Socks in the Frying Pan, besides having one of the singularly great band names in music history, are the purveyors of fine Irish spirits. No, they aren’t pouring pints of Guinness or serving up shots of Jameson during their sets. Yet, what this triumvirate from County Clare does do is bring the finest sounds of the Emerald Isle to the world when they hit the road. Their sounds embody the rollicking good times of a pub on a Friday night as well as the soul and sincerity of a reflective sojourn through the misty landscape of the Irish countryside.
Recently, we caught up Shane Hayes, accordionist and founding member of Socks in the Frying Pan, about the band’s origin story, why the U.S. loves Irish music, plans for 2026, and more as they get set to hit the Jersey Shore (no strangers to their love of all things Irish) this weekend.
Let’s start off with the layup, the one everyone asks. Please tell us the origin story of the band’s name, because let’s be honest here, Socks in the Frying Pan is an amazing name.
(Laughs). Ya, everyone asks, no one is told!! Our policy is that the last surviving member can whisper it as their final words on their deathbed!
The last album the band dropped was 2024’s Waiting for Inspiration. Can we expect any new music on the horizon from the band?
We’re still paying for the therapy sessions after recording that one, but yes! In the future we’ll surely keep adding to the ether.
You’re on a tour that’s taking you across the United States in February and March. Can you talk about the response you get from American audiences to your distinctly Irish sound.
We love coming on tour stateside! We have several sold out shows and several more approaching that, so we’re really feeling the love! It’s not just a St. Patrick’s Day thing though-we feel the love the whole year round, and so that’s exactly what we try to give back.
Also, do you have any theories as to why Americans gravitate towards the type of traditional Irish music you produce?
I think Irish music is great music to make you feel like dancing. It’s very hard not to listen to it without tapping your foot and feeling the want of jumping up out of your seat! We play what we love, and we love what we play, and I think the audience picks up on that and it’s kind of infectious.
For someone who might be coming out to see you for the first time, or maybe just want to add a Socks in the Frying Pan to their playlist – which song(s) would you recommend and why?
I think our albums are all varied so it’s hard to pick any one track. We bring three different approaches and so each album is a blend. Try a few songs and pick your own favourite is my advice.
You’ve all been performing together since 2014. What is that you love about being in this band as you have dedicated over a decade of your life to it?
We’ve been touring the states since 2014, but we’ve been playing together since 2008! Nearly two decades! Maybe it’s Stockholm syndrome at this stage haha. I guess there are just moments and adventures that are so much fun, people you meet and stories you hear, places you see. It’s often a slog, but it’s the moments that make it all worth it. We have stories enough to tell for a lifetime.
What are five things you’re excited for Socks in the Frying Pan in 2026?
Making more moments and memories on our Spring and Summer tours. Welcoming our American friends on our bus trips back on our side of the pond-to both Ireland and Italy! Meeting old friends along the road. Making new ones. Pausing for a moment before each gig to reflect on how cool this all is, and trying to tell 16 year old me of all the adventuring he’d be doing in time to come!
Socks in the Frying Pan perform at The Grunin Center for the Arts on the campus of Ocean County College in Toms River, NJ on Saturday March 7. Click here for tickets.
