Culture
18 May 20

WATCH: Lankum play NPR's Tiny Desk Concert

Lankum recorded the performance during their tour of the US back in March.

Two months after their performance, NPR have finally shared the video of Lankum's highly anticipated Tiny Desk Concert.

Back in March, the acclaimed Dublin group sent fans into a frenzy by sharing a photo behind the iconic desk, during their tour of the US. The online concert series, which began in 2008, welcomes some of the biggest talents in the global music industry to the unique and intimate setting of NPR's Washington D.C. offices.

Bob Boilen, the host and creator of NPR's All Songs Considered and Tiny Desk, described Lankum's performance as "a Tiny Desk concert I'll never forget."

"I, too, am a massive fan of the drones from the uilleann pipes, harmonium, concertina and the stunning voice of Radie Peat," Boilen writes. "The Livelong Day to my ears has as much in common with Irish tradition as it does to electronic music, though everything they do is acoustic. But the power and heft of what brothers Ian and Daragh Lynch, Cormac MacDiarmada, and Radie Peat convey through their reeds, strings, and vocals are deeply stirring emotionally and have stuck with me all these months since this concert's recording.

"A week later I saw Lankum in concert," he continues. "It was the last one I attended in a real venue and the world was rapidly changing. Their journey home, I trust, was frightening. The idea of getting on a plane was so very different from just a few weeks before. I know it was tough, but I'm ever so grateful for this life experience and grateful to be able to share it here."

Previous Irish acts to play a Tiny Desk Concert include Saint Sister, Dermot Kennedy, Hozier, The Cranberries, Glen Hansard, Lisa Hannigan, James Vincent McMorrow, Villagers and SOAK.

The performance is one of many recent highlights for Lankum, who have enjoyed a busy few months with the release of their third album, The Livelong Day. The album, which was named Hot Press 'Folk Album of the Year' and crowned 'Album Of Year' at the Choice Music Prize, also picked up the top prize in the Europe category of Songlines Music Awards last week.

Lankum's performance is available to watch on npr.org now here, and will be posted to YouTube next week.