Andy Zukowski, Peter 'Badger' West and David Alleyn, collectively known as The SKEPTICS, are a North Oxfordshire based, male a-cappella trio, widely known for our creative harmonies and distinctive style. 

With our musical roots firmly planted in a variety of genres including folk, rock, jazz and choral, we came together in 2009 via a shared desire to bring something different to the folk canon whilst honouring its traditions and heritage. 

As regular performers at several regional festivals including Folk Weekend Oxford, BunkFest, Cropredy Fringe and Banbury Folk Festival, and delighting audiences of all ages, we have steadily built up a reputation as the perfect act for any occasion with our quirky entertaining performances.

With 3 albums already released, and another in the pipeline, The SKEPTICS audio recordings span an eclectic mix of songs and styles, including everything from Blur to Bagpuss and Bluegrass to The Bahamas … all of which perfectly encapsulates our passion for mixing the traditional with the unexpected.

So, whether you catch The SKEPTICS at a live gig, watch our curated selection of videos on YouTube, or listen to our audio recordings on SoundCloud, you’ll be amazed at the wide range of genres we can “Skepticise” into folk/rock fusion!.

“Their carefully honed three-part harmonies are a joy to hear and they are also great fun to watch!”

Banbury Folk Festival

“You sound great – please can you go away?”

Jan Ravens (Star of BBC’s Dead Ringers)

"The Skeptics were a real laugh, but with genuine singing talent behind them. You haven't heard singing until you've heard a folk version of 'Louie Louie' by three guys in Hawaiian shirts. Brilliant!"

Claire Dodd, Oxford Daily Info

"Anybody who has seen this Hawaiian-shirted, North Oxfordshire a-cappella trio live will know that they are very much a force of nature.  It’s this gusto and energy that they bring to their Christmas album, Counting The Days. Mixing the sacred and the secular, the serious with the frivolous, the chaps tackle familiar carols – ‘Coventry Carol’, ‘Huron Carol’, and “The Boars Head Carol’ – alongside more humorous material - the title track is a doo wop take on a 1980s Sesame Street song. Many seasonal favourites, such as ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman’, ‘The Holly and the Ivy’, and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas’, are present and correct, but there is less familiar stuff, such as the stand-out version of Lindisfarne’s ‘Winter Song’. All of which feature the trademark harmonies and expert arrangements that you’d expect from such experienced performers. Certainly, as good a way as any to kick off the festivities."

Jonathan Roscoe, Shire Folk No.158