Mànran are one of the best-known and best-loved Scottish bands on the scene today. The 2011 launch of their debut single, “Latha Math” heralded a meteoric rise to the top of the Scottish music world that quickly saw them playing many of the most prestigious festivals in Europe despite having only been in existence a few short months. From then, a multi-award-winning debut album followed as the band set about living up to the hype surrounding their early release while establishing their characteristic sound and distinctive approach to musical arrangement.

Variously tagged as “folk-rock”, “trad-rock”, “Celtic-rock” and even “grown-up folk-rock”, Mànran’s music has always defied easy labelling due to the eclectic mix of influences on the band and the alchemy that melds them. With a central ethos built around the band’s traditional Celtic roots, fiery tunes from fiddle, accordion, flute, uillean and Highland bagpipes bind powerfully to a rhythm section awash with elements of funk, jazz and rock to create some of the most innovative and uplifting instrumental music around. Coupled with songs in both Gaelic and English that undergo the same musical mixology, it’s easy to understand why Mànran are in such high demand as a live act. With music ranging from the explosive to the poignant and, at all times, a palpable connection to their audience, Mànran thrive on live performances and spend most of the year touring and bringing their music to new parts of the World. So far, this has taken the band all over Europe and the USA as well as Australia (where the band was awarded the accolade “International Artist of the Year” at the Australian Celtic Music Awards despite having only performed in Australia once by that point!) and Asia, including a trip to South Korea in 2014.

Now with three highly regarded studio albums under their belt and eight triumphant years of blowing audiences away with healthy amounts of passion, poise, virtuosity and vigour, Mànran are continuing to explore new musical and geographical territory.

2018 was arguably the band’s busiest on record, kicking off with a return to BBC Alba’s Cèilidh na Bliadhn’ Ùire New Year special, a sell-out show at Celtic Connections and the release of the band’s single ‘Là Inbhir Lòchaidh’ to great critical acclaim. There then followed full tours of Germany, France and a non-stop summer packed with Scottish and European festival dates. 2018 also finished on a high as Mànran made a triumphant return to Glasgow’s Barrowland Ballroom for a televised live show on St Andrew’s Night and made a guest appearance at the glitzy Scots Trad Music Awards.

2019 started with a bang as the band partied their way through the now customary Scottish New Year Tour as well as performing two special concerts celebrating the life and works of Robert Burns. Looking ahead, Mànran are set to showcase their sound in Canada in February before embarking on tours of England and Australia in the first half of the year. And between all the touring, the band are also hitting the studio to record their fourth studio album, set to be released this summer.