The Skints are an English
reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
punk
Punk or punks may refer to:
Genres, subculture, and related aspects
* Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres
* Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
band from
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, described by Clash Music as "the torchbearers for modern British reggae music." The Skints mix
reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
,
ska
Ska (; ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walki ...
,
dub,
punk rock,
dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) "The Rou ...
,
soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...
, and
rap
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
, touring extensively across the UK,
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
and the United States. Their album ''Swimming Lessons'' (2019) debuted at number 1 on the Billboard reggae chart. Their original style of music has been described as "tropical punk".
History
Early years
The Skints formed as school friends at
Woodbridge High School (London)
Woodbridge High School is a co-educational secondary school located in Woodford Green in the London Borough of Redbridge, London, England.
The school's Headteacher is Steven Nethanial Hogan.
Woodbridge has over 1,900 pupils and over 160 memb ...
. The band hail from the
Leyton
Leyton () is a town in east London, England, within the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It borders Walthamstow to the north, Leytonstone to the east, and Stratford to the south, with Clapton, Hackney Wick and Homerton, across the River L ...
/
Walthamstow
Walthamstow ( or ) is a large town in East London, east London, England, within the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London and the Historic counties of England, ancient county of Essex. Situated northeast of Chari ...
and
South Woodford
South Woodford is an area of east London, England, within the London Borough of Redbridge. It adjoins Woodford Green to the north, Walthamstow to the west, Snaresbrook and Wanstead to the south and Redbridge to the east, and is north-east of ...
/
Woodford Woodford may refer to:
Places
Australia
*Woodford, New South Wales
*Woodford, Queensland, a town in the Moreton Bay Region
*Woodford, Victoria
Canada
* Woodford, Ontario
England
*Woodford, Cornwall
* Woodford, Gloucestershire
*Woodford, Greate ...
areas of northeast
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. They settled on the current line-up in May 2007. The Skints relentlessly gigged all over London's punk rock and squat party circuit before venturing out of the M25 to play their first self-booked DIY tour, alongside fellow east Londoners ClayPigeon in summer 2008. The band then released a six-track ska-punk/reggae EP on Do The Dog Music and were subsequently offered their first UK tour, as main support to
The King Blues
The King Blues are a British punk rock band from London credited for fusing punk and hip hop together with influences from ska and spoken word. Tariq Ali described the band's sounds as "rough, radical music that should unsettle the rulers of th ...
. This was extremely successful and allowed them to start making a name for themselves in the UK underground punk scene.
2009-2011: ''Live. Breathe. Build. Believe.''
Over the next year the band toured with the likes of
The Slackers
The Slackers are an American ska band, formed in Manhattan, New York in 1991. The band's sound is a mix of ska, rocksteady, reggae, dub, soul, garage rock, and jazz. The Slackers' notability is credited to their prolific career, tours of Nort ...
,
Sonic Boom Six
Sonic Boom Six (often shortened to SB6) are an English five-piece band from Manchester, United Kingdom. Their eclectic sound combines different elements of several genres and has been described by ''Kerrang!'' as "taking ska, pop, grime, dubs ...
,
The Aggrolites
The Aggrolites are an American reggae band from Los Angeles, California, United States, which formed in 2002.
Overview
The Aggrolites are an amalgamation of two previous Los Angeles reggae and ska bands, the Vessels and the Rhythm Doctors. Th ...
and
Random Hand
Random Hand is a British ska band, formed in Keighley in 2002. Their sound fuses influences from many genres, including ska, reggae, punk rock, Heavy metal music, metal, Hip hop music, hip hop and Dub music, dub. The band is typically associated ...
.
Recorded by
Peter Miles, the debut album ''Live.Breathe.Build.Believe'' was initially released on 9 November 2009 and contains 10 tracks (plus one hidden track) mixing reggae, ska and dub with a thrash of hardcore punk rock. Recording was done in 5 days, with an extra 2 days allowed for mixing.
The band's first headline UK run started with a sold out show at Camden Barfly. In January 2010 the band were featured on the
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
Punk Show with
Mike Davies and toured the UK with
Random Hand
Random Hand is a British ska band, formed in Keighley in 2002. Their sound fuses influences from many genres, including ska, reggae, punk rock, Heavy metal music, metal, Hip hop music, hip hop and Dub music, dub. The band is typically associated ...
,
Chris Murray and
Mouthwash
Mouthwash, mouth rinse, oral rinse, or mouth bath is a liquid which is held in the mouth passively or swilled around the mouth by contraction of the perioral muscles and/or movement of the head, and may be gargling, gargled, where the head is ti ...
as the "Rebel Alliance Tour".
''Live.Breathe.Build.Believe'' was re-released through their publisher, Bomber Music, in June 2010. They then toured Germany for the first time with
The Slackers
The Slackers are an American ska band, formed in Manhattan, New York in 1991. The band's sound is a mix of ska, rocksteady, reggae, dub, soul, garage rock, and jazz. The Slackers' notability is credited to their prolific career, tours of Nort ...
and played extensively across the UK that summer, culminating in their first appearance on The Lock Up Stage at
Reading and Leeds Festivals
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. The Reading Festiv ...
.
A seven-inch picture disc vinyl single, "Up Against The Wall" was released on Seven Inch Records in October 2010, featuring a
dub version
Dub is an electronic music, electronic musical style that grew out of reggae in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It is commonly considered a subgenre of reggae, though it has developed to extend beyond that style.Dub: soundscapes and shattered so ...
by prolific dub producer
Mad Professor
Mad Professor (born Neil Joseph Stephen Fraser, 1955, Georgetown, Guyana) is a Guyanese-born British dub music producer and engineer known for his original productions and remix work. He is considered one of the leading producers of dub music ...
.
Shortly afterwards the band embarked on a 5 week tour of the UK consisting of headline shows (including a sell out at the
Camden Underworld
Camden Underworld is a music venue in Camden Town, London, England. The venue is a part of the World's End pub, situated in the basement of the building. It has a capacity of 500 people.
History
Over the years The Underworld has become the ...
) and two separate support runs with
Bedouin Soundclash
Bedouin Soundclash is a Canadian band based in Toronto and consisting of vocalist and guitarist Jay Malinowski, bass player Eon Sinclair and drummer Chuck Treece. Their sound has been described as a combination of reggae and ska. Bedouin Soundcla ...
and
Sublime with Rome
Sublime with Rome is a musical collaboration between Eric Wilson (bassist), Eric Wilson, formerly of the American ska punk band Sublime (band), Sublime, and singer and guitarist Rome Ramirez. The group's name is not only a reference to the singe ...
, respectively.
February 2011, The Skints supported
Reel Big Fish
Reel Big Fish is an American ska punk band from Orange County, California. The band gained mainstream recognition in the mid-to-late 1990s during the third wave of ska with the release of the gold-certified album ''Turn the Radio Off''. Soon af ...
on a 28-date tour of the UK and Europe.
2012-2014: ''Part & Parcel''
In April 2011 The Skints started a successful campaign through
Pledgemusic
PledgeMusic was an online direct-to-fan music platform, launched in August 2009. It was started to facilitate musicians looking to pre-sell, market, and distribute projects; such as recordings and concerts. It bore similarities to other artist p ...
to crowdfund their second album. That summer they recorded with
Mike "Prince Fatty" Pelanconi
Mike Pelanconi, better known under his record name Prince Fatty, is a British sound engineer and record producer.
Origin of Prince Fatty
In 2005, the clothing company Stüssy put together a line inspired by the vivid, rootsy styles of Jamai ...
as producer, as well as a host of festival appearances including Slam Dunk Festival and their first Boomtown Fair.
Autumn 2011, The Skints toured the UK supporting
Gym Class Heroes
Gym Class Heroes was an American rap rock band from Geneva, New York. The group formed in 1997 when Travie McCoy met drummer Matt McGinley during their high school gym class. The band's music displays a wide variety of influences, including hip h ...
.
In January 2012, The Skints announced the title and release date of the album to be "Part & Parcel", released officially by Bomber Music on 12 March 2012. The Skints collaborated with British dancehall MC Parly B on the album. They opened for British
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band
You Me at Six
You Me at Six are an English rock band from Weybridge, Surrey. The band consists of lead singer Josh Franceschi, guitarists Max Helyer and Chris Miller, bassist Matt Barnes and drummer Daniel Flint. Formed in 2004, the name for the group origin ...
on their UK tour in March 2012, which also had sets played by
Mayday Parade
Mayday Parade is an American Rock music, rock band from Tallahassee, Florida. Their debut EP ''Tales Told by Dead Friends'' was released in 2006, and sold over 50,000 copies without any label support. In July 2007, Mayday Parade released their de ...
and
Kids In Glass Houses
Kids in Glass Houses are a Welsh rock band from Cardiff. The band's name was inspired by the lyrics "not throwing stones at you anymore" from the Glassjaw song "Tip Your Bartender". The band achieved success on the strength of the singles " Gi ...
.
In May 2012, the band’s splitter van was stolen on a day off between shows from outside guitarist Josh Waters Rudge’s home, containing all their equipment.
Banquet Records
Banquet Records is a record shop in Kingston upon Thames, Greater London. Formerly part of the Beggars Banquet Records retail chain, it became fully independent in 2002. It stocks a broad range of music on both vinyl and CD. The establishment is ...
helped the band out by putting on a benefit show for the band to play in Kingston, with all proceeds going towards new equipment.
In October 2012 The Skints did a 10 headline date tour of the UK, in support of ''Part & Parcel'', selling out every show and ending at an oversold
Scala in London.
May 2013 they followed this up with a 21-show-in-19-day headline run which so them headline London's
KOKO (music venue)
KOKO (previously called The Music Machine and Camden Palace) is a concert venue and former theatre in Camden Town, London, England. The building was known as Camden Palace from 1982 until its 2004 purchase and extensive restoration, led by Oliv ...
with new single "Out My Mind".
''Part & Parcel'' was released in France on 29 January 2013 on Soulbeats Records. This launched the band into 2 years of heavy touring across France, including a main stage performance at
Reggae Sun Ska Festival replacing
Chronixx
Jamar Rolando McNaughton (born 10 October 1992), popularly known as Chronixx, is a Jamaican reggae artist. His stage name replaced the name "Little Chronicle" which he was given because of his father, the singer "Chronicle".Jackson, Kevin (2014) ...
, who was delayed due to tour bus problems.
2014 saw the release of the "Short Change EP" on their own label, Penny Drop Recordings, a heavy festival summer and support slots with
Fat Freddy’s Drop
Fat Freddy's Drop is a New Zealand seven-piece band from Wellington, whose musical style has been characterised as any combination of dub, reggae, soul, jazz, rhythm and blues, and techno. Originally a jam band formed in the late 1990s by mus ...
in
Utrecht
Utrecht ( , , ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city and a List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality of the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, pro ...
and
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
and
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes (often shortened to just Me First or the Gimmes) are a punk rock supergroup and cover band that formed in San Francisco in 1995. The band's lineup consists of Spike Slawson, Fat Mike, Joey Cape, and Dave Raun. Ch ...
in the UK.
The Skints then entered the studio with Prince Fatty to begin work on their third LP.
2015-2017: ''FM''
The Skints released "FM" on 9 March 2015 after signing a one-album deal with
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
independent reggae label
Easy Star Records
Easy Star Records is an American independent record label founded in 1996. Based in New York City, the label primarily produces and releases albums in the genres of reggae and dub.
The label has had multiple albums chart at No. 1 on the ''Bill ...
. A
concept album
A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
of sorts (virtually unheard of in the reggae/ska genre), FM is set on a fictional
pirate radio
Pirate radio or a pirate radio station is a radio station that broadcasts without a valid license.
In some cases, radio stations are considered legal where the signal is transmitted, but illegal where the signals are received—especially w ...
station on the "hottest day of the year" in London, the three featured MCs across the album (
Tippa Irie
Tippa Irie (born Anthony Henry, 1965, London, England) is a British reggae singer and DJ from Brixton, South London. He first came to prominence in the early 1980s as an MC on the South London reggae soundsystem Saxon Studio International.
He fir ...
, Horseman and Rival) play the station’s DJs in the album’s skits, as well as an appearance from English comedian
Rufus Hound
Rufus Hound (born Robert James Blair Simpson 6 March 1979) is an English actor, comedian and presenter.
Early life
Hound was born on 6 March 1979, in Essex and moved to Surrey at the age of seven. He was educated at Hoe Bridge School Woking ...
. The Skints have said they were inspired by
Songs For The Deaf
''Songs for the Deaf'' is the third studio album by the American rock band Queens of the Stone Age, released on August 27, 2002 by Interscope Records. It features guest musicians including drummer Dave Grohl, and was the last Queens of the Stone ...
by
Queens Of The Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age (commonly abbreviated QOTSA) is an American rock band formed in 1996 in Palm Desert, California. The band was founded by vocalist and guitarist Josh Homme, who has been the only constant member throughout multiple line- ...
and the
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, has produced more than 35 films since 1983. He made his directorial debut ...
movie,
Do The Right Thing
''Do the Right Thing'' is a 1989 American comedy-drama film produced, written, and directed by Spike Lee. It stars Lee, Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Richard Edson, Giancarlo Esposito, Bill Nunn, John Turturro, and Samuel L. Jackson, a ...
in regards to the album’s audio-theatrical concept.
''FM'' reached number 5 on the ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' Reggae Albums chart and number 7 on the Independent Albums Chart in the UK.
Touring was kicked off with a 4 week headline run in Europe and the UK with support from
Hollie Cook
Hollie Cook (born 1987, West London, England) is a British singer and keyboardist. She was part of the final line-up of all-female punk/reggae band the Slits. From 2010, Cook has also had a career as solo artist working with producer and songwr ...
, culminating in a headline show at
Shepherd’s Bush Empire.
The band then flew to the USA for their first ever American tour which including supporting
Easy Star All-Stars
Easy Star All-Stars is a reggae collective founded in 1997 by Michael Goldwasser, Eric Smith, Lem Oppenheimer and Remy Gerstein of New York City-based Easy Star Records. The band is known for its reinterpretations of classic albums in reggae styl ...
and
Fishbone
Fishbone is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1979, that plays a fusion of ska, punk, funk, metal, reggae, and soul. AllMusic has described the group as "one of the most distinctive and eclectic alternative rock bands of the late ' ...
on the East Coast and flying to the West for their first
Cali Roots and a Punk Rock Bowling side show supporting
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones (informally referred to as The Bosstones and often stylized as The Mighty Mighty BossToneS) were an American ska punk band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1983. From the band's inception, lead vocalist Dicky ...
and
The English Beat
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
.
In 2016 The Skints travelled the USA a further 4 times,
Tribal Seeds
Tribal Seeds is an American reggae band based in San Diego that was formed in 2005 by the Jacobo brothers, singer Steven Rene and producer Tony-Ray.
Biography Formation (2003–2005)
From San Diego, California, award-winning reggae group Trib ...
‘Winter Reggae Land’ Tour in January/February, a May/June tour featuring West Coast dates with
The Expanders
The Expanders are an American roots reggae band from Los Angeles, California.
Biography Formation and Self-titled album
The Expanders formed in Los Angeles, California in the summer of 2003. The band's sound is influenced by vintage 1970s and ...
and
Morgan Heritage
Morgan Heritage is a Grammy-winning Jamaican reggae band formed in 1994 by five children of reggae artist Denroy Morgan, namely Peter "Peetah" Morgan, Una Morgan, Roy "Gramps" Morgan, Nakhamyah "Lukes" Morgan, and Memmalatel "Mr. Mojo" Morgan. ...
and an October East Coast tour supporting
Sublime With Rome
Sublime with Rome is a musical collaboration between Eric Wilson (bassist), Eric Wilson, formerly of the American ska punk band Sublime (band), Sublime, and singer and guitarist Rome Ramirez. The group's name is not only a reference to the singe ...
, taking them to
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
for the first time. They ended the year with a sold out headline show at the
Knitting Factory
The Knitting Factory is a nightclub in New York City that features eclectic music and entertainment. After opening in 1987, various other locations were opened in the United States.
The Knitting Factory gave its audience poetry readings, perform ...
in Brooklyn,
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones (informally referred to as The Bosstones and often stylized as The Mighty Mighty BossToneS) were an American ska punk band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1983. From the band's inception, lead vocalist Dicky ...
Hometown Throwdown Hometown Throwdown is an annual music festival held in Greater Boston. It is hosted by the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. The festival features local Boston-area acts, focusing on ska, punk and hardcore bands. The festival is traditionally held in De ...
in Boston and a New Year’s Eve show with Sublime With Rome in Pennsylvania.
2016 saw the band host their own pop-up party/mini festival "Nice Time London" in
Hackney which featured live performances from Jamaican rising star
Jesse Royal
Jesse Te Ahukaramu Royal (born 22 March 1980) is a professional rugby league footballer from New Zealand who currently plays for the Kurri Kurri Bulldogs in the Newcastle Rugby League. He has previously played in the NRL for the Newcastle Knigh ...
and
New Kingston
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley Internat ...
and full sound system session on the other side of the room from Reggae Roast.
That year The Skints also joined the
Fireball "Fuelling The Fire" tour alongside
Less Than Jake
Less Than Jake is an American ska punk band from Gainesville, Florida, formed in 1992. The band consists of Chris DeMakes (guitars, vocals), Roger Lima (bass, vocals), Matt Yonker (drums), Buddy Schaub (trombone), and Peter "JR" Wasilewski (saxoph ...
and
Mariachi El Bronx
Mariachi (, , ) is a genre of regional Mexican music that dates back to at least the 18th century, evolving over time in the countryside of various regions of western Mexico. The usual mariachi group today consists of as many as eight violins, t ...
across the UK’s O2 Academy venues.
In 2017 they collaborated with Signature Brew to produce "Nice Time" pale ale, stocking it in venues across the UK which they subsequently sold out with their own shows.
The band flew back to North America for
Victoria Ska Fest in Canada and a USA summer tour opening for
311 311 may refer to:
* 311 (number), a natural number
* AD 311, a year of the Julian calendar, in the fourth century AD
* 311 BC, a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar
* 311 (band), an American band
** ''311'' (album), band 311's self-titled album
...
.
Autumn saw them tour Japan with
Asian Man Records
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
legends
Kemuri
Kemuri (Japanese for ''smoke'') is a Japanese-American ska punk band formed in Oxnard, California in 1995. They have an upbeat sound with positive lyrics which they refer to as PMA (positive mental attitude). While the majority of their songs a ...
and Bruce Lee Band before coming home to write their next full length record.
2018-present: ''Swimming Lessons''
In 2018, The Skints entered the Fish Factory in
Harlesden
Harlesden is a district in the London Borough of Brent, North West London.
Located north of the Grand Union Canal and Wormwood Scrubs, the Harrow Road flows through the centre of the area which goes eastwards to Central London and west towards ...
, London to begin work on the follow up to "FM". With a view to "push all ends of the spectrum of what The Skints music is and can be", the band headed production and creative vision and enlisted engineer Ben Lamdin (Nostalgia 77) to record the majority of the instrumentation, with Jack Longman covering additional vocal recording and production. During sessions, the band went to their first album producer
Peter Miles in Devon to record the "heavier rock moments" of the album, before delivering the project to Prince Fatty who mixed the album at Jah Dub Studios in
Si Racha District, Thailand.
Spending the majority of 2018 in the studio, the band emerged to play a handful of festivals including Slam Dunk Festival,
Summerjam
Summerjam is a European reggae festival. It takes places annually in July at the ''Fühlinger See'', which is a lake located in Cologne, Germany. The event usually attracts an audience of between 25,000 and 30,000 people. Two stages and two tents ...
, Boomtown Fair and a sold out
O2 Brixton Academy
Brixton Academy (originally known as the Astoria Variety Cinema, previously known as Carling Academy Brixton, currently named O2 Academy Brixton as part of a sponsorship deal with the O2 brand) is a mid-sized concert venue located in South Wes ...
as main support to Californian punk legends
NOFX
NOFX () is an American punk rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1983. Vocalist/bassist Fat Mike, guitarist Eric Melvin and drummer Erik Sandin are original founding and longest-serving members of the band, who have appeared on every ...
.
‘Learning To Swim’ was the first new single, accompanied by a video directed by Tom Sykes at Drop Drop Clothing’s warehouse in Sheffield. A song about Marcia Richards coping with the loss of her younger sister Roanna, the verses see the band playing in a steppers
lovers rock
Lovers' rock is a style of reggae music noted for its romantic sound and content. While love songs had been an important part of reggae since the late 1960s, the style was given a greater focus and a name in London in the mid-1970s.Larkin, Col ...
reggae style, before breaking out into a heavy guitar-driven rock chorus.
Before flying out to Florida for the
311 311 may refer to:
* 311 (number), a natural number
* AD 311, a year of the Julian calendar, in the fourth century AD
* 311 BC, a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar
* 311 (band), an American band
** ''311'' (album), band 311's self-titled album
...
Caribbean Cruise 2019, it was announced that The Skints fourth album would be titled "Swimming Lessons" and released 10 May 2019 on
Easy Star Records
Easy Star Records is an American independent record label founded in 1996. Based in New York City, the label primarily produces and releases albums in the genres of reggae and dub.
The label has had multiple albums chart at No. 1 on the ''Bill ...
(North/South America) and Brighton-based label
Mr Bongo Records
Mr Bongo is a British, Brighton based independent record label, independent film and publishing company specialising in world music and art house/world cinema.
History
Founded in 1989, in Berwick Street, London, the label later moved to L ...
(Rest of World).
Lyrically their darkest and most introspective release to date, Swimming Lessons sees The Skints go from heavy rubadub, to blistering punk, to
chiptune
Chiptune, also known as chip music or 8-bit music, is a style of synthesized electronic music made using the programmable sound generator (PSG) sound chips or synthesizers in vintage arcade machines, computers and video game consoles.
The t ...
-influenced dancehall beats, to harmony laden soul. Whilst the band experimented with more guitar driven styles of music, all three featured artists across the album were from Jamaica; Runkus,
Jesse Royal
Jesse Te Ahukaramu Royal (born 22 March 1980) is a professional rugby league footballer from New Zealand who currently plays for the Kurri Kurri Bulldogs in the Newcastle Rugby League. He has previously played in the NRL for the Newcastle Knigh ...
and Grammy-nominated vocalist,
Protoje
Oje Ken Ollivierre (born 14 June 1981), popularly known as Protoje, is a contemporary reggae singer and songwriter from Jamaica. His mother is Jamaican singer Lorna Bennett, best known for her 1972 rendition of "Breakfast in Bed".Johnson, Ric ...
.
‘Restless’ featuring Protoje was the next video, released the same week as Swimming Lessons, and saw the band acting as "the world’s worst news station", a single non-breaking, all-in-one shot with
Protoje
Oje Ken Ollivierre (born 14 June 1981), popularly known as Protoje, is a contemporary reggae singer and songwriter from Jamaica. His mother is Jamaican singer Lorna Bennett, best known for her 1972 rendition of "Breakfast in Bed".Johnson, Ric ...
appearing as the "foreign correspondent."
"Swimming Lessons" has proved to be the band’s best received record to date, debuted at number 1 on the reggae
Billboard charts
The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in '' Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, p ...
in the USA, number 1 Independent Album Breakers Chart, number 4 Independent Record Store Sales Chart and number 6 on Vinyl Album Chart in the UK.
Shortly after release, The Skints were invited by legendary British reggae DJ legend
David Rodigan
David Michael "Ram Jam" Rodigan MBE OD (born 24 June 1951) is a British radio DJ who also performs as a disc jockey. Known for his selections of reggae and dancehall music, he has played on stations including Radio London, Capital 95.8, Kiss ...
to be interviewed on his
BBC Radio 1xtra
BBC Radio 1Xtra is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It broadcasts black music and urban music, including hip hop and R&B and is a sister station to Radio 1. Launching at 18:00 on 16 August 2002, it had been cod ...
, who praised the songwriting and diversity of Swimming Lessons, as well as the band’s journey and work ethic, which was followed up with a live session at BBC
Maida Vale Studios
Maida Vale Studios is a complex of seven BBC sound studios, of which five are in regular use, in Delaware Road, Maida Vale, west London.
It has been used to record thousands of classical music, popular music and drama sessions for BBC Radio 1, ...
.
BBC Radio 6 Music
BBC Radio 6 Music is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC, specialising primarily in alternative music. BBC 6 Music was the first national music radio station to be launched by the BBC in 32 years. It is available onl ...
also showed support for Swimming Lessons, making it ‘Album Of The Day’ upon release and playlisting ‘Armageddon’ ft. Runkus that summer.
May and June 2019 the band returned to Cali Roots Festival and made their main stage debut at Punk Rock Bowling before embarking on their first headline tour of the American West Coast, including shows at Los Angeles’
Echoplex
The Echoplex is a tape delay effect, first made in 1959. Designed by Mike Battle, the Echoplex set a standard for the effect in the 1960s—it is still regarded as "the standard by which everything else is measured." It was used by some of the ...
and The Casbah in San Diego.
The Skints headed out for a month on the road across Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and the UK for their biggest headlining tour to date, including a 1500-capacity sold out hometown show at
Electric Brixton
The Fridge was a nightclub in the Brixton area of South London, England, founded, in 1981, by Andrew Czezowski and Susan Carrington, who had run the The Roxy (Covent Garden), Roxy during punk music's heyday in 1977. The Fridge closed on 17 ...
. Support on the UK dates came from long time friends of the band
Bedouin Soundclash
Bedouin Soundclash is a Canadian band based in Toronto and consisting of vocalist and guitarist Jay Malinowski, bass player Eon Sinclair and drummer Chuck Treece. Their sound has been described as a combination of reggae and ska. Bedouin Soundcla ...
from Toronto.
January 2020 the band made their debut UK TV appearance as guests on
CBeebies
CBeebies is a British free-to-air public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all BBC content for children aged 6 years and under. Its sister channel CBBC is aimed at older childr ...
show "YolanDa’s Band Jam". Hosted by
YolanDa Brown
YolanDa Faye Brown (born 4 October 1982) is a British saxophonist, composer, and broadcaster. Her musical sound is a fusion of reggae, jazz and soul. In 2022 she was appointed chair of the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).
Early life and ...
, the show consists of YolanDa inviting musical guests to play along with a live audience of children aged five to seven.
The Skints were invited as special guests to tour with
Hellcat Records
Hellcat Records is an independent record label based in Los Angeles, California. The label, an offshoot of Epitaph Records, was started as a partnership between Brett Gurewitz of Bad Religion, the owner of Epitaph, and Tim Armstrong of Rancid ...
LA band
The Interrupters
''The Interrupters'' is a 2011 documentary film, produced by Kartemquin Films, that tells the story of three violence interrupters who try to protect their Chicago communities from the violence they once employed. It examines a year in which Chi ...
UK tour throughout January/February, before releasing an animated music video for their controversial anti-Brexit song, "The Island".
Touring and work ethic
The Skints are renowned for their heavy touring ethic and despite a lack of attention from mainstream media outlets, have gained a sizeable cult following over time.
To date, The Skints have toured in the United Kingdom, The United States, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Slovakia, Luxembourg, Poland, the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, Belgium, Switzerland, the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
,
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
,
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
,
Réunion
Réunion (; french: La Réunion, ; previously ''Île Bourbon''; rcf, label= Reunionese Creole, La Rényon) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department and region of France. It is located approximately east of the island ...
,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
and
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
.
The band have also never signed with a major record label and have instead opted to do one-album licensing deals with independent record companies in order to retain rights and creative freedom.
Musical style and influences
The Skints are known for their stylistic diversity across genres and tempos, and have the unique feature of three different
lead vocalist
The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of t ...
s in the group. While the very early inception of the band was rooted in a ska-punk style, The Skints have evolved to envelop the full range of influences from Jamaica from traditional ska, to rubadub, dub and dancehall plus British grime music, soul, pop and hardcore punk.
Influences for ''Swimming Lessons'' have been cited as far reaching as
Bad Brains
Bad Brains are an American rock band formed in Washington, D.C. in 1976. Originally a jazz fusion band under the name Mind Power, they are widely regarded as pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members have objected to the use of this ...
,
Popcaan
Andrae Hugh Sutherland (born 19 July 1988), known professionally as Popcaan, is a Jamaican singer.
In 2008, Popcaan joined Vybz Kartel's Gaza Music Empire. In 2010, he released his breakthrough international hit "Clarks" with Kartel, an ode t ...
,
No Doubt
No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California, formed in 1986. For most of their career, the band has consisted of vocalist Gwen Stefani, guitarist Tom Dumont, bassist Tony Kanal, and drummer Adrian Young. Since the mid-1990s, they ...
,
,
Michael Prophet
Michael George Haynes (3 March 1957 – 16 December 2017), known professionally as Michael Prophet, was a Jamaican roots reggae singer known for his "crying" tenor vocal style, whose recording career began in 1977. Prophet was one of Jamaica’s ...
,
Wiley
Wiley may refer to:
Locations
* Wiley, Colorado, a U.S. town
*Wiley, Pleasants County, West Virginia, U.S.
* Wiley-Kaserne, a district of the city of Neu-Ulm, Germany
People
* Wiley (musician), British grime MC, rapper, and producer
* Wiley Mill ...
and
Weezer
Weezer is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1992. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Rivers Cuomo (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Patrick Wilson (drums, backing vocals), Scott Shriner (bass guitar, keyboards, backing v ...
.
Their style has been referred to as "East London Reggae" and "music from Jamaica in a London style."
More recently they have used the term "tropical punk" to describe their sound which started as a joke in the studio with Prince Fatty in reference to friend Hollie Cook; "if Hollie’s tropical pop then this album is tropical punk!"
Band members
*Jamie Kyriakides – vocals, drums, guitar
*Joshua Waters Rudge – vocals, guitar
*Jonathan Doyle – bass guitar
*Marcia Richards – vocals, keyboards,
alto saxophone
The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments. Saxophones were invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in the 1840s and patented in 1846. The alto saxophone is pitched in E, smaller than the B tenor ...
,
melodica
The melodica is a handheld free-reed instrument similar to a pump organ or harmonica. It features a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument. The keyboard usual ...
, flute, guitar,
sampler
Discography
Albums
EPs
References
External links
The Skints - HomeLive: Tribal Seeds, The Skints & The Steppas (1-21-16) « The Pier Magazine
{{DEFAULTSORT:Skints, The
British reggae musical groups
English punk rock groups
Musical groups from London
Reggae fusion groups