Manchester UK experimental punk band Maruja have announced Tir na nÓg, a new, fully improvised EP recorded live last autumn at the New Adelphi Recording Studios in Salford University. Releasing in it’s entirety on 21 February via Music For Nations, the four-track collection is a body of work that serves as a manifesto from one of the most unique and riveting new bands and a testament to their shape-shifting artistry.
On the opening track ‘Aon’ – the first taste of the EP that debuts today – Joe Carroll’s saxophone is Eastern-inflected, bringing to mind the mesmerizing loops of Sufi music, while swathes of industrial-strength feedback add starkness to the atmospherics. ‘Dó’ whirls into a cymbal explosion, with frontman Harry Wilkinson’s voice sounding like a call to prayer. The sax-led ‘Ceathair’ pushes towards transcendence, while on ‘Trí’, Harry takes the lead in a heady drone.
Marking their first release of the year, the project follows 2024’s Connla’s Well EP, a release that was named the number one EP of the year by The Needle Drop’s Anthony Fantano and a top EP by Paste Magazine, and playlisted by BBC 6 Music. Following their single release ‘Break The Tension’ in October, the group’s swelling reputation in the underground UK punk scene has gone global, being named one of the most exciting new artists of the 2025 by both Alternative Press and Consequence.
The four-piece will bring their notoriously visceral live presence to the US and Canada for the first time, kicking off their debut US headline tour in Vancouver on 28 February before stopping in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York City and more throughout the entirety of March, while stopping at SXSW, Outbreak Festival and more throughout the summer.
Maruja Live Dates
February 28 – Vancouver, BC – Fox Cabaret
*March 1 – Seattle, WA – High Dive
*March 2 – Portland OR – Mississippi Studios
*March 3 – Eugene, OR – Hult Center
*March 5 – San Francisco, CA – Brick & Mortar
*March 6 – Los Angeles, CA – Lodge Room
*March 7 – San Diego, CA – Soda Bar
*March 11-14 – Austin, TX – SXSW
March 18 – Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle
*March 20 – Toronto, ON – The Garrison
* (SOLD-OUT)March 21 – Montreal, QC – Bar Le Ritz
*March 22 – New York, NY – Market Hotel * (VENUE UPGRADED)
March 23 – Boston, MA – The Rockwell
*March 25 – Washington, DC – Union Stage
March 29 – Knoxville, TN – Big Ears Festival
June 14 – Manchester, UK – Outbreak Festival
July 10th-12th – Slovakia – Pohoda Festival
July 26th – North Yorkshire, UK – Deer Shed Festival
August 21st-23rd – Málaga, Spain – Canela Party
August 21st-24th – Northamptonshire, England – Shambala Festival
* Headlining
For more information on Maruja please check their facebook and instagram.