Ian Bermingham has garnered a reputation for ploughing his own furrow, first as frontman of gypsy-folk powerhouse ‘The Eskies’ and now as a solo entity, under the nom de guerre ‘Old Sea Legs’ with a genre-bending, un-pigeonhole-able sound that defies both trend and tradition.
Swaggering along atop an unorthodox bed of clicks, thumps and rattles; his latest offering ‘These Old Bones’ is timeless and nomadic, dynamic and cinematic, instantly familiar and yet totally singular in exactly the way fans of Ian’s have come to expect.
Sonically, this is exciting new territory for the Dubliner; part-Morricone, part-Waits with a dash of latter-day Dylan, there is an enormous sense of space and scale, while also managing to occasionally pull you close to whisper in your ear.
Bermingham is no ordinary songwriter, Old Sea Legs no ordinary project, and – true to form – These Old Bones is no ordinary bit of folk.
“These Old Bones is a song about being resigned to your fate, but making one last desperate plea to go out on your own terms. To be granted permission to at least go on and forge another path for yourself. To be given the chance to try again and be defined by something other than loss. If you are going to be turned loose, to be turned loose in some place that at least bears the possibility of new opportunities. I am excited to finally share it.” – OSL
Crawling with vivid imagery and colourful characters, a timeless tangle of tongue-twisting, brain-burrowing lyrics that can swing from breathless barrage to lilting lament – at times without a moments notice – ’Old Sea Legs’ is more than just a nom de guerre for songwriter and performer Ian Bermingham; it’s a window into a world entirely of his own creation.
Best known for his time as frontman of Dublin quintet ‘The Eskies’, known for their raucous live shows, acid wit and hectic touring schedule, appearances of note include main stage appearances at Glastonbury and Cambridge Folk Festival, Eurosonic Noordeslag, Celtic Connections, TV appearances on RTE’s Saturday Night Show as well as several radio appearances on both RTÉ and BBC as well as a whole host of national and regional radio in Ireland, The UK and throughout Europe.
Ian Bermingham has developed a reputation as a truly singular writer and performer, with a sound that very often defies description. Folk, gypsy, shanty, vaudeville, alternative, noir, the list of attempts to describe could go on and on without ever fully doing justice to what truly is a completely unique artist, ploughing a furrow that defies both trend and tradition.
Displaying all of the storytelling nous and craft of the quintessential folk troubadour, the melodic ear of a pop pioneer and the lyrical largesse that has become so synonymous with Ian’s songwriting, ‘Old Sea Legs’ see’s the Dubliner push himself to new and exciting territory as a solo performer, with a sound that manages to be both expansive and intimate.
2021 saw Old Sea Legs squeeze in a 20 date UK Tour in association with Midnight Mango, and a sold out show in Whelans of Wexford Street. 2022 will see the release of his debut album ‘The Death Of Old Sea Legs’ on Jawdropper Records with worldwide distribution through INgrooves ‘The Eskies’ play a special gig in Whelans of Wexford Street on 19th Feb 2022 (sold out in 4 hours) and then Old Sea Legs embarks on another 20 date UK tour to promote his debut album which is due for release on April 29th.
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