The Celtic and folk student band YONC released its second album, “Sin É,” over spring break, followed up by a tour across Massachusetts in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day.

For senior members of YONC, “Sin É” represents both a musical milestone and a bittersweet goodbye to their college years. To the band, the album showcases the group’s growth from campus musicians to seasoned performers of traditional Irish music.

This album’s recording process marked a significant technical leap from the band’s  previous DIY efforts. Vocalist and violinist Mia Schwartz ’25 shared how their friends helped them gain access to proper studio equipment.

Their 2023 debut “The Yalbum” had been recorded haphazardly in Smith Union’s bathrooms on a computer with microphones attached to a mixer. This time, however, the band completed most tracks in one four-hour Saturday session at a functional studio space, needing only minimal re-recording.

“I tend to put pressure on myself to sort of get it

the first time,” Schwartz said. “But I think a lot of this has been trusting each other’s opinions. Especially with [guitarist] Colin [Vernet ’25], we’ve known each other for so long, so I definitely have a lot of trust in him.”

The album’s title pays homage to an Irish pub located next to a funeral home in Cork, Ireland, with the literal translation of “Sin É” being “that’s it.” While the band was studying abroad in Ireland, Schwartz visited the pub almost five days a week. Schwartz found that the album’s name commemorated both her time in Ireland and at Bowdoin in general. Nearly every track was learned during the band’s time in Ireland, either from group sessions or from Schwartz’s singing teacher, renowned Irish vocalist Caitlin Warbelow.

“There’s something special about how this music is passed down,” Schwartz said. “It’s not written down—you learn it by playing with others in pubs.”

This oral tradition nearly disappeared in the 1950s before experiencing revivals in the 1960s, making young practitioners like YONC crucial to its survival. The band’s weekly gigs at the Bowdoin Children’s Center have become part of a mission to continue this tradition.

“The kids love everything, even when we’re just tuning,” Schwartz said. “Seeing their faces light up reminds us why this matters.”

Tracks like “Creggan White Hare” showcase bouzouki rhythms the band learned in their time abroad in Ireland, while “Newry Highwayman Medley” became a live favorite.

“You really can’t go wrong with a Celtic song about crime,” Vernet said.

More seriously, Vernet reflected on adapting traditional styles. He mentioned how, in Ireland, music exists for community, while in America music is more of a commercial product.

Since its debut, YONC has evolved from a casual campus group to serious students of Celtic tradition.

“We’ve become so much tighter,” Schwartz said. “Colin and I have played so much together at this point that I can almost know what he’s gonna do.”

YONC’s recent St. Patrick’s Day tour around Massachusetts yielded memorable moments. A memory that stuck with Schwartz was performing the band’s second gig on St. Patrick’s Day when an 85-year-old woman became emotional during the set.

“She told us it meant so much,” Schwartz said. “It just made me really happy”

The band has weathered typical struggles faced by college ensembles: half their members graduated last year, booking gigs remains a headache and the band’s car (what members affectionately call the “Yachtmobile”) is a comically overcrowded two-seater with members and luggage.

“Cold-calling pubs is my least favorite part of the whole tour thing,” Vernet said.

Yet YONC’s recent St. Patrick’s Day tour through Massachusetts proved its staying power. At Mick Morgan’s Pub, a tiny pub located near Boston with less than ideal acoustics, a patron loved the band so much he booked it for six hours next year.

“There was this guy who was like ‘I’m gonna pay you guys to keep playing’ and so we went half-hour overtime. Turns out he booked us for six hours next year. Said St. Patrick’s Day is ‘his day’ and money’s no object,” Vernet said. “That’s when we realized this could continue after graduation.”

Though fans might think “that’s it” after the band’s cheekily titled album, YONC has one single that they hope to release towards the end of the year.

“[Ending the band] just didn’t feel right on the most recent album,” Schwartz said. “The music will continue. Maybe not in full albums, but we’ll keep finding ways to play together.”

As for that overloaded two-seater?

“We’re manifesting a [new] Yachtmobile,” Vernet said. “But the chaos is the fun of it.”