The Here & Now is an exciting 4 piece band born out of Austin Texas and Sunset, Louisiana. The band is made up of Chris Buckley (fiddle), Niamh Fahy (fiddle, vocals), Rob Forkner (Bodhrán) and Tony Daveron (bouzouki/ guitar / vocals). All accomplished musicians in their own right, together they create a rich and captivating sound full of energy that presents Irish traditional music in a contemporary context. Drawing from each of their backgrounds in Irish music, with a geography that spans the United States and Ireland, The Here & Now keep tradition at the heart of their music while widening the breadth of their repertoire with original compositions.
Chris Buckley has spent the last decade plus as a member of the renowned Irish music trio, the Tea Merchants. After growing up in Wisconsin, he came to Austin to pursue his Master's of Musical Arts degree at the University of Texas and has been here since developing a reputation as one of Texas’s most sought after fiddle players. Niamh who is originally from Co. Meath in Ireland, moved to Austin in 2014 having spent the previous 10 years playing music full-time, 5 of which she spent as soloist with Riverdance. She is now a music therapist and a sought after session musician, composing and recording strings for bands and artists near and far. Rob Forkner is a master Bodhrán player and is also one of the world's most highly sought after Irish drum makers. He, along with Chris, is a founding member of the Tea Merchants, and after a time in Europe has returned to Austin, to combine forces musically once again in The Here & Now. Tony is an Irish musician and singer from Hollywood Co. Wicklow, Ireland. Tony was an original member of Anuna, the Celtic Irish choral group that later became part of Riverdance. Tony has appeared on many recordings as both a singer and musician most notably for Sinead O'Connor and The Chieftains. He plays Bouzouki, Mandolin, and Guitar and lives in Sunset Louisiana, Cajun Country.