It comes as no surprise that everyone at Olimpus is passionate about music, and if there’s one thing we love for sure, it’s Maltese talent. Our island may be small, but some of the bands and musicians that we have here are larger than life. To honour and praise these incredible musicians, we decided to list our top 10 Maltese bands in no particular order:

Red Electrick
Everyone in Malta knows (and loves) Red Electrick. Made up of 5 artists, Matthew James Borg, Peter Borg, Ivan Borg, Jonas Delicata, and Robert Spiteri, this band’s sound is influenced by a combination of bluesy 70s rock and a touch of contemporary. Their latest single, ‘Cold as a Fever’, was released just last March, sending shivers down our spines – and we can’t wait to hear more.

Airport Impressions
This band originally started out as a duo between Errol Sammut and Johann Schembri, but Chris Curmi and Steve Farrugia soon joined to create one of the greatest bands on the island, best known for some of their biggest hits including ‘Walk with Me’ and ‘Hymns of June’. Recently, Errol Sammut also released a solo track, ‘Burton’s Song’, to raise awareness for autism, having all song sale proceeds donated to Autism Foundations around the world.

Relikc
If you love funk and rock music, you’ll surely love Relikc! The band is officially made up of 5 members; Keith Zammit, Luke Grech, Ivan Giordano, Lesnich Vassallo, and Joseph Axiak, but they’ve recently also been inviting other musicians to join them on stage. They’re currently working on their new album ‘Code of Antics’ which is being released on the 21st July – we can’t wait!

Stalko
If indie-electronic-folk is your thing, then Stalko will surely be ‘music to your ears’. Made up of 3 members; Chris Cini, Tim Ellis, and Mike Stivala, this fantastic trio brings a new sound to the Maltese islands. Last month, music from their second album was even heard at the Toronto International Film Festival after being featured in a short film by US-based Alex Camilleri.

Winter Moods
You can’t be Maltese and not know about Winter Moods; one of the most successful Maltese bands on the island. Ivan Grech, Melvin Caruana, Joseph Rizzo, Etienne Robinich, and Karl Fenech are the members of this incredible band, who have performed with and supported a variety of top international artists. Their best-selling album to date was ‘Ordinary Men’ which included the band’s most famous and iconic song, ‘Marigold’, which touched the hearts of many.

Nosnow/noalps
This popular punk/indie/reggae/rock band is made up of 5 members; Nick Morales, Bertram Cachia, Benji Cachia, Sarah Snow, and Leona Farrugia, and has recently celebrated its 10th anniversary by hosting a special event; Moving Mountains, where they treated their fans to a night of their own great music. They also released a wide range of awesome NSNA merchandise which looks super cool!

Fakawi
A unique band to say the least, with members Paul Borg Bonaci, Reuben Navarro, Mark Attard, Antonio Ghio, and Ryan Buttigieg flaunting their reputation of being one of the funniest Maltese bands. Not only do they make great music, but their spontaneous, entertaining, and somewhat cheeky performances are definitely something to remember.

The Big Band Brothers
This band weren’t joking when they chose their name – with a whopping 17 band members, they take the term “big band” to a whole new level. The team is made up of members Jonathan Spiteri, Edward Cauchi, Eric Wadge, Wayne Camilleri, Robert Spiteri, Jonathan Ellul, Daniel Cauchi, Alex Bezzina, Daniel Vella, Jesmond Azzopardi, Mario Borg, Thomas Cauchi, Christine Dimech, Shawn Vella, Matt McKay, Christopher Spiteri, and Stefan Caruana. Caught your breath? What’s more, they’ve also recently put together ‘The Big Band Brothers Jnr’ – a 20-piece jazz orchestra made up of very talented upcoming musicians.

Chasing Pandora
Stretching out to Gozo, we’ve got the wonderful Chasing Pandora team made up of 5 members, Melissa Portelli, Keith Anthony, Ismael Azzopardi, Simon Vella, and Dru Mayer – although Melissa and Keith perform primarily as a vocal/acoustic guitar duo. Their debut album, ‘Mocking the Mocking Bird’ was highly successful, particularly with their song ‘Feel the Rain’ which topped radio charts in Malta and resonated across the islands.

Xtruppaw
Last but not least, there’s Xtruppaw – a raw, comical, and highly entertaining band that loves to tackle real-life with a somewhat tongue-in-cheek approach. Made up of 5 members; Jeffrey Galea, Noel Cuschieri, Marvin Zammit, Rex Grech Santucci, and Dino Mifsud Lepre, this band is making a comeback this June at Earth Garden after having been quiet for some time – and boy are we looking forward to it!

And there you have it, our list of the top 10 Maltese bands. It’s needless to say that all other bands and musicians are absolutely great, and we also encourage all aspiring musicians to take the leap and reach for the stars.

If you’re looking to take that first step, then come on over to Malta’s favourite music shop and take a look at our incredible range of instruments and equipment. Get in touch with us for more information, and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more updates.