What makes a great song – the lyric, the melody or something altogether more elusive? In this mini-series, Ireland’s songwriters step into the spotlight for an unplugged performance.

On Saturday 25 May, we’re joined by DUG, the new musical venture of songwriter Lorkin O’Reilly and California native Jonny Pickett. Bringing together Irish folk and American “Old Timey” sounds, this duo effortlessly melds two musical traditions whose histories go hand in hand.

That familiar Old Timey sound draws on Irish folk music transplanted to America, amongst other traditional instruments, like the banjo…which, in turn, made its way back across the Atlantic to influence the traditional Irish sound. So where do the musical boundaries lie?

DUG says: nowhere. Rather, they mix, mingle, and intertwine to make a little musical magic. Who wants a closed tradition anyway? Not DUG.