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The Story
Flogging Molly formed in Los Angeles in 1997 around Dublin-born vocalist Dave King, previously the frontman of the hard rock band Fastway. King and his bandmates began playing a mix of Irish traditional and rock music every week at Molly Malone's, an LA pub — building the loyal following, and the songs, that became the band's foundation.
That residency gave the band its name and its sound: tin whistle, fiddle, mandolin and banjo running alongside distorted guitars and King's poetic, political lyrics. Swagger (2000) and Drunken Lullabies (2002) established the template, and the band has released eight studio albums since, most recently Anthem in 2022.
Flogging Molly run their own record label, Borstal Beat Records, and have built one of Celtic punk's most devoted fan communities — including the band's own annual Salty Dog Cruise, sailing musicians and fans together since 2015.
Nearly three decades on from that first Monday night at Molly Malone's, the band remains a rare thing: a genre-crossing act that never diluted either half of its sound to serve the other.
