NoCrows

SLIGO / LUXEMBOURG / THE WANDERING ROAD

There is a place on the musical map between the last echo of a Catalan ballad and the first strike of a Balkan downbeat. It lives in the dust kicked up by a Sligo fiddle and the shimmer of a Latin rumba guitar. For over two decades, NoCrows has made that place their home.

Today, the Sligo-based acoustic collective announces their 2027 European concert tour and the release of their new album, The Curtains of Night, recorded in Luxembourg in February 2026. The album features a collection of originals from several band members, spanning songs and instrumentals across their signature range of styles. But to truly understand NoCrows, you have to see them live.

THE LIVE SET: WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS

It is on stage that the band's full chemistry ignites. While the new album showcases a core selection of material, a NoCrows live performance draws from the compositional voices of all six members — with atmospheric, evocative folk-rock songs of NoCrows' resident rockstar Steve Wickham of Waterboys fame, to Oleg Ponomarev's gypsy fire, and adding more recently, his big baritone voice.

It dances from Ray Coen and Anna Houston's rock-infused trad tunes to Felip Carbonell's beautiful Catalan ballads. The live set captures the band at their most electric: delicate Irish airs giving way to rumba, gypsy mayhem, then a whispered ballad. This is not a band that plays genres. They simply refuse to choose.

Formed in 2005, NoCrows has built a reputation on diversity. Their catalogue draws from Irish traditional, Latin rumba, jazz, classical, and Balkan music. And after two decades, their energetic performances continue to stun audiences wherever they travel — from Áras an Uachtaráin to Glastonbury and Dranouter festivals. Ageing like a great wine, they have only grown more confident, more cohesive, and more thrilling to watch.

"...could easily sit alongside Ry Cooder's work with the Buena Vista Social Club... Essential listening for trad aficionados"— Hot Press Magazine

"Swing rarely felt this good"— Irish Times

"...oh, what a joy to listen to!"— Irish Music Magazine

"A beautifully wrought selection of instrumental music"— Irish Times

"...an irresistibly sparkling collection"— Hot Press Magazine


BAND MEMBERS

Felip Carbonell
Guitar, Voice

Eddie Lee
Double Bass, Voice

Ray Coen
Guitar, Fiddle, Voice

Oleg Ponomarev
Violin, Voice

Anna Houston
Cello, Mandolin, Voice

Steve Wickham
Fiddle, Voice