DUG

On 25 June 2026 at 6:30 pm at MOTH Club, DUG perform. There is a natural magnetism to their folk brew. The duo, made up of Conor (Lorkin) O’Reilly and Jonny Pickett, are gearing up for the release of their debut album, having formed in 2023.

Their music stems from roots in musical traditions spanning both sides of the pond, in one breath echoing American folk troubadours and in another channelling the elder statesmen of Irish folk.

DUG have a shared musical heritage, with members having been born in America and Scotland before arriving in Ireland. O’Reilly spent almost a decade making and releasing music in upstate New York, having picked up sticks from his native Edinburgh (Irish mother and Scottish father) before moving to Ireland in 2022 to start a new musical chapter.

You can hear that lived musical experience in singles like Big Sundown and Jubilee (shortlisted for two Grammy nominations). Resonator guitar and banjo, the building blocks of DUG’s arrangements, combine with intricate fingerpicking patterns. They play in sync.

DUG’s lyrics can catch you off guard with moments of levity. On their forthcoming album, there is a warmth throughout their take on folk storytelling. Tracks like Wheel of Fortune have an easy rapport.

There are allusions to darker moments too, to yearning and melancholy, to lessons learnt the hard way. Taking the heavy with the light and translating it into a rhythmic contemporary folk sound is part of DUG’s approach.

DUG’s love for the musicians that inspired them never steps too far into reverence. You will hear Irish influence in their music, and the band opts to be themselves.

In 2024, the duo signed to Claddagh Records.