LÚNASA

Named for an ancient Celtic harvest festival in honour of the Irish god Lugh, Lúnasa was formed in 1997 from members of some of the greatest Irish groups of the previous decade, an early review from Folk Roots magazine describing the band as an “Irish music dream team”.  From the start, the band’s complex arrangements and unique sound reshaped the boundaries of traditional music and energized audiences the world over. Critical acclaim followed, The Irish Echo describing the band as the “the hottest Irish acoustic band on the planet”; MOJO magazine named the band "the new gods of Irish music,” adding that “nobody since the Bothies has wielded such a thrilling rhythmic underlay.” Billboard raved that “anybody who listens can’t help but find them contagious.”

Having since performed over 3,000 shows across 36 countries, Lúnasa has won multiple awards and become one of the most influential bands in the history of traditional music. Collaborations with singers Natalie Merchant, Mary-Chapin Carpenter, and Tim O’Brien and high-profile concerts at The Hollywood Bowl, New York’s Carnegie Hall, Glastonbury Festival and Bercy Arena Paris, helped broaden the band’s audience and cement its place at the forefront of contemporary Irish music.

Lúnasa’s current lineup features: Trevor Hutchinson, who achieved fame as the bassist with the The Waterboys and Sharon Shannon: piper Cillian Vallely was a member of Riverdance and recorded with Bruce Springsteen: Flute player Kevin Crawford, considered one of Ireland’s greatest flute players, was a member of Moving Cloud: award-winning fiddler Sean Smyth, who performed with Donal Lunny’s legendary Coolfin and accordionist Alan Kelly; Guitarist Ed Boyd made a name for himself in the UK folk scene with bands such as Flook, Kate Rusby, and Cara Dillon.

The band are currently celebrating the release of their 10th album “Live in Kyoto”, an album of new material that was recorded in the legendary Taku Taku club in Kyoto, Japan in Dec 2023.

Band Members

Cillian Vallely

A native of Co. Armagh in the north of Ireland, uilleann piper Cillian Vallely grew up in a renowned traditional Irish music family. His parents Brian and Eithne Vallely founded the legendary Armagh Pipers’ Club, an organization that has fostered the revival of traditional music in the north of Ireland for over fifty years. In recent years, he has toured and recorded with Bruce Springsteen, Natalie Merchant, Mary Chapin-Carpenter, Tim O’Brien, and Riverdance in addition to recording as a guest on over 70 albums. He released his highly acclaimed solo album “The Raven’s Rock” in 2016

Kevin Crawford

Born in Birmingham and living in County Clare, Kevin Crawford is an exceptional flute, whistle, and bodhran player and was awarded the title of Irish Echo Musician of the Year in 2000 following the release of his 2 successful solo albums, “In Good Company” and “D Flute”. Before joining Lunasa, Kevin made two albums with the acclaimed instrumental band, Moving Cloud, 1995’s self-titled album followed by “Foxglove” in 1998. In 2019, he released the cd “Music & Mischief” with Colin Farrell and Patrick Doocey.

Trevor Hutchinson

From Cookstown, County Tyrone, Trevor played bass with the Waterboys from 1986 to 1991, recording Fisherman’s Blues (1988) and Room to Roam (1990), the latter featuring Sharon Shannon. Later he made three albums with the Sharon Shannon Band: 1991’s ‘Sharon Shannon’, 1994’s ‘Out the Gap’, and 1997’s ‘Each Little Thing’. A much-in-demand musician, engineer and producer, Trevor has recorded with Moving Cloud, Dermot Byrne, Eric Bibb, Máire Breatnach, and Eileen Ivers, and has engineered and produced albums for Lúnasa, Grada, Donal Lunny & Frank Harte.

Sean Smyth

Founder Sean Smyth from Straide, County Mayo is a multiple All-Ireland champion on both fiddle and whistle. His classic 1993 solo debut, ‘The Blue Fiddle’, introduced his music to the traditional music touring world and was named one of the year’s ten best albums by The Irish Echo. Sean appears on several other recordings including ‘Ceol Tigh Neachtain’, ‘Music at Matt Molloy’s’, Brendan O’Regan’s ‘A Wind of Change’, Alan Kelly’s ‘Out of the Blue’ and ‘Mosaic’, and Dónal Lunny’s ‘Coolfin’. Sean is also a practising medical doctor.

Ed Boyd

Ed Boyd, who permanently joined Lúnasa in 2012, is widely regarded as the finest acoustic guitarist on the European folk circuit. He is a founding member of the BBC Folk Award-winning group Flook, with whom he recorded 4 critically acclaimed albums, and has toured with many of the top UK folk acts, such as singers Cara Dillon and Kate Rusby, flutist Michael McGoldrick, and Irish band Buille.

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