Ímar and Malin Lewis

Glasgow-based five-piece Ímar is something of a Scottish folk supergroup. Featuring current and former members of Mànran, Mec Lir, RURA and Talisk, this is a band whose collectively crammed trophy cabinet includes several BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and All-Britain/All-Ireland titles.

Bandmates Adam Brown (Bodhrán), Ryan Murphy (Pipes, Flute and Whistle), Tomás Callister (Fiddle), Adam Rhodes (Bouzouki), and Mohsen Amini (Concertina) use a combined commonality and a diversity of backgrounds and influences to fuel Ímar’s unmistakable synergy. The sound is centred on the overlapping cultural heritage between Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man, with the band’s name taken from a 9th-century king who ruled the combined territory. 

Support comes from Malin Lewis, an award-winning piper, fiddler, composer and instrument-maker from Moidart and Skye. They marry deep traditional roots with adventurous innovation – not least as the maker of a unique 2-octave version of the Scottish smallpipes.