) and are available now from Theatr Mwldan’s box office on 01239 621200, online at www.mwldan.co.uk or via the new Mwldan app.