Lankum

The opening track of the latest LANKUM album is a bone-chilling re-working of an old folk song; a tale of a desperately broken heart with a tragic end is reimagined as an ominous tale that hangs heavy with menacing ambience. Whilst it’s hard to pin down much about Lankum that can be described as ‘typical’, their opening gambit contains many of their signature elements: a deep understanding of traditional folk; an appreciation of heaviness; a twist on what has gone before. This Irish four-piece has captured the imaginations of music-lovers of all stripes with their new release, False Lankum, and we’re thrilled to announce that they’ll be performing at Roadburn 2024.

Of course, Lankum won’t be an unfamiliar name to many Roadburners; aside from their spectacular successes, we had originally announced them for our 2020 edition of the festival. Back then we were captivated by their then-just released album, The Livelong Day. We spoke then of their cinematic scope, which has only grown in magnitude since. The intervening years have seen the band both solidify and further expand their sonic foundations, and pick up numerous plaudits along the way.

Folk music lies deep in the heart of Lankum; more than a genre or specific sound, folk music carries the stories of regular people through the ages, passed down from generation to generation. Folk music is a preservation of lives lived, feelings felt, and histories that won’t be forgotten. Lankum embraces the task in hand – taking old tales to new places – with such flair that the boundaries between traditional verses and their original compositions can easily be blurred.

To witness Lankum live is an intimate experience – no matter the size of the room. The four musicians on stage play a dizzying array of instruments between them and create a warm and enveloping ambience that could just as well be conjured up in the back room of a pub. So pull up a chair and prepare to be welcomed into a world of Lankum’s making.

– Becky Laverty