Words: Rachel Hannon
Photography: Ellius Grace
We’ve teamed up with Hennessy to spotlight the pioneering artists redefining Ireland’s music on their own terms. As we gear up for a series of intimate showcase events, we’ve spoken to the six exceptional acts set to make serious waves in 2026. Introducing Lil Skag, The Wran, BUKKY, Sei Green, d_abdu, and SPOOKLET.
Introduction
Each year, the District team comes together with Hennessy to discuss emerging Irish artists who are not only innovating but also producing music that captivates us. We look for those pushing the boundaries. The ones reshaping what Irish music sounds and feels like.
These are the architects of tomorrow’s music scene, proving that Irish music has no limits. The six acts we’ve chosen are at the early stages of their journeys, but have already built distinct voices that reflect their overall vision.
Navigating today’s music industry is no small feat. It demands resilience, motivation, creativity, and authenticity. And while chatting to each of the artists this year, one thing that kept surfacing was a real sense of self, and their art.
Although we can’t actually predict what the future will look like, one thing is certain: each of these six artists is creating from a place that is uniquely theirs. Their art is true to who they are as people. And a byproduct of that is a growth of their audiences, not the goal.
These artists possess the potential to carve out distinctive paths and leave enduring marks on the industry. Whether that leads to global recognition or new movements at home, we’re paying attention.
Without further ado, meet your Future of Irish Music: Class of 2026.
BUKKY
Once you hear their music, you won’t forget it. Hailing from Cork and based in London, Irish Nigerian artist BUKKY brings the true meaning of alternative R&B, and seamlessly blends it with indie, rock, and psychedelic sounds.
A producer, songwriter, and guitarist, BUKKY, they draw influence from artists like Frank Ocean, The Strokes, and Outkast. Their soundscapes blur the lines between solitude and connection.
They have performed music from a very young age, and credit their father’s vast taste as something that inspired them to pursue it. Not only is music a spiritual form of expression for BUKKY, it’s their identity.
“I guess I would describe my sound as alternative R&B, with influences of indie rock. I produce as well, so I experiment with a lot of synths, textures, carvings, sounds and layers and stuff like that.
“I’ve always enjoyed music. Music was always an imaginative thing for me. My brother and I would always fight over my Dad’s guitar when we were younger. To this day, I have the guitar. So I won.
“Sometimes I can’t put a finger on how I’m feeling or what I want to say. But I feel like for me, it’s about feeling my way through stuff.
“A lot of the time when stuff comes out, I don’t even realise what I wanted to say. It’s more of a spiritual thing that moves through me. I don’t have the words for it, but I can navigate my emotions in a different medium.
“Music makes me feel seen. Especially growing up in Cork as an immigrant child. A lot of my environment didn’t reflect who I was and where I came from. It was definitely a bit of a struggle growing up. So I think music made me feel very powerful and seen within myself.”
Since releasing their first EP in 2023, BUKKY has solidified themselves as an artist on the London-Irish scene. Having performed in London venues like Peckham Audio, The Waiting Room, Camden Assembly, and The Shacklewell Arms, and at Irish festivals such as Electric Picnic, they are no stranger to the live stage.
“I started to connect more with Irish artists when I moved to London. When I would go and play shows I would meet Irish artists. I’ve gotten a lot more Irish connections within London, it’s like a family.”
This year, BUKKY is set to perform at The Great Escape 2026, release more music, and continue growing this dual music community they find themselves part of.
“The future of Irish music is very bright. We’re being seen a lot more. I feel like growing up I didn’t have a music community in Ireland. I couldn’t even think of where to go to use a studio, I had to use my room. I think it’s great we’re getting recognised for what we’re doing as well.
“I want to feel fulfilled in the art that I create. Success has a different meaning to everyone. I want to make the most beautiful songs that connect with people in different ways.”
Aside from self-fulfilment, BUKKY’s art sticks with you. It’s truly like discovering something sacred. Their authenticity as a musician shines through more than perhaps they even know themselves.
d_abdu
There are few Irish artists whose understatedness and mystery draw you in like d_abdu. His soft vocals and intricate guitar playing are filled to the brim with raw emotion.
d_abdu is both the artist name and and the Xbox 360 gamertag of Ethio/Irish musician Dara Abdurahman. Having been part of Bricknasty and a session musician for years, he has finally taken the leap to go solo. And we are so here for it.
One thing about him is immediately clear: music isn’t casual for him. It runs through everything about him.
“My sound is quite quiet and understated. But my prospect for future music is louder and bigger. It’s kind of a mixed bag. Probably lives more in the indie world of things.
“I’m a really big fan of the likes of Junior Brother. I think what he’s doing is really cool. Across the global scale, I’m a big fan of Phil Elverum from The Microphones or Liz Harris from Grouper.
“I think if I didn’t make music I would be dead, genuinely. When I’m sitting down with Ableton and my head is in the computer, I’m the happiest I ever am. I’m finding now with doing the live music too, it feels really good. And I’m going to keep doing it so long as it feels good.”
For d_abdu, the creative process is an unpredictable one. Songs arrive in different ways. Sometimes they flow out of him instantly, and sometimes they come painfully slow.
“My song ‘Peter’ just fell out of me one day. I came home from All Together Now last year, I walked in the door, put my camping stuff on the floor, sat down on the couch, picked up the guitar and it just came out of me. So the process changes. Sometimes it’s like that it’s really natural and it happens in five minutes, then other times it’s three weeks trying to force something to happen. The process is constantly changing.”
Over the past seven years, d_abdu has firmly embedded himself within Ireland’s music community, building connections that feel organic and not strategic. Connections that will last a lifetime.
“I think anyone that engages in music in Ireland very naturally finds their space within it in a short space of time. I came up to Dublin for the first time in 2019 doing music, and it doesn’t take long to meet the people you will end up working with over the next few years. The music community is good, but we need to support it.”
When chatting to d_abdu, there’s a strong sense that his musical journey is truly only getting started. You can hear the passion in his voice when he is speaking about future releases, learning more about Ableton production, and performing live.
“I would love to be prolifically making projects over the next while. I’m excited to have a discography and to have too much music for people to listen to. I’m also excited to have music that people don’t like too, and get the whole picture of it.”
Having only had one official release, d_abdu has been booked for many support slots, has had his debut release covered, and has teased that much more is to come. We cannot wait to see what the future holds for him. Because right now, it’s looking extremely promising.
Lil Skag
Also known as Young Flames Joyce, Lil Skag is full of Enniscorthy energy. What began as messing around and improvising rap with a friend from Cork, has evolved into festival slots, headline gigs, and numerous collaborations.
One of the standout features of his music? That strong unmistakable Enniscorthy accent.
Lockdown was a turning point for Lil Skag, as it gave him time to find, develop, and master his sound and identity as a rap artist. But since day one, he has stayed true to his DIY creativity rather than aspiring for mainstream sounds.
“I would describe my sound as culchie trap. I’m such a fella from Enniscorthy tryna tell his story. I do think I sound like a lot of other rap these days, but with my accent I’ve been told it’s rather interesting.
“During covid, I was flat out playing playstation and smoking. Then I moved to Berlin, I was mad to socialise. But lockdown went on for 6 more months, and I had nothing to be at. So me and my friend from Cork just started freestyling out of having nothing to do. It was terrible stuff. But slowly and surely you would say something every so often and it would sound grand. So then I started writing a bit for a year. Even though the stuff was terrible for a long time, I have a lot of good friends who told me it was good when it wasn’t. That gave me some confidence. Then after being in Berlin for three years, I came home and started to try get on stages.”
This ‘Wexfordish’ in his music depicts rural Irish life, culture, and social scenes of his world. But Lil Skag hasn’t always felt strongly part of this community.
“I always had a creative bone in my body. I love Enniscorthy, but like a lot of rural places, if you’re not hurling or farming you’re seen as a bit strange. I did art in school and I remember being in art one time doing a portrait and I was called a ‘soft boy’. My mother is an artist too, so the creativity was always there. But I also loved rap music. I never listened to anything else – except Paddy Casey and ABBA through my mother maybe.
“But then I watched the Biggie Smalls movie, and it changed everything. So there was always something in me that wanted to come out.”
Despite not always feeling like he fit into rural Ireland as a young creative, he’s definitely found his place now. Especially within collectives like Irish Hash Mafia. For Lil Skag, connections mean more to him than the success of the music itself.
“I don’t even care about goals, because everyone I have met through music has enhanced my life so much. I can’t be more thankful for the genuine connections I’ve made. If it doesn’t go anywhere else after this, music has still made my life so much better and given me so many good times.
Upon reflecting about his goals, he also considered the rap scene in Ireland as a whole.
“It’s clear to see that the rap community in Ireland really is growing, and that growth has been consistent over the past 10 to 15 years.
“Right now, hip hop is the strongest it has ever been in Ireland. When I started off, I didn’t have so many people to look up to see what to do. But now everytime I go online there’s a new underground rapper from Tyrone, Cork, or Kilkenny. It’s just unreal. I think more people doing it, is going to give more people confidence.
“For me, I’ve had this strange unjustified confidence my whole life. My mother asks me, ‘why do you think you can do that?’ and I’m like ‘I’ve no idea.’ I’ve always had a bit of blind stupid belief in myself. You’ve just got to back yourself don’t you? And have a bit of craic.”
2026 is off to a great start with the release of his latest collaborative EP ‘SKAGABOO’. Ahead, he intends to have more collaborations, perform at festival slots, headline gigs and more. Aside from his success, he also has a measured perspective on it all. He has already achieved what he set out to do. Everything else is a bonus.
“Most of the stuff I said I would do when I started, I have now done. So I need to set some new shit and manifest that. But I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing. If I could make a full time living out of it, it would be so great. And to keep making friends.”
Sei Green
This is Irish psychedelic soul to the core. Adam Garrett and Ellen Sleator team up as the duo Sei Green and have been quietly building momentum with their music that feels both global and grounded too. Their tracks are bass driven, and fuse hazy dream pop with chill funk that immerses you from start to finish. Think Khruangbin meets Men I Trust but more earthy, organic, and wholesome.
Their formation as a band felt as natural as their sound.
“We were both writing our own music for ages. I was helping Adam with his album, and he was helping me with mine, and one night, we saw a shooting star. And Adam was like I think we need to make music together.
“Our name was formed because we love the colour green, and the ‘sei’ has a Japanese and an Italian meaning of ‘to be’ or ‘your.’”
Their visuals on social media are an art form in themselves. These videos teased the tracks that are now out for us to listen to. ‘Deep Green’ and ‘Bored of Resting’ are soothing, chill works that are true to them as individuals. They really do pull you into their world.
Adam: “We plant a lot, and I’m lucky that I have a garden so we started recording there a lot. Out with nature. This is what we both do when we’re not doing normal things.”
Ellen: “For me, I always feel like if something really is a part of you, you breathe it in and then breathe it out. So I feel like when I’m not being in touch with myself, I’m not being artistic or creative. That’s how I see music. I breathe the ideas in and it comes out as music.”
Sei Green believes that this feeling of being in touch with yourself, or confidence allows space for more art to be created. And they think this is necessary for the blossoming of Irish artists in the years to come.
“Adam: In terms of the future of Irish music, I don’t think we can say where it’s going. But that’s the point.”
“Ellen: It’s really beautiful. I think we should be so proud of Ireland for what’s coming out of it.
“I think for years people didn’t have this confidence, so now, there’s a quiet confidence that’s coming out to tap into other styles of music that aren’t originally coming from Ireland.
“Even what we do, I wouldn’t say it’s Irish influenced. But it has the heart of Ireland in there, because it’s very much connected to the earth and nature. And I feel like a lot of Irish tradition was very rooted in that.
“Overall, I feel like being a musician in Ireland is a very colourful world to be a part of.”
On April 23, the duo will have their first ever headline gig in Whelan’s. They also intend to release more music, and naturally meander through their journey as musicians. Their approach remains intentionally loose.
Ellen: “For us, I want to keep doing what we’re doing, and be content in that. When I’m thinking about where I want to go, I’m not doing it. I just need to do it and not think about it.”
Adam: “No finishing points, just direction you know.”
SPOOKLET
What do you get when you mix ethereal ambience with electronic grit? SPOOKLET.
Having grown up between France, UK, and Ireland, her sound reflects a layered cultural identities.
Her music is strong in contrast. It’s dreamy yet spikey, soft but sharp. That duality lives in both her music and persona as a musician.
“SPOOKLET is my alter ego. It comes from me, but I like to see her as this alien entity that is expressed through me. I am a vessel for her.
“Sound wise, it’s very ethereal, very textural. But it’s also quite gritty. But there’s also a sensuality to her too. She covers a lot of emotions.
“Playing music has never been a question for me. I used to always dress up as a child and do performances for my family. I can’t remember a time when music wasn’t at the core of what I do. It’s a purpose for me.”
Since her first live performance back in May 2023, SPOOKLET has performed at The National Concert Hall, to Éalú Le Grá festival in Galway, and a performance for Dublin Independent Fashion Week for Seeking Judy in Fade Street Studios. For her, collaborating is essential.
“Something I love about Dublin is the community here. Ever since I moved to Dublin nearly ten years ago, I found it so welcoming. And I think it’s so important for artists to have a safe space to create and collaborate.
“Obviously, I’m a solo artist so I create alone. But some of my favourite parts of making art is when I get to collaborate with different people. Producing with somebody, co-writing, making artwork, photoshoots, or music videos. Collaborating is what makes the music come together.”
Having already performed at The Next Big Thing Festival 2026, this year is off to a great start. It’s taking part in events like these that allow SPOOKLET to see that she is part of a nation of huge talent. It’s also the social aspect of this that inspires her to continue to create.
“Irish music is already amazing. If we keep going on this trajectory, it’s only going to get better and better. There are so many amazing artists I look up to here across Ireland.
“I want to make music my life. I want to continue putting my energy into it. To practise every single day, to meet new people, to grow and evolve as an artist. I think we are so malleable which is so beautiful. Music constantly changes as we change as people.”
The sense of openness here creates an exciting and unpredictable future. SPOOKLET is creating something that is ever evolving. We can’t keep up with her, and that’s completely the point.
The Wran
The Wran feels like a contradiction. Why? Because their music sounds both ancient and modern at the same time. They’re rooted in tradition, but also very forward thinking.
At the core of it all are four brothers from the Comeragh Mountains. Trying to pinpoint their sound is a difficult task. But after discussing it, they settled on folk-trad, with a sprinkle of punk and psychedelic.
“We take a lot of inspiration from Lankum, Planxty, and The Pogues. So we would be in that sort of region of music, with our own stamp mixed in as well. Some of our songs are dark and others are light.
“Our band came about when our Dad finally convinced us all to play together. Two of us have played trad for years, and two of us played rock with electric guitar. Then, one Christmas we were playing in the ‘good room’, and from there, we finally listened to our Dad. We started a band. And the last two years have probably been the best years of our life.
“We always have spats and arguments because we have such different tastes in music. So when we’re writing a song, we disagree on what it should sound like. But because we’re brothers, it’s very easy to sort it out between us. It’s great being able to work together. And we usually practise at our parents’ house, so they can rectify any issues”, they laugh. “It has to be fair.”
2025 was a defining year for the band with performances at Glastonbury, All Together Now, Electric Picnic, Green Man, Greenbelt and Beautiful Days just to name a few. And 2026 is about to get even bigger. Beginning this year with a sold-out UK tour, The Wran are fast establishing themselves as one of Ireland’s most vital new bands in the country.
They’re aware that they are part of the current trad revival, but also admirers of it.
“We’ve obviously seen the whole revival of folk and trad. There has also been such a revival of Irish pride in general. It feels like it was underappreciated for the last few years and it’s ramped back up again.
“Irish people are feeling very seen at the moment with the music, the language, and the culture. And everyone else wants in. I also think the music that is being created is so good. It’s just a pleasure to listen to.”
Despite everything, their ambitions for the future remain humble and grounded.
“We would love to be able to retire our parents at some point, for all the work they have done for us.”
What’s Next?
In May, we’re celebrating the Future of Irish Music with Hennessy through a series of panel discussions as well as our showcase gig. The FOIM panel discussions will bring together voices from every corner of the Irish music industry; from artists and managers to videographers and creatives. To top it all off, the FOIM class of 2026 will take the stage for one night of live performance in the heart of Dublin.
Keep an eye on our socials for line-up announcements, event details, and more.
Please drink Hennessy responsibly. Visit drinkaware.ie for more info.
We’ve teamed up with Hennessy to celebrate the acts pushing the needle in Ireland on their own terms. Over April and May, we’re celebrating the Future of Irish Music through a series of panel discussions as well as our showcase gig. The FOIM panel discussions will bring together voices from every corner of the Irish music industry – from artists and managers to videographers and creatives. In May, the FOIM class of 2026 will take the stage for one night of live performance in the heart of Dublin. Keep an eye out and follow us across our socials for line-up announcements, event details, and more.
