Photo by Tom Beard
On the heels of the band’s second studio album 'FENIAN,' the trio of Móglaí Bap, Mo Chara, and DJ Próvaí tell us about some of the most exciting bands emerging out of Ireland right now.
May 5, 2026
BY Will Schube
The word “Fenian” has a long history within the Irish language. It’s a term that goes back generations, but commonly refers to Irish republicans from the 19th and 20th centuries who sought to free the nation from the British Empire. More recently, it was used as a slur directed towards Northern Irish people opposed to British rule.
“It means that you’re kind of uncivilized or you dwell in a forest,” explains KNEECAP’s Móglaí Bap, shortly before the band released their 2026 LP, FENIAN. “So that’s why we chose FENIAN. We’re reclaiming that term and reclaiming a part of that folklore.”
On FENIAN, the trio of Bap, Mo Chara, and DJ Próvaí, treat their own relationship to oppression less as individual than a representation of what’s been happening across the world for as long as history has been documented. It was only two years ago that the band took the British government to court and won a ruling after then-business minister Kemi Badenoch rescinded a grant they received, saying that the government didn’t want to give money “to people that oppose the United Kingdom itself.” The band won the case, and it wasn’t their only victory over the British courts.
Earlier this year, prosecutors lost an appeal seeking to reinstate a “terrorism” charge against Mo Chara for waving a Hezbollah flag during a gig in London. Chara spoke about staring down the powerful British government: “Well, it wasn’t our first time we’d done it, but let’s hope it's our last. That’s enough for now.”
FENIAN, as such, is an album of cultural defiance, of righteous, infectious anger. It’s a call for Irish pride, for creating music that pays homage to the country’s rich, inspiring tradition. “Irish artists have been designed for export, designed to be palatable for an American audience,” explains Chara. “People are now understanding that we’ve got our own values and our own stories to tell the world. Irish brands are being more authentic and writing for themselves and not necessarily writing for an American audience anymore.”
Below, check out 10 of KNEECAP’s favorite Irish bands who are carrying that tradition forward.
Mo Chara: They’re probably the biggest Irish bands right now. We’ve been playing with them for years. We’ve become good mates over the last couple years. The Irish music scene is so small in general. When you go to London or maybe in America, it's a bit more competitive. I think Irish bands are more likely to help each other up rather than be seen as competition. They helped us a lot when we were starting, and they’re also making music of a serious quality.
Móglaí Bap: It’s great when bands like Fontaines go to the lengths that they go to because it makes it easier for other bands to follow behind them. It breaks that thread through the jungle.
Móglaí Bap: I think Madra Salach is definitely influenced by Fontaines D.C., but they have more of an Irish twist. They have someone that plays the box.
DJ Próvaí: If Fontaines D.C. and Lankum had a baby, it would be Madra Salach.
Móglaí Bap: It’s cool to see the blueprint of Fontaines is getting blended with more Irish elements and Irish instruments. It’s a really cool way for Irish music to evolve.
Mo Chara: Lankum is obviously an incredible group. I saw them for the first time at Body & Soul a load of years ago. I’d never seen anything like it. Unbelievable. Radie Peat is the queen of Ireland. She sings on both of our albums. She’s just a quality human.
Mo Chara: Radie Peat’s also got another project called ØXN, with [John] Spud [Murphy], Katie Kim, and Eleanor Myler. They’re still pretty early on, but if you like Lankum and Katie Kim’s solo stuff, you’re gonna like ØXN. They’re gonna be huge. It’s similar to Lankum, but it’s doom-folk. It’s built for soundtracks for movies. It’s that kind of music. It’s unbelievable tension building.
Móglaí Bap: We first saw them at a gig we played with them and Fontaines D.C. in Belfast.
Mo Chara: Other than that Fontaines gig, I've never actually been to see them live, but I’ve heard quite a few of their tunes. It’s unbelievable. It’s always good to see other groups from Belfast doing well, obviously. It’s just intrinsic in Irish music to be supportive, even though on paper you're making completely different music. You might not have any kind of similarities, but it's you like to see people from your area doing well.
Mo Chara: We’ve played with Gurriers a million times. We’ll play with them a million more.
Móglaí Bap: We’re quite friendly with them and they make great music. They’re high energy and have interactive concerts. We’ve played lots of festivals with them, too.
DJ Próvaí: They can really hold a crowd.
Mo Chara: They’re all really young lads. There’s only one way they’re going and that’s up.
Móglaí Bap: There are so many bands in Ireland that whenever you’re at festivals you keep up with them. Maybe a little bit too often. We’re very clique-y when we go abroad. We don’t hang out with anyone else. We always bump into each other and they always put us one after the other at festivals.
Móglaí Bap: The Mary Wallopers are playing with us at Crystal Palace in June, with Fat Dog, Biig Piig, Gurriers, and Madra Salach. They’re another staple of the Irish scene.
Móglaí Bap: She’s on the intro of our new album, we sample one of her songs. She mixes old traditional music with electronic instruments. The vibe is very spooky and deep and it feels like it comes from the past. She’s from Fermanagh as well. She’s an Irish speaker from Ulster. We love to see that she’s doing very well.
DJ Próvaí: The Scratch are like the rock version of an Irish band…Rock version [laughs].
Móglaí Bap: He’s been up all night [laughs].
Mo Chara: We’ve played with them loads over the years.
DJ Próvaí: If you wanna take your top off and go fucking nuts they’re the band.
Mo Chara: They’re high energy. We don’t run into them all the time so it’s always a treat when we bump into each other.
Móglaí Bap: There’s a lot more happening in Belfast with initiatives. There’s the Oh Yeah Centre, and a lot more venues with opportunities. There’s a lot more Irish language stuff happening, which I like about Huartan. They blend Irish traditional music with electronic music in a really cool way.
