Mixing the melodies and instrumental flavors of Irish traditional music and the frantic tempos and electric guitars of punk rock, Flogging Molly are a band from Los Angeles who've made a powerful name for themselves on the contemporary Celtic rock scene. Led by singer and guitarist Dave King, the group's hard-hitting sound still makes room for the nuances of their folk influences, and the songs make room for tales of brawling and wild times and more sentimental stories of love, loyalty, and times past. The group scored a breakthrough with their second album, 2002's Drunken Lullabies, which set the standard for their music, while they mixed up acoustic performances and live recordings on 2006's Whiskey on a Sunday, sang of hard times and struggle on 2011's Speed of Darkness, and offered a (relatively) thoughtful and fervent collection of songs with 2022's Anthem.

Former Fastway guitarist/frontman and Dublin native Dave King formed the band in 1997 with fiddle player Bridget Regan, guitarist Dennis Casey, accordion player (and former pro skateboarder) Matt Hensley, bassist Nathen Maxwell, drummer George Schwindt, and mandolinist Bob Schmidt. Getting their start playing regularly at the L.A. bar Molly Malones, Flogging Molly eventually took their music on the road; their explosive and passionate live show was the heart of the band, and they toured relentlessly around the world throughout their career. Their rowdy folk-rock punk revival sound has been compared to the likes of other Irish bands the Pogues, Black 47, and the Dropkick Murphys. but the raucous septet opted for its own unique brashness that defied genre definitions.

Flogging Molly released their debut, Swagger, in March 2000 on Side One Dummy and followed up two years later with Drunken Lullabies. Crafting exuberant barroom anthems, King often used personal touchstones -- such as his childhood in a war-torn Ireland, his father's premature death, and an eight-year exile in the United States -- for the band's compelling lyrical content. Within a Mile of Home appeared in September 2004, and the band continued to hit the road hard in support. The DVD documentary Whiskey on a Sunday was issued in July 2006; it was a candid look at Flogging Molly both as a band and seven individuals, and came with a ten-song CD of acoustic and live tracks. In early 2007, as the group geared up for a U.S. headlining run, Hensley amicably departed to spend more time with his family.

In March 2007, Flogging Molly released the Complete Control Sessions EP. Their fourth studio album, Float, followed a year later, by which time Matt Hensley returned to the group. The band then hit the road, documenting the tour in 2010 with the release of Live at the Greek Theatre. Eventually they settled back into the studio with producer Ryan Hewitt, and the following year released their fifth album, Speed of Darkness. Prior to the recording, original drummer Schwindt was replaced by Mike Alonso, previously of Bantam Rooster and Electric Six, who had formerly played with King in the hard rock band Katmandu. Flogging Molly continued to tour over the next several years, and began curating their annual Salty Dog Cruise, which set sail each year for St. Patrick's Day. They eventually returned to the studio, heading to Dublin to record their sixth album, Life Is Good, which was released in early 2017. After a five-year retreat from the studio, Flogging Molly issued their seventh studio album, Anthem, in 2022. The LP was recorded by engineer and noted indie gadfly Steve Albini (who had also worked on Swagger and Drunken Lullabies), and introduced new banjo and mandolin player Spencer Swain. ~ MacKenzie Wilson & Mark Deming, Rovi