The High Kings

Few Irish folk acts bring together such varied stage histories as The High Kings, the Dublin group whose members came to the band from the Clancy Brothers, Riverdance and a Broadway run in Movin' Out. Formed in 2008, they mostly sing traditional Irish songs, though they tackle arrangements drawn from other genres. After their first album they moved away from a staged format towards a more natural performance style, and that looser approach suits material meant to be sung together in a room.

Their first three studio albums each reached number three or higher on Billboard's world music chart. Memory Lane reached third on Billboard's Top World Albums chart, and in March 2012 the band played Trafalgar Square for the Mayor of London's St Patrick's Day celebrations before appearing at the White House event hosted by Barack Obama. Friends For Life, released on Sony in September 2013, mixed traditional ballads with original songs and reached number three on the same chart. Hand Me Down My Bible, released as a single in July 2016, was followed by the Grace & Glory tour, while Martin Furey left in September 2017 and Paul O'Brien joined in 2019.