Maicín #CLMF26

Coughlan's, Douglas St.

Sat 26th Sep, 6:30 pm

Coughlans Live Music Festival '26.  

Maicín live at the Nest at Coughlans. 


Proud Corkonians, Maicín are a five-piece pop sensation making what they like to call “Channel-Surf Rock”: a flickering, eclectic blend of jangle pop, folk, new wave, and even boogie-woogie. Imagine the love child of Neutral Milk Hotel and Prefab Sprout. Now get your head out of the gutter and imagine Maicín.

Maicín began as a creative escape for songwriter Matt Hurley and drummer Aidan Kelleher, two young bucks worn down by London life. What started as weekly jams to escape the mundanity of corporate life quickly became a fully fledged band. Well, not quite “fully fledged”. Upon returning to Ireland, the band was completed by a mix of childhood friends and family: Darragh McNamara (bass), Méabh Fitzgerald (keys), and Ryan Daly (lead guitar).

Working with producer Oli Deakin (CMAT, Elanor Moss, Swimming Bell), the band are confidently creating a sound that is entirely their own. Equal parts angular and lush, with distorted guitars and omnichord living in precarious harmony with lap steel and harmonica. It shouldn’t work, but it really does. Their standout singles It Is What It Is, and Che Guevara have surpassed 20,000 streams on Spotify.

Their rise has been fast. In 2025, Maicín went from playing small shows in their hometown and winning the UCC’s Battle of the Bands to stepping onto legendary stages such as Barrowland Ballroom, Shepherd’s Bush Empire and Manchester's Albert Hall. At home, they’ve played Cork City Hall, Cyprus Avenue, Coughlan’s, Roisín Dubh, Whelans, The Button Factory, The Academy (supporting Cliffords and Brógeal). This year they also supported Madra Salach for a run of shows across Ireland and the UK.

Hurley’s songwriting ties the band’s erratic and expansive arrangements into a cohesive package fit for the consumer… I mean the individual listener. Hurley writes about the everyday experience, whether that be spiralling thoughts of dread, the plight of office life or even just the sub-par stout of the UK.

Maicín is where meaning and mischief meet, resulting in live shows that blend frenetic action and heartfelt sincerity, with just the right amount of whimsy. They take it very seriously… sometimes.