The Eskies

The Eskies are a five-piece folk act from Ireland. They play a mix that draws on folk noir, gypsy jazz and sea shanty traditions, with songs and arrangements that move between sea-soaked waltz, Italian tarantella, brassy funeral march-style laments, Klezmer-inspired dance tunes, chain gang hollers and ragtime finger-snapping numbers.

The group presents this material with melodrama and a tongue-in-cheek approach, and its performances are known for a swaggering stage style. The Eskies perform in ballrooms and boozehouses and are associated with social occasions where their music is used to shift the atmosphere and encourage dancing.