From lockdown garden jams to supporting Paolo Nutini, Scottish folk risers Brògeal ride a Celtic revival.

Words: Jake Hawkes.
Photos: Jennifer McCord.

It's a good time to be Scottish folk band Brògeal. Riding a resurgent wave of traditional Celtic music but blending it with their own indie sensibilities, what started as a bit of lockdown fun has quickly spiralled into something much, much bigger. "We're supporting the Wolfe Tones in Finsbury Park and Paolo Nutini, with TRNSMT festival in the middle – and that's all in the same week!" laughs guitarist / vocalist Daniel Harkins when asked about their future plans.

It's a far cry from what they expected when they first got together in a garden in the Northern Scottish town of Falkirk, just looking for something to do to pass the time. Before that, each of the members had been in various bands ranging from indie to punk, but a shared loved of both Scottish and Irish folk music led them towards trying something different.

"Lockdown was good for us," acknowledges Daniel. "We just sat there and wrote tune after tune until we were allowed back out of the house, so we came out to a time when a lot of bands were just getting started, and we were absolutely raring to go with 26 songs under our belt.

"That said, we started this back when there wasn't a lot of Celtic music about, so it's all come as a bit of a surprise how much it's blown up. Ireland and Scotland seem to be reinventing their culture in a positive way because of the political climate in both countries – people are feeling the spirit of it all in their bones. That's not to say we're making music in an antagonistic way; we've just always been brought up listening to the Wolfe Tones and the Dubliners and stuff like that, so when me and Aidan [Callaghan, the band's vocalist / banjo player] got together it was always gonna sound like it does. But when the boys jump in on it, it's different again because we write the music as indie songs, but with the instruments we play, there's a fresh sound.

If lockdown was good timing for the band, their luck has continued. Their recent self-titled EP was released just after a huge support slot for fellow Celtic folk act Mary Wallopers, which saw them playing sold-out thousand cap venues across the country. It wasn't exactly a bad way to introduce themselves to a wider audience. Whether as a result of this newfound audience or just word of mouth about the band themselves, the EP felt like a real milestone in their journey thus far. 

"The timing's been pretty good for us ever since the start," acknowledges Aidan. "Coming off the tour with the Wallopers, we really had the wind in our sails, and it's all lined up really nicely. People have been buzzing about the EP too. We've shipped records out to America and Japan, which is huge for us. Even just the feeling of holding it in your hands is like a mad fantasy, it doesn't really feel like it should be happening. A bit of imposter syndrome there maybe – but fuck it, the tunes are class!"

With increased success comes bigger stages to fill (not least the Finsbury Park slot we mentioned earlier), a transition which bands can often struggle with. Couple that with playing in a genre more traditionally associated with cramped pubs than stadium tours, and you'd forgive Brògeal for being a bit nervous about what's to come. Don't worry though, they're not. "Every night's Wembley," says accordion player Sam MacMillan with a grin.