Considering I have no lyrics to go by, I almost feel like I should say a few words of blessing before I completely butcher this, but here goes nothing... _The Different Bit_ is kind of an anomaly in the sense that it's a song most people seem to know, everyone seems to like, and yet somehow it has only accumulated 600 views on YouTube in the two years since it has been released. Even among the almost 250,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, _The Different Bit_ only has a modest 29k streams, as opposed to songs like Prawn Soup or Off My Nuttt, which boast a couple of million streams each. (And we won't even talk about some of the tracks from the Sick Sick Soul collaboration that almost double that!) To be fair, _The Different Bit_ doesn't have the same intensity as those songs, or even the same instantly identifiable hook that yanks you right in the moment it starts, but once it does get ahold of you it doesn't let go without a fight. This isn't a song that has something to prove to anyone, it's just solid and steady like the cornerstone of a good foundation. Those other songs might bring the roof down at a show, but songs like _The Different Bit_ are what allow the building to remain standing after the dust settles. It's songs like these that make me wonder about the events that inspired them. Assuming there were any at all, of course. In classic Skinner Brothers fashion, was this a case of a song that started with a melody and nonsensical lyrics being used as placeholders before eventually blossoming into the final product we hear today, or does _The Different Bit_ have a more personal message hidden betwixt its verses? Yes, that is a word, take it up with Merriam-Webster. Honestly, I could see it going either way with this one, and that’s what keeps the mystery alive. In a sense, it can mean whatever you want it to mean, even if what you want it to mean is nothing. That’s pretty deep… unless it isn’t. I don’t even know what is real anymore! What I do know is that this song is very catchy, and it has an entire personality of its own apart from the rest of the catalog. As an individual track, _The Different Bit_ even manages to stand apart on the very EP that shares its name. The soft, summery guitar is as gentle as a bird lighting on a branch, but still powerful enough to command your attention. Quite the contrast to the other songs on the EP, like the aforementioned Prawn Soup, or Death From Above that both carry a more raucous, punk rock vibe. Comparatively, _The Different Bit_ feels more like winding down after a night spent cheering and yelling at the barricade of a sold out show, and now it's finally time to use your inside voice for a while. Maybe that staggering difference is how it got its name? Something tells me probably not, but it had to have come from somewhere, and I do love to speculate. The drums in this song keep the energy rolling from beginning to end, and next thing you know you’ve replayed it 5 or 6 times without even realizing it… No seriously, I’ve been watching the views go up since I started writing this. I can't be the only person here who starts a song, goes on a little mental vacation while tapping along to the beat and then has to start it all over again because I wasn’t appreciating it fully the first time around. (That’s another reason why I hate Spotify, for the record. They won’t let me do that. I swear it is discrimination against space cadets everywhere!) I'm not entirely sure why I would need to restart _The Different Bit_ at all, though—I know that song like the back of my hand… Except for the lyrics, that is. Sure, some parts are obvious, but I’m fairly certain he’s not actually saying “Are you smoking spice”, is he? I Googled it, and apparently Spice (aka: synthetic marijuana) is a thing in the UK, so it's entirely possible that that is what is being said here. But if so, that paints a completely different picture of the song for anyone who is familiar with the potential side effects of Spice. I mean, it's basically one step removed from Bath Salts. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: if you can't trust your local Street Pharmacist, who can you trust? > Smoke packs so I croak my lines Again, I have no idea if that's actually what's being said here. But all I can think about is Marge's sisters in the Simpsons, Patty and Selma, with their exaggerated smoker's voices. If you've ever been in the presence of a life-long smoker, you'll know that 'croaking' is a fitting description of the way they sound– they're the human equivalent of a car with a hole in its muffler. And I don't think that's too much of a stretch considering the song goes on to say, “So much smoke it's hazy,” though at that point I feel like it's no longer cigarette smoke that's being referenced. Between the Spice and the weed smoke, it's no wonder the lyrics start to drift a little sideways, and next thing you know there's talk about “Bringing 'em down like Frankenstein.” But everyone knows that Frankenstein was a lover, not a fighter. They knew what they were doing when they made this movie, you can't change my mind 🥵😅 Anyway, before we get too into the weeds here, the important takeaway is that _The Different Bit_ is a fun, playful track that you need to listen to immediately if you haven't already heard it. Hell, go check it out even if you HAVE heard it, and let's see if we can get those numbers up to a respectable level! I think I've clicked on videos more than 600 times accidentally, so this should be easy. Warning: the following excerpt is definitely NOT the correct lyrics, but Grok tried it's best, poor little guy. I'm only including it here because the part where Zac very clearly says “Yeah I know I fuck up sometimes...” was somehow completely missed, and instead they threw a random “cunt” in there for absolutely no reason. It's like the AI recognized the British accent somehow and said “I may not know what the correct words are, but I know that this one must be in there somewhere.” Is that racist? Sorry, guys. I offer three “tsks” to a naughty, naughty Grok. > Shout on, it's a play > Tell a lot of them > Up, share me, show the ear off naturally > Baby, all the fellas singing definitely > Maybe I know a [cunt?] > Sometimes I smoke a pack so I quote my line ☘️🖤 We don't have a comments system enabled, mostly because we respect your privacy and we also don't want to potentially have to act as moderators on this site. But we'd still love you to talk to us! If you have any feedback on this post that you'd like to send us, or you simply want to say hello, click the button below! Click here to email us!

If you've been a fan of the Skinner Brothers for any length of time, you'll remember that the summer of 2025 was a magical era for music releases! Everything from Subtropical, to _Angel Sun_ , _Skinny Rasta_ , and the eventual release of Soul Boy V seemed to be happening right at that moment. And nestled in among the rest of those iconic tracks like some sort of sleeping giant was _Sleep When I'm Dead_. It has all the dark, gritty flavor of Black Sabbath, paired with some seriously heavy notes that hang in the air like smoke after a fire long after they've been played. You know how sometimes you discover a song at just the right moment, and it feels like it’s describing whatever is going on in your life at the time perfectly? Yeah, this one had me turning the house upside down searching for the hidden cameras. Zac’s generally lighthearted lyrics suddenly took an unexpected nosedive, and _Sleep When I’m Dead_ seems to navigate the toxic state of limbo that exists between loss and the peace that comes after the dust settles. If you've been there, you know exactly what I mean—your life gets turned on its head, and you have to take those first few clumsy steps toward whatever your ‘new normal’ will eventually look like, but you don’t even know where to begin. Your primal brain takes over, and you retreat to the corner to lick your wounds for a bit while you try to formulate a plan. Yeah, this is that— This song is survival mode. > Every night we fight, come to think of it I might be wasting all my days away with you It’s for that exact reason that I end up skipping this one a lot. Not because I don't like it—quite the opposite, actually. I love Sleep When I’m Dead, it’s probably one of my favorite releases from that time period. But man, is it a gut punch when you aren’t in the right headspace for it! Apart from the heavy lyrics, the deep bassline also sits right on your chest and makes you feel like you are suffocating. It's like you’re drowning in the middle of the ocean, but then the melodic guitar comes along and says “Look on the bright side, at least the sun is out!” like that is supposed to cheer you up. I will say this though, the transition from sadness and self-depreciation to doubling down with “I’ll tell them motherfuckers that I’ll sleep when I’m dead!” is swift and merciless. I'd go as far as to call it euphoric— The song snaps you out of the funk just as quickly as it put you there, and by the end of it you somehow feel more energized than you can remember feeling in days. Or maybe that’s just me, who knows. But long story short, this song will piss in your Cheerios and still have you reaching for the spoon anyway. > Forever talking never do, I’ve fallen out of love with you, I just think back to things we could have been The video feels like a walk down memory lane as well. I had mentioned in a previous article how strange it felt to look back on all the old videos (before Kian and Ooonit had become permanent fixtures), and it was just Zac out there playing all the different characters in the videos himself. Hell, I don't even think Noir was involved with these (I could be wrong?), I think it was literally just Zac and Claira doing it all themselves at this point. But despite the added production work, the video looks amazing. The fisheye lens gives it an oddly intimate feeling, like you're watching someone else's life play out through a crystal ball. And despite the number of times Zac has mentioned that playing the guitar is not his preference, it still looks like a natural extension of himself in every scene. Like Sweeney Todd with his razors or something. But then there's the guy in the car asking for directions! At about the 3:20ish mark you see Zac walking over and talking to a man who is pulled over in his vehicle. Maybe the man saw the video being filmed and got curious, but it appears that Zac is giving him directions somewhere. In the 9,000 times I've watched this video, I’ve never noticed that before! This man literally saw a random dude wandering around in a mask like Michael Myers and thought “Now this is a fella who knows where he’s going!” ...as one does. I'm just saying, that's a good way to get your picture on the back of a milk carton. But to be fair, the Skinner Brothers videos are always a trip like that, because it seems like the more you watch them the more you see. (Beyond the dude in the car, I mean.) Just the odd details that you never would have noticed if you weren't analyzing the video for some reason. Like the way the camera focuses on the word “exit” painted on the pavement at one point– which seems oddly fitting considering this song feels like one long goodbye. Still from the music video for Sleep When I'm Dead In fact, I got halfway through the song before I noticed that there were little flashes of a scene here and there that went by so quickly you could barely even register them. I slowed the video down as much as I could and was able to catch one— It's just a clip from a different part of the video (likely left there in error or as filler), but it's still kind of neat how they flash by in a fraction of a second like some sort of subliminal messaging. Why is the band not harnessing this power for evil, you ask? I wish I knew. I'd be hiding all sorts of weird stuff in there. The important takeaway here is that the Skinner Brothers have a song for every mood and occasion. From your brightest days to your darkest moments, there is an SB song to see you through to the other side. They're like the friends that see you crying and offer to help you hide the body before they even know what happened. And let's be honest– we could all use more friends like that in our lives, can't we? ☘️🖤 Lyrics from Bandcamp: Keep my head down when I walk, hear them monsters, let them talk. Man I'm feeling like a human wrecking ball. Lock me up, throw away the key, got me begging on my knees, I've been doing this for way too fucking long CHORUS Every night we fight, come to think of it have I been wasting all my days away with you? Say goodnight, too right, tell them all again we won't be backing down forever, that's the truth. Cause everywhere I go they lie, come against me turanomo you die. These suckers trying to get in my head, I tell them motherfuckers that I sleep when I'm dead. Sit in the corner, where I drink. My whole life gone in one blink. I'm a waste of space, a snake down in the grass. Forever talking, never do. I've fallen out of love with you. I just think back to the way we could have been CHORUS Every night we fight, come to think of it have I been wasting all my days away with you? Say goodnight, too right, tell them all again we won't be backing down forever, that's the truth. Cause everywhere I go they lie, come against me turanomo you die. These suckers trying to get in my head, I tell them motherfuckers that I sleep when I'm dead. We don't have a comments system enabled, mostly because we respect your privacy and we also don't want to potentially have to act as moderators on this site. But we'd still love you to talk to us! If you have any feedback on this post that you'd like to send us, or you simply want to say hello, click the button below! Click here to email us!

Those of you who are regular visitors to the SB Family Facebook Group and members of the SB Patreon will already know that last week we had some very sad news concerning a wonderful and extremely well loved member of The Skinner Brothers Family, Stephanie Ann Rickells. For those of you who aren't aware, our beautiful Steph has been diagnosed with late stage pancreatic cancer. In recent days we've also learnt that the cancer is sadly inoperable. This is not news that anyone wants to receive, let alone at such a young age (under 40) and with a young family to care for. Steph is a shining light in our community - always full of life, positivity and of course, crazy socks! She's quite the character and never fails to cheer up what might otherwise be dull days. She's loved by many of us, including both Jamey, myself and the whole modmin team of the Facebook group. A selection from the crazy odd sock collection. One of many, many reasons why Stephanie is loved by everyone! Even in the face of the big C, Steph is tackling this as we knew she would - with determination, grace and positivity. As one of our own, we want to do all that we can to help her fight this, and buy her as much time to spend with her family as humanly possible. Obviously, this is going to be a tough battle for Steph and her loved ones. It's a sad state of affairs, but anyone who has been through any kind of major health crisis will know that it doesn't just take a mental and physical toll, but a major financial one too. Coping with the expenses of daily life is difficult enough, but there will also be additional expenses for things like travelling for treatment. On top of this, there may come a time when her husband needs to temporarily give up work to help Stephanie. With that in mind, her family have set up a GoFundMe campaign. If you're willing and able to donate, we sincerely thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Every donation will make a difference, no matter how large or small. If you're unable to donate, sharing the link to the campaign and/or this post will also help enormously. The more people who see it, the greater the chance of reaching the campaign goal. Whether you're a member of the SB Family community or just a passer by with a kind heart and some spare cash, thank you so much if you've helped! I know I speak for Jamey too when I say that we're both so proud of the people in this community. There are many angels among us, and if you've donated or shared the link with others, you're one of those too. We're both sending lots of love, hugs and hope to Steph and her family, along with gratitude for anyone who has helped in any way. 🫶🙏❤️ * * * We don't have a comments system enabled, mostly because we respect your privacy and we also don't want to potentially have to act as moderators on this site. But we'd still love you to talk to us! If you have any feedback on this post that you'd like to send us, or you simply want to say hello, click the button below! Click here to email us!

Sometimes when I post a poll to choose the next Song of the Week it feels like a fierce competition right up until the timer runs out and the poll closes. It's pure chaotic uncertainty, and at times can feel very nerve wracking... But this was not one of those times. As soon as I saw Ctrl Alt Delete come up as one of the randomized selections, I almost didn't bother to roll the rest because in my mind it was already in the bag. And as the first song from the Sick Sick Soul EP to ever be rolled as a poll option, is it really any surprise? Between the song itself and the video, _Ctrl Alt Delete_ is definitely a fan favorite from that collaboration. It was the second track from _Sick Sick Soul_ to hit one million views, following closely on the heels of So The Story Goes which was released a week prior. Ah, yes—the glory days where we got to experience a new song from both the Skinner Brothers AND Ren every single week for six weeks straight. What a time to be alive! Personally, I had already been following the Skinner Brothers for some time when this EP was released, but Ren's ongoing health battles made him a little trickier to catch in a premier. I think this is one of the first of his that I was able to attend (and I honestly didn't know what to expect from it), but I was completely unprepared to see the chat whizzing by at break-neck speeds, even on slow mode! I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume that Ren needs no introduction in this community. It was through Ren that many of us found the Skinner Brothers to begin with (myself included), and we are eternally grateful for that connection. On the off chance that you aren’t familiar with his work though, it would be a massive understatement to say that you are in for a treat. Many of his songs, including Hi, Ren and Sick Boi illustrate the daily struggles of living with chronic health conditions, and the impact his eventual diagnosis of Lyme disease has had on his career after being incorrectly diagnosed with Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and bipolar disorder previously. His lyrics also touch upon his frustration with the medical community, and the strength he found in becoming his own advocate in a system that cares more about profit than it does about wellness. These challenges have led him to give back to the community by opening his own wellness center that will provide access to homeopathic treatment options for others who are also battling chronic conditions, and the aim is to do so in a setting that feels less clinical and more comforting. While it is still in the planning stages, the wellness center already sounds like a promising option for those who are suffering and feel as though they have exhausted any other available option. To learn more about Ren’s story, I highly recommend checking out the series of videos he posted chronicling the events from beginning to end here. > I'm a certified nutter Apart from being a master lyricist (Fire In The Booth, anyone?), Ren is also part of a small percentage of independent artists who have clawed their way to success despite the music industry desperately trying to hold them back. Subsequently, he is in a unique position to pave the way for other rising stars by putting them in front of his growing fanbase (who have appropriately adopted the nickname ‘Renegades’). The Renegades are well known for coming through in force to support any new artist that Ren recommends– but don't confuse that with following blindly– I have yet to see a bad recommendation from Ren. The dude is literally a talent magnet. After Ren gave the Skinner Brothers a shout out for their song _Prawn Soup_ , many of his fans found their way into the Skinner Brothers camp as well. (No, not THAT one.) What resulted was a remarkably seamless blend of like-minded individuals who have come together as one united front, showing up every day and proving time and time again that you do not have to be blood-related to be a family. Tony Soprano, eat your heart out! Same, bruh. From that moment on, we were all rooting for some type of collaboration between the two, but we certainly were not expecting an entire EP! And you could have knocked me over with a feather when rumors began to swirl that _Sick Sick Soul_ was only the first volume of what could potentially end up being THREE! Within the first day or two of this song being released, someone in the comments section had described the little guitar piece (at the two-minute mark) as being “Santana-esque,” and that line has stuck with me ever since because it hit the nail right on the head. Trying to figure out if Zac or Ren was responsible for it was a real mystery though, because neither artist wanted to spoil the surprise. Personally, I could see it going either way: In terms of overall style, it certainly seems more in line with Ren’s music, but Zac operates on an undercurrent of modesty equivalent to casually slipping into your final dress and saying “What? This old thing?” while everyone scrambles to pick their jaws up off the floor. I’m not much of a gambler, but if I were, my money would be on the Skinner Brothers for this one. > I played the cards that I was dealt > My hand was bad, but > I'm a fuckin' lion in this bitch! And we haven’t even talked about the video yet! There’s so much to unpack here! If you’re on the Patreon you’ll remember Zac’s woes of having to shoot the scene where he buys the mushy peas over and over, which will never stop being funny to me (Sorry, Z!). After leaving the shop, he briefly stops to play soccer (yeah, I said it… fight me!) with some fellas outside, which makes me wonder if all British people are just born knowing how to play soccer, kind of like how sea turtles instinctively know to head towards the ocean after hatching. Then, there’s Ren buying “medical supplies that comply with YouTube’s Terms and Conditions,” but we all know that’s a lie because only drugs could make you think that eating an entire can of mushy peas all by itself is a good idea. And the cameraman’s shadow? Priceless. But we certainly can't forget everyone's favorite part... I don't think anyone was expecting that, and yet somehow, it works. The happy little trumpets take this song to the next level, and you can't help but do a little boogie whenever they chime in. It's the cherry on top of an already perfect sundae, if you ask me. Keep your eyes peeled for the next installment of _Sick Sick Soul._ While they may decide to take it in an entirely different direction this time, I don't think anyone would complain about having more songs like _Ctrl Alt Delete_ in their lives! ☘️🖤 Lyrics from Genius: [Zac] Woo! I say slow down, preacher man, the love won't stop When a beat this tough, they're gonna lose their top They told me thousand times, they said, "Soul Boy, stop" I put my middle finger out, I said, "Fuck you, watch" I played the cards that I was dealt My hand was bad but I'm a fucking lion in this bitch Turn a bad thing around and make it feel good Feeling myself right now, I really could King of the world, so hot, man I'm frying in this bitch Top Trump when I hear the world gonna go bang Gonna go to bed when the planet get peak Man, I'm gonna ctrl-alt-alt-delete [Ren] I said slow down, stop and breathe, relax and inhale Lost myself inside the spaces between heaven and hell You see we gentrify the fibres of the human condition Excavate the soul, replace it with materialism Hold up, watch it Watch the kid, I'm in the cockpit Bass line riff, it hits right in the pocket Drop it, sick, the Sick Boi spit droplets Rain on the rhythm precision it's hypnotic, sucker Music for the gutter, a mean motherfucker A G not butter, I'm a certified nutter Oooh, the force, the typhoon, the music tycoon? I'm steezy, my brother [Ren] I played the cards that I was dealt My hand was bad but I'm a fucking lion in this bitch Turn a bad thing around, it make you feel great Pick it up or pressurise the pressure deflates Pour a little gasoline and make a bonfire in this bitch (fuck off) Kick drum with the 808, damn it's so bad Think I'm gonna turn it in, I feel a little beat Man, I wanna ctrl-alt-alt-delete Man, I wanna ctrl-alt-alt-delete [Zac] And then so my story goes Girl meets boy, let's go Of the things they love and the things they do together And then so my story goes Girl, meets boy, let's go Of the things they love and the things they do together And then so my story goes Girl meets boy, let's go Of the things they love and the things they do forever [Ren] Run like I'm Usain, true pain, new game Profane bars are fat like the Buddha Come like I'm Bruce Wayne, old game, new lane Propane, lightning strike like barracuda Microphone abuser, cyclone maneuver Tyson-like movement, striking twice using Mighty right bruising, line of sight humans Nighty-night 'scuse me, I'm polite, usually Sike, I'm a sick boy, I do what I like I don't like that sort of fish, it won't bite How'd you even get in a dress so tight? The nights still young, but I think I just might Humour me, usually I'm in the mood to be Moving with you, that's a unity Choosing me, choosing you, beautifully stupid Enough, that's a lovesick lunacy [Zac] I played the cards that I was dealt My hand was bad but I'm a fucking lion in this bitch (I'm a lion) Turn a bad thing around and make it feel good Feeling myself right now, I really could (what?) King of the world, so hot man I'm frying in this bitch (sick, sick, soul) Top Trump when I hear the world gonna go bang Gonna go to bed when the planet get peak Man, I'm gonna ctrl-alt-alt-delete We don't have a comments system enabled, mostly because we respect your privacy and we also don't want to potentially have to act as moderators on this site. But we'd still love you to talk to us! If you have any feedback on this post that you'd like to send us, or you simply want to say hello, click the button below! Click here to email us!

On Thursday 28 May 2026, **The Skinner Brothers** held their sold out gig at the iconic Scala in London. To say this was a monumental moment in the history of the SB would be an understatement. As an independent band there have been many years of hard work and determination leading up to this moment in time. From all of the stories I've heard, unsurprisingly to those of us familiar with **The Skinner Brothers,** they appear to have pulled it off in epic style. Especially considering the team behind it is so small. We at Bad Brains have been truly excited about Scala, but alas, neither of us were able to be there on the day and so couldn't write a review. We knew we had to do _something_ to mark the occasion however, so I had the idea of asking you, our fellow fans, if you'd help us out. Luckily you obliged! The idea was that people would submit short mini-reviews, which I'd then compile into a single blog post to make up a collective review of sorts. And so here I am, doing just that, and you can see the results below. * * * ### Reviews and photos from the fans - The SB Family Fan submitted photos __Gareth W "Fckin magnificent!! From start to finish the whole show was nuclear. Not only the musical performance but the atmosphere too and the venue looked sick with all the SB flags. Everything came together to make for an unbelievably wicked night. I honestly don't think ive ever experienced an atmosphere quite like that in my life. You could feel the heart and soul that went into putting on that show. Met so many wicked Sbfam which was the icing on the cake! The best British band by a country mile and More!!!!!!!! Is the only conclusion." __Jack M "Pure class. Monumental. On a personal note with the family members, music brings us all together. x" __Kelly R S "The energy was contagious from start to finish! Every song was a banger! Soul Boy's stage presence was electric! Everyone was dancing and singing! The crowd was eating up every song they served! One of the best concerts I've ever been to, and I've been to a lot. I only wish I didn't live on another continent so I could come to every Skinner Brothers show! SB Family 4 Life 🫶" __Kieron E "Still can't put it into words other than, BEST GIG OF MY LIFE! The atmosphere was incredible and the SB smashed it!!" __April O "The Skinner Brothers delivered a phenomenal performance at Scala, turning an already electric venue into something truly unforgettable. The crowd was massive, yet there was a remarkable sense of unity throughout the night. Every person in the room arrived with their own story, their own reasons for being there, but as the band took control, those individual experiences merged into one shared feeling. The atmosphere buzzed with excitement, passion, and connection from the first song to the last. With infectious energy, powerful performances, and a crowd completely locked in, it was a gig that perfectly captured the magic of live music ❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤" __Jacqueline M "I was so hyped for this gig, so I was hoping that it would live up to my excitement level. I needn't have worried, as it way exceeded my expectations by a mile!! The buzz on entering the room was electric 💥 and when the SB came on, the place erupted into ecstatic joy! Everyone in the place singing and dancing their hearts out with Zac leading us all! Absolutely epic! The sound was perfect, the lights amazing and the band brought their A game. Best gig ever!!! Don't miss out on the electric ballroom folks!" Fan submitted photos __Delvin B "Went with a buddy, he only knew one or two songs but he had a great time. We then went to a festival the next day and spent half the time telling people we’d been to see SB the night before. Who’s the Skinner Brothers they all reply - they’re fucking great that’s what they are if you get the chance to see them live go do it - was out response! The word will I’m sure get out there, that's how independent artists succeed - be great, word of mouth will do the rest. There will be people at Boomtown and other festivals and in their friend group one friend will go ‘ ah Skinner Brothers are playing, I’ve heard they’re great, let’s go watch them - and then more fans they will have." __Queeny J "IT WAS THE BEST GIG, THE BEST PEOPLE JUST CANT EVEN EXPLAIN HOW EPIC IT WAS HEARING EVERYONE SINGING XL BULLY.. ahhh I'm still buzzing! The meet and great was brilliant and the lads were mingling! Fucking good show, SB and SBF 4 life 🎺🎺🎺🎺" __Damian G "🧨🧨🧨💥 From XL bully Straight into bad brains The energy was flowing Let go of the reins! Then yaas! I’m hearing my favourite -what a guy My all time favourite Mountain high!!! So many others to list All keeping you up there But pink Heineken Brought the glazed stare. Tears in my eyes for a very special moment- Not the one from oooonit, This one in Scala, You own it. I’ve missed some out So sad that all tracks haven’t been mentioned But where I come from Most definitely cemented a Scala legend" __Andi E "Amazing experience from start to finish. The atmosphere was fire 🔥 never been to a gig like that in my life! Met some awesome people. 😊 Just goes to show how epic music and raw talent brings everyone together. 🤘 The band were interactive with us, from waiting in the queue right till the very end, which is something that I've rarely seen at other gigs and that blew my mind! Got our tickets for November and can't wait to experience it all again. 🫶" __Jeremy W "Absolutely electric! HandsomeRat and The Cheap Thrills were the perfect supports, and The Skinner Brothers from start to finish had this aura to them that is hard to put into words. Honestly best concert I've ever been to." __Sonya H "The people, the atmosphere were just mind blowing. The gig went off, everyone having the best time, all on that same happy indie vibe. The Skinner Brothers absolutely smashed it, haven't been to a gig like that for a long time. Even though I'm 51 now and I ached so much the next day just from jumping around, it was worth it! Scala was definitely a gig to remember for so many reasons. If you haven't heard the boys then you are missing out... absolutely brilliant and can see them doing big big things with their career. 🖤" __Chris B "The band were amazing the fans even better. I've NEVER seen a crowd so warm, friendly and utterly energetic. It was magic. Skinner Brothers are a conduit for the best people to share their love, happiness and excitement and reflect it all around the room. One of the best experiences of my life." Fan submitted photos __Denise H "Don’t think I’ve been to a gig as special as this one! Everything about it! The build up, the SB community/family, the buzz and electric atmosphere and the bands sheer passion that went into performing for us! It was just outstanding. The support acts were top class! I think this has been my favourite gig to date! I’ve been to many but nobody can match the energy of a Skinner Brothers gig!! Truly unbelievable." __Robert B "Outstanding, so good I left the greatest race in the world to come watch and they didn’t disappoint." __Eric S "The sound, the lighting, the atmosphere. It all just came together to create something very special. The bands performance was outstanding and the love in that venue for Soul Boy was incredible. The set list was absolute quality. In my 45yrs of live music events I can honestly say the Scala was right up there with the best of them, and all done independently!" __Jane A "Scala was absolute perfection, fueled by raw authenticity and a visceral, high-voltage edge. The band doesn’t just perform; it feels like partying alongside them. Their contagious punk energy locked the room into a euphoric, sweaty 90s rave atmosphere where everyone felt electrified and unstoppable. From the unified mosh pit to the band trusting us to hang out like old friends at the meet-and-greet, a flawless community vibe ran through the night. Navigating £150-plus in babysitting for my autistic son makes outings rare, ADHDer often feeling judged, these are the only gigs where I truly feel included." __Lewis M "I have been to many gigs over the years and the energy in this building inside and outside was outstanding. Best one I’ve ever been to, you truly need to see SB live and experience it and you can feel the love from all the SB family members in the room from the pre gig meet up to the gig itself. You don’t get this atmosphere anywhere else. ❤️" __Damian G "I really didn’t realise I had my beer goggles on, I did slow my drinking down, but suddenly the water rat became a HandsomeRat! The queue meant I only caught the last couple of tracks, but in my eyes queuing was great. I loved to see it, even better, Zac saw it . Another special moment for his day. Emotions ran at their limit, for Pink Heineken, but - Where we Come From - yaaas! That’s the spot! Blessed to see it. Love, congratulations to every member of that skeleton crew, the band, Zac and Claira. Thank you for the days 🧨🧨🧨💥" __Clifford T "As a recently new member of the SB fam and avid listener of the lads, I was totally blown away @this gig! The place was absolutely buzzing and that was before the main act appeared! If you’ve not experienced the SB live then you seriously haven’t lived, you probably feel like you survived after but in a good sense! This band know how to rock and the fans are all on the same wave length, good times and mosh pit vibes! Clifford (not the big Red dog)" * * * It's never been more obvious to me that **The Skinner Brothers** isn't _just_ about the music, it's also about the people it brings together, from all walks of life - the SB Family. It's a wonderful thing to witness and is something I hope we'll continue to see for many years to come. **The Skinner Brothers** are seemingly an unstoppable force - as evidenced by the fact that not only have they just pulled off a huge gig at Scala, last weekend they also managed to completely sell out their upcoming show at the Electric Ballroom! In a single weekend! I'm very happy to say that both Jamey and I will be at the Electric Ballroom, so we should be able to write a review or two for that. This post was a lot of fun to put together though, so I may just repeat the whole thing come November! Either way - love and respect to **The Skinner Brothers** whole crew, and a big thank you to everyone who contributed to this post. The SB Family are a very special bunch of people and we're both very proud to be a small part of it all. Photo credit: the wonderfully talented Noir X * * * We don't have a comments system enabled, mostly because we respect your privacy and we also don't want to potentially have to act as moderators on this site. But we'd still love you to talk to us! If you have any feedback on this post that you'd like to send us, or you simply want to say hello, click the button below! Click here to email us!

With the wait almost over and the long, treacherous road to Scala finally behind us, now seems like the perfect opportunity to introduce you all to the excellent bands that will be supporting The Skinner Brothers on what we already predict will be a historic night for everyone involved. As you may have seen yesterday, Jackie had the honor of doing a Q&A with Patrick from HandsomeRat, and it is my absolute pleasure today to introduce you to your next obsession: The Cheap Thrills. Photo Credit: The Cheap Thrills Many of you will already know The Cheap Thrills— an indie rock quartet who have been shaking things up in Liverpool's fabled music scene for the past 10 years. And I'm sure that those of you who were not already familiar began doing your research the moment you heard they were opening for the Skinner Brothers. It's like these boys just turned up on your porch looking to take your daughter out on a date! Okay, so we're a bit overprotective—it's a family thing, you understand. But these guys? They're alright. They pass the all the vibe checks with flying colors, and we can't wait to see what they have in store for us in just a few short days! Whatever the magic touch is, The Cheap Thrills certainly seem to have it! With Lewis Pike on vocals and guitar, Callum Fitzpatrick on bass, Anton Eager on drums, and Terry Eaves also covering guitar, keyboard, and synthesizers, these guys know exactly what they bring to the table. Their sound is impressively unique, yet still manages to hold on to all the heart and soul that is becoming synonymous with British independent music. They have the kind of grassroots authenticity that their fans crave, and each of their energetic performances feel like being welcomed home by an old friend. I absolutely love the way they used the polaroids in this video The Cheap Thrills are no strangers to large crowds and events that rattle the very foundation they were built on. You may remember seeing them at The Great Escape, Kendall Calling, or perhaps Liverpool's Sound City back in 2012. Maybe you caught them on tour, supporting the likes of Cast and Jamie Webster. But no matter how you've managed to come across them, there's no denying that their resume is beyond impressive for such a young band. The 2017 song Sentimentality was the first of theirs to be played on BBC Radio 6, and by 2020 they had ventured all the way to New York City to perform at the New Colossus festival. I'm curious if they had any difficulties with that one, considering they were thousands of miles away from home just as the pandemic was beginning to lock down the whole world. Photo credit to The Cheap Thrills on Instagram The Cheap Thrills always manage to rise above the chaos though, and after signing with Eighties Vinyl Records in 2017, the band released several singles that were well received by their growing fanbase. They also released their EPs _Vue Du Monde_ and _Glare,_ the latter of which received a glowing review from Gigwise. All eyes were on this up-and-coming group, and by 2022, Liverpool Football Club had chosen an acoustic version of the song Codependence for the release of their 2022/2023 third kit, as seen below. Released in March of 2018, Codependence is one of The Cheap Thrills most well-known tracks. Prior to being recognized by the Liverpool Football Club, it also received a nod from the music magazine Louder Than War as one of their writer's choices that same year. With a guitar riff that cuts through you like a solar flare, and that sweet, sweet synthesizer wrapping you up and carrying you lovingly back to the 80's, it's no wonder why. The lyrics are also extremely relatable—regrettably so, in fact. Talking about how the fear of having to learn to live without someone can often outweigh the unhealthiness of a codependent relationship. In reality, this song is a three and a half minute therapy session without the disadvantage of a copay. > Signposts point to nowhere > When nowhere sounds like home That may be one of the most interesting aspects of The Cheap Thrill's musical style—beyond the old-school feeling of the synthesizers and guitars, the lyrics are very deep and meaningful as well. Almost poetic. Each song manages to bridge the gap between something you can dance to at a party and something you only discuss behind closed doors. Take their 2024 single, Last Orders, for instance. It starts off with a classic lo-fi crackle that immediately sucks you in, but then quickly transitions into themes of finding love in all the wrong places (or at the very least, the wrong time). Maybe the overarching theme here is the poor decisions of youth, but either way the lyrics connect with you on a deeper level and somehow leave you feeling emotionally validated. > We’ll outrun the past > Quite fancy the present > I’m using the future as an anti-depressant After they support the Skinner Brothers at the historic and storied Scala venue on May 28th, they will be returning in full force to the Ynot festival this summer. Which means their dance card is looking pretty full in terms of sold-out shows, but if you're quick about it, there's still some tickets left for the other dates on their tour. You can find those here. With the upcoming Scala gig selling out only few short hours after the tickets went on sale, we know that this is definitely going to be a night to remember. If you're fortunate enough to be able to attend, my envy is likely palpable through the screen right now, but you will walk away with memories that will last a lifetime. So buckle up and make sure you grab your merch early, because one day your children will be lining up around the block to see The Cheap Thrills and they'll never believe that you were there when all the magic happened at Scala. We don't have a comments system enabled, mostly because we respect your privacy and we also don't want to potentially have to act as moderators on this site. But we'd still love you to talk to us! If you have any feedback on this post that you'd like to send us, or you simply want to say hello, click the button below! Click here to email us!

When the support acts for the upcoming **Skinner Brothers** Southampton and Scala gigs were announced, I was over the moon to see that HandsomeRat were on the billing, alongside The Cheap Thrills . Not just because the music was great (it is!) but also because the people behind the band seem like a stellar bunch. So, just as we did for Love Ghost and SAHAJi when they were the support acts on the 2025 tour, we thought we'd do a little introductory post for each of the bands (Jamey will follow this post up with her post on **The Cheap Thrills** in a day or two). I've been familiar with **HandsomeRat** for around 18 months already, having gotten to know Patrick a little as we crossed paths in Instagram comments and DM's. Patrick really does seem like one of the genuine ones in this independent music game, much like Zac himself. He's the kind of person the SB Fam welcomes with open arms, so seems like a very natural fit on The Skinner Brothers lineup for both gigs! Also, the eagle-eyed amongst you may have noticed that a certain bass player whose name begins with K is heavily involved with this project. Not only as a bass player, but judging from Spotify credits, sometimes as composer, producer and lyricist too! That lad is a seriously busy bee. Photo credit: ****HandsomeRat**** Next week is certainly going to be a hectic one for **HandsomeRat** , as not only are they appearing alongside **The Skinner Brothers** at The Joiners and Scala, they also have what promises to be an exciting gig of their own lined up at The Snug in Manchester on Saturday 30th May (seemingly a legendary venue for grassroots music). All being well, I'm hoping to be there myself. I sadly won't be at either the Scala or Southampton gigs, so having this to look forward to has eased my sorrow somewhat! There are still tickets available here if you fancy a great night out to round the weekend off nicely. It would be great to see some of the SB Fam there! As seems to be happening more frequently of late, I'm struggling to define a single genre to describe the music of **HandsomeRat**. This isn't a bad thing at all, I welcome all genre defiant entities with open arms and glee! If you haven't had the pleasure of listening to their music yet, I recommend you begin with the _Mythical Horizons: Act 1_ EP that was released just over a year ago. There's really something for everyone in this EP - from joy to despair, energetic to ethereal and lots in-between. What they all have in common is that they're incredibly catchy songs. Not in an overworked, obvious pop industry way - rather in a way that sort of creeps up on you and catches you unaware, right up until you realise you've been tapping your foot and bobbing your head all the way through it. I could wax lyrical for an age, but rather than having me waffling on in my usual fashion (which I'm pretty sure is far less interesting), I asked Patrick if he'd do a little Q and A for this post, and he graciously agreed. So without further ado, I'll hand you over to the lovely Patrick! * * * ## The Q and A Can you tell us a little about the background of **HandsomeRat**? Where did it all start and who are the band members? > HandsomeRat’s core members are Patrick Hagans and Lee Hayton. We have been writing songs and involved musically together for 25 years and we are from Stretford, Manchester. > > We started the HandsomeRat project around 2019, just as the latest vehicle to release songs, as we had not yet embraced the streaming-era. > > We played our first gig as HandsomeRat in May 2023 and it's been a great ride in the subsequent three years. We have a rolling cast of friends that join us live. We have a section on handsomerat.com called Who Dat Rat where fans can see who everyone is and what gigs they played. > > We are very fortunate to have talented friends who seem to enjoy being a part of the HandsomeRat world. From our interactions on Instagram, I know you've been aware of The Skinner Brothers for quite some time, probably longer than I have! When and how did that connection first come about? > I had been aware of The Skinner Brothers since the Soul Boy 2 era as they were getting quite a lot of press and breaking out. I remember that we got a message from Zac on Insta and it was just saying that he liked (our song) In & Out of Love. We exchanged a couple of messages after that and kept in touch. We were delighted to be asked to do the shows this month supporting them. I was so pleased to see you on the lineup for both Scala and the Southampton show! You have your own gig at The Snug lined up for two days after Scala too. I'm already feeling sorry for your energy levels after that, but we all know it's going to be worth it! What are you looking forward to the most about these gigs? > We are looking forward to being a part of such a great event at the Scala. We are aware of how the show sold out in 4 hours and what a big deal it is for the SB and the SB family so its amazing to be invited to be a part of it. > > Also The Joiners in Southampton. Like lots of music geeks who like the details, I have seen the name of tour posters for the last 30 years so we cant wait to get there. > > The Snug is an amazing venue. Its run by wonderful people and backed by the Music Venue Trust which makes it a huge deal for grassroots music in the North West region. We have played there before but this time we are headlining. It would be great to see any of the SB family who can make it to round off whats going to be a special week. Photo credits: ****HandsomeRat**** For people who have never heard your music before, how would you describe your sound? > It's guitar centred. It's melodic with accessible chorus’ that people seem to enjoy. Lots of people say its quite 90's which makes sense as that was the era we came out of as teenagers. Apologies if this is a boring question for you, I'm sure you've heard it lots before. I'm going to ask it anyway though, because the answers always interest me. Who would you say are your main musical influences? > Like most musicians we like lots of everything but for me - I had brothers who were older than me so I was surrounded by a wide range of music, including the Acid House and Madchester eras. But the radio was a big thing for me and I have always been receptive to lots of genres. * * * Huge thanks to Patrick for taking the time (and at pretty short notice) to answer these questions for us. Hopefully it tells you a little about the people behind **HandsomeRat** and gets some of you discovering their music ahead of an epic gig week! It's funny that Patrick says a lot of people mention the music reminds them of the 90's, because it reminds me a lot of music that was around in the 80's. I can't quite pinpoint exactly what, apart from maybe something vaguely New Wave ish. It's not an exact replica of anything I've heard before, far from it, but it is very reminiscent of that uniquely 80's sound. To my ears at least, you may disagree! Either way, you all know how important it is to help independent artists spread the word. There's no big industry backing, just them and their passion for music. So please help them out by spreading the word with friends / family and across socials, as well as attending the gigs where you can. It's an exciting time for music in this world of DIY right now, and I'm so glad to be a tiny part of it - I'm sure you all are too. * * * You can find **HandsomeRat** at their official website, Instagram and Facebook. Their music is available on Spotify, Soundcloud, Amazon and Apple. * * * We don't have a comments system enabled, mostly because we respect your privacy and we also don't want to potentially have to act as moderators on this site. But we'd still love you to talk to us! If you have any feedback on this post that you'd like to send us, or you simply want to say hello, click the button below! Click here to email us!

If ever there was a song that lived up to its name so thoroughly and completely, it's _Mellow_. This track is so chilled that all of your troubles start to melt away the moment it starts playing. You just get lost swaying to the music and let the melody carry you off somewhere far away from deadlines and tedious responsibilities. I know I use the word 'nostalgic' a lot to describe many of the Skinner Brothers tracks, but this one is nostalgic in a different sort of way. Like it was plucked right out of the opening credits to Dawson's Creek, or it came across the radio back when it was customary for parents to leave their kids unattended in hot cars while they ran into the store for a few minutes. (It's all fun and games until it's time to choose a nursing home...) In fact, this song is SO nostalgic that it actually references other Skinner Brothers songs right in the lyrics! In the beginning, just before the music kicks in, you can hear people singing the opening verse to Put Me Down As A Maybe. That same verse also directly mentions Jericho Star, and the song later goes on to mention Mountain High as well. Have you seen Inception? I haven't, but even I know that this is basically that. Whether it's the captivating vocals or the laissez-faire guitar hook that keep you mashing the replay button, there is no disputing the fact that _Mellow_ is a pleasantly unobtrusive track that was simply born into the wrong generation. Welcome back to the 90's, ladies and gentlemen! Now quick, handcuff yourself to something sturdy so we don't have to leave again! In my humble (yet always completely accurate) opinion, the 90's were the zenith of human experience—you can't change my mind. Everything was an uphill battle before the 90s, and it's been steadily going downhill ever since. Not 'going downhill' in the sense of it getting any easier, mind you, but 'downhill' like what happened to Hot Topic when they started selling Anime crap instead of alt clothes. Yes, I know that reference is lost on my UK friends, but don't worry—I got your back, (Union)Jack! Maybe the 90s are like anything else—easy to romanticize in hindsight, but surely people back then had their own struggles, too? Like housing being so cheap that all the extra money you had lying around created a fire hazard or something? What the hell do I know, I was a baby. But you know what problem people in the 90's _didn't_ have? Bad music. Everything from the 90s to early 2000s, right down to the music scene, was at peak performance. If it weren't for the Skinner Brothers coming along much later, I would have said we should have just stopped it all right there. Some kind of an announcement could have gone out saying that all the music we need has been made already, and everyone else can just take up pottery or something. And in many ways, the world would have been a better place. We'll chalk that up to a missed opportunity, I guess. But as the title suggests, _Mellow_ is the kind of song you put on when you're trying to relax at the end of a long day. It's not what I would describe as a “party anthem,” but more like a “please leave by 9pm” anthem. The entire track has a vibe that screams “do whatever you want, just leave me out of it,” and as an introvert I can respect that. It's laid back and slow burning, but still catchy enough that you'll find yourself singing it in the shower whether you have music playing in the background or not. We've already covered how the guitar transports you straight back into the 90s, but it was the emotive delivery of the lyrics that drew me in, personally. > Don't fuck with my mellow I guess that's no surprise considering I've said many times that Soul Boy II is my favorite album, and _Mellow_ was released the same year (2022) as part of the Lonedon EP. Zac has mentioned in passing that he didn't care for some of his vocal choices from that time period (specifically what he described as an exaggerated London accent), but I respectfully disagree. Not about the accent part, I'm too American to notice anything like that, so I'll just have to take his word for it. But vocally, Soul Boy II was a masterpiece. It was exceptionally gritty and raw, and much of that same energy carried over to the Lonedon EP, and subsequently _Mellow_. The entire EP seemed to act as a bridge between the SB of the past and the SB we've come to know today, and I don't think there's anything wrong with loving the current sound while still acknowledging that they just don't make them like they used to. Maybe that's where the nostalgic feeling originates from with this tune—it feels like a door closing on a well-loved chapter in Skinner Brothers history. On the one hand, you're sad to see it go, but on the other hand, progress doesn't come from sitting still and stagnating. To shamelessly quote Semisonic (in the spirit of the 90s, after all) “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.” Well, shit. Now I've gone and depressed myself. Here's photographic evidence of my cat telling me it's time to quit while I'm ahead. Hades has lived up to her name. ☘️🖤 We don't have a comments system enabled, mostly because we respect your privacy and we also don't want to potentially have to act as moderators on this site. But we'd still love you to talk to us! If you have any feedback on this post that you'd like to send us, or you simply want to say hello, click the button below! Click here to email us!

This week I'm starting to play catch up, having been absent around here for much of this year so far. I was telling Jamey earlier today how I began the year determined to write more, but have somehow ended up writing _less_. Life has been interfering with my plans big time, but I hope things will start settling at least a little now (I realise I've said that before but I'm choosing to be an optimist!). Right then, lets crack on! This one's a bit of a special one for me personally, so bear with me while I attempt to articulate why, hopefully without descending into the kind of incoherent enthusiasm that makes me sound like I've been at the rave Zac mentioned in Mississippi Mud Pie Blues. _Death from Above_ (ft. Sylla) is the title track from the EP of the same name, released around May 2023, and later appeared on Soul Boy III. If you've yet to listen to it, you need to fix that **right now**. Seriously. I'm even making it really easy for you! Now then. Where do I start? Let's talk about that title for a moment. _Death from Above_. It's a bold title but in spite of that I'm not entirely sure what it means in the context of the song. There's the obvious biblical explanation, but I doubt very much that applies here, at least not in a literal sense. A plane falling from the sky? Also unlikely. Google wasn't too much help either, it mostly linked me to a Canadian band named **Death From Above 1979** (who actually sound pretty good). Could there be a link there? Maybe, Zac does like putting in references to other bands in his songs. It seems like a bit of a shot in the dark, though. I think this one might be too much work for my brain tonight (not a difficult thing it has to be said). If you have an idea what it means, stick your answer ~~on the back of a postcard~~ in an email to me or on the Facebook group post for this article, __Photo credit: a still from the video for Death from Above.__ So, on to the music! Right from the off, this one has a life of its own and grabs you by the collar, dragging you somewhere fast and loud and brilliant. There's no easing in gently here (looking at you, Dipped). _Death from Above_ gets straight down to business - no fuss, no muss - with a drumbeat that instantly pumps energy at you straight from your speakers, accompanied by an utterly delicious, equally energetic guitar segment. The song has that raw, urgent punk energy that **The Skinner Brothers** do so exceptionally well. It's not manufactured aggression, or put on for effect. It feels genuinely alive, like the song is restless and can't quite contain itself, and that infectious quality is impossible to resist. That line in the song where Zac proclaims himself a "Rock 'n' Roll soldier" seems very fitting - a well earned title! __Photo credits: stills from the video for Death from Above.__ > _Hush with your bullshit > I can't hear a sound_ Right. We're definitely honing in on this one, because this is the lyric that gets me every single time, without fail. At my core, I'm a no-nonsense type of person. I've little patience for waffle, performance, pretense, or the general avalanche of absolute bullshit that seems to pour from every conceivable direction these days. You know the kind of thing I mean. It's everywhere. Social media. The news. Conversations you didn't ask to be part of. The world, in my humble opinion, is absolutely drowning in it and it's deafening. So when Zac delivers those two lines - in that calm, direct manner, something in me goes "yes, exactly, thank you!" It's the lyrical equivalent of putting your hand up and saying enough, I can't stand the noise anymore! The following line, "You shouldn't speak with your head in the ground" only compounds that sense of impatience with the constant crap the world throws at you. There's something wonderfully no fuss about it. The brilliance lies in the fact that it's not a rant or a lengthy manifesto, it just cuts straight through to the core. Which, fittingly, is exactly what this song does as a whole. __Photo credits: stills from the video for Death from Above.__ The rest of the lyrics carry that same sharpness. There's a restless, frustrated energy running through the song that feels authentic rather than performative. Again, very much a Skinner Brothers hallmark. Zac has always had an impressive ability to articulate a very specific feeling without over-explaining it, and _Death from Above_ is a particularly good example of that. You feel the urgency before your brain has even had a chance to fully process the words.. Musically, this song is an absolute delight. The guitar work is insistent and charged, the kind that unapologetically gets under your skin in the best way and stays there. The drums are relentless in the best possible way and conspire with the overall instrumentation to keep you wanting more. There's a real drive to this track that keeps the energy high from start to finish without ever tipping over into chaos. Well, maybe there's some disciplined chaos, if that's not a contradiction. (It is, but hey, it's still a good description!) Sylla features on this track, and while their section is relatively brief, it slots in really well. It adds a layer that complements the song's momentum without disrupting it. Much like **Grim Sickers** on _Mississippi Mud Pie Blues_ , the featured artists on **Skinner Brothers** songs have a knack for feeling like they genuinely belong there rather than just being dropped in for the sake of a credit. I thought it worth mentioning that _Death from Above_ holds a particular place in my heart for reasons slightly beyond the music itself. In July 2024, literally days after I discovered **The Skinner Brothers** , I placed my very first merch order. It included a signed copy of _Soul Boy IV_ on vinyl and a signed copy of the _Death from Above EP_ on CD. It's a lovely gate-fold CD (props to Noir X as always for the cover) and as you can see from the photos, includes the full lyrics inside the sleeve. Yes, you heard me, it has the actual lyrics printed on the inside! I was absolutely thrilled with that! Back in the days when I mostly listened to vinyl (I won't mention exactly how long ago that was), it was a common thing to include the printed lyrics, usually on the inside of a gate-fold cover or in a separately printed booklet tucked into the sleeve. I spent many days and nights listening to an album with the cover or lyric booklet in my hands. I wish that tradition had carried on to today's vinyl and CD market, but alas it seems very rare. My treasured signed copy of the Death from Above EP on CD. Back to today, I have one small problem: I don't own a CD player. Nor a record player, despite collecting every SB release on both vinyl and CD. So the CD sits tucked away safely along with the rest of my collection - signed, in pristine condition and entirely unplayed. Meanwhile, I've listened to the EP digitally approximately a thousand times. There's probably a metaphor in there somewhere but I'm not sure I want to find it. I do plan to get both a record and CD player but I'm also quite picky and so these things aren't cheap and need saving for. It's also a catch 22 situation - I love buying vinyl, but the more I buy, the less money I have left to set aside to get that elusive record / CD player. There are worse problems to have in life I guess, but I really would like to solve this one sooner rather than later. The EP itself is worth a brief mention, because it's a genuinely great little collection of tracks. It also contains _Bad Brains,_ the very song that gave this blog its name. Both Jamey and I have slightly chaotic brains of the ADHD variety, so the name tickled us greatly, as well as serving as a tribute to the song. It felt fitting in every possible way. Also, contrary to the messages we sometimes get on social media, it has nothing to do with the band named Bad Brains. Some people have been quite upset about that, as though we're intentionally being misleading somehow. I'm sure the band is great, but I'd have thought it fairly obvious that this is not that. Tangent over, back to _Death from Above_. Both as a song and as an EP, it feels like a turning point energy-wise. There's a confidence and sheer punk ferocity to it that is genuinely exciting. It's the sort of music that leaves you feeling wide awake, ready to shrug off the bullshit in this world. The energy rubs off on you and the lyrics clear the fog of external noise, giving you a renewed sense of purpose and allowing you to go about your day not giving two fucks about the aforementioned "noise" that penetrates our modern lives. This remains true even on the quieter sounding songs on the EP, like FK THIS and _Shell Down_. Those songs may not be an exact match musically speaking, but spiritually they fit right in. __Photo credits: stills from the video for Death from Above.__ A quick word on the excellent accompanying video - you'll have noticed this post is fairly image heavy. I try not to make a habit of stuffing as many images as possible in my posts here, but I loved the video so much it was hard not to. I make absolutely no apologies for that, just take it as my great appreciation of the work Noir X does. I love this video for it's simple, yet experimental and very well shot, charm. While watching, it also dawned on me that maybe this was one of the first times Zac experimented with masks? Then again, my brain is often easily confused, so I could have my timelines wrong. Feel free to correct me! __Photo credits: stills from the video for Death from Above.__ In closing: if you want a song that grabs you by the shoulders, shakes you up, and sends you on your way feeling considerably more alive than you did before you pressed play, Death from Above is a song for you. If you're anything like me, you'll find yourself mentally joining Zac in raising a middle finger to the worst bits of our world, but without having to actually raise your hand. It feels quite gratifying! _Hush with your bullshit._ This is what music is supposed to sound like. * * * You can buy your very own copy of the __Death from Above EP__ on CD by clicking the button below. Alternatively, you can buy a copy on Bandcamp. Buy the CD from the official website. * * * We don't have a comments system enabled, mostly because we respect your privacy and we also don't want to potentially have to act as moderators on this site. But we'd still love you to talk to us! If you have any feedback on this post that you'd like to send us, or you simply want to say hello, click the button below! Click here to email us!

Let's see, where to begin? Ah yes, of course... THIS SONG IS ABOUT COCAINE!! Sorry, I just had to take that round out of the chamber early or you'd be spending the rest of your time here learning every funny name I can think of for Booger Sugar. On second thought, there's still time, and I do love to multitask... But if that association is the only reason you've come here today, I'll save you some time and tell you that you can just change the playback speed on the video to 1.15x and thank me later. It's a much more realistic depiction of cocaine use in action, and I've been laughing at it for almost an hour now. Is there anyone out there that actually skips White Gold when it comes up on their playlist? Because if there is, I'd love to meet them and see what other whacky things they have wrong with their psyche firsthand. They're probably the kind of people that make tea in the microwave—and if that is you, I mean that as disrespectfully as possible. I feel like this is one of those songs that everyone likes to some degree, and even if it isn't your first choice as a favorite it's still on the list somewhere, making it impossible to pass by. I can't even explain it, it just makes you smile. The opening line is iconic— A quote from someone asking for words of congratulations on their third-year anniversary of sobriety, and instead being told “Nah mate, I preferred him when he was on the gear”. Absolutely savage. So savage, in fact, that it took me until just now to notice that at the very same time they were playing the drums with sticks in the video. Not drumsticks, mind you—actual sticks. From a tree. Found in nature. I have several questions, but some mysteries are better left unsolved. And then, almost simultaneously, the Lord of the Riffs himself swoops in (I'm going to keep calling him that until it catches on, by the way... resistance is futile) with that Sublimesque guitar trill that makes you feel like you're sunbathing on a yacht somewhere, and suddenly you realize you never stood a chance at hating this song. You were already hooked from the moment it started playing. That's why they called it White Gold, in case you were wondering—because it's instantly addictive. Seriously, look it up! I would never lie to you... unless I thought it would be funny. But either way, this is another in a long line of light, summer tunes that were released around the same time, and I can't get enough of them! They make you want to dance, and spend your evening sitting around a bonfire at sunset with your friends as the waves crash against the shore. Between the time that White Gold was released in November of 2024 and now, this song has sent me down so many different rabbit holes it's almost impossible to keep up. More so than any other song the Skinner Brothers have released, to be honest. The first one was the Stone Roses reference, which I think I mentioned somewhere else before, but I don't remember where. I had never heard of the Stone Roses prior to this song being released, so when it got to the line “banging on the drum just like a Stone Rose” I remember thinking that that was an oddly specific thing to say if there wasn't some kind of hidden meaning behind it. But of course I didn't ask, because I like to assert dominance over knowledge by not seeking it out directly and instead waiting for it to find me of its own accord. It's a long game, but surprisingly effective in the end. Anyway, I don't remember if it ended up being White Gold that led me to looking them up, or a different song where they were mentioned again (All Our Days, perhaps?) but either way I heard it here first and I did eventually end up checking them out. I'll never complain about having more great artists to add to my playlist! And then, just as soon as I started writing this article with the cocaine references, I ended up getting the Grateful Dead's song Casey Jones stuck in my head. Which is strange because I don't even listen to the Grateful Dead, and I haven't heard this song in years! I didn't even know it was one of theirs until I stopped to look up the lyrics! But of course, that got me wondering who the hell Casey Jones was, and why he was driving a train high on cocaine... Apparently, he wasn't. That part was a bit of artistic license. But Casey Jones was real, and he was, in fact, an engineer on a train. He died when his engine collided with another train that he couldn't see was stalled on the tracks ahead while he was speeding into the next station. He heroically stayed at his post until the very end, attempting to slow the train while others fled, which resulted in his being the only casualty of the entire wreck. Of course, he also caused the wreck by ignoring all the safety protocols to try and make up lost time, so take from that what you will. But still, these are the weird things I learn while researching Skinner Brother's songs. Screenshot from the video for White Gold Another thing that I would like to know is what potentially cancer-causing agent they were spreading around during the creation of this video in place of real cocaine? Unless it actually was cocaine, who knows. Can you imagine the impact that that would have on local wildlife, though? This is how we get Cocaine Bears, guys. Come to think of it, they did a fascinating study on the effects of psychoactive drugs on spiders a few years back, and it was eye-opening. It's short, but if you haven't seen this yet, be prepared to have everything you thought you knew about the effects of drug use turned on its head! That's right. I bet you'll give a second thought to experimenting with the Devil's Dandruff after watching that, won't you? Who am I kidding, this song is the most effective marketing campaign for cocaine I have ever seen in my life. I was sold with the “credit card buff” line, honestly. So go forth, (don't) do your drugs and be merry. Who needs a septum, anyway? It's not even one of the cool bones. ☘️🖤 Lyrics courtesy of Bandcamp: She got that white gold, Trapped with a little bit of wood, She got that bass tone, Banging on the drums just like a stone rose, Don't point that camera at me man, I won't pose, These motherfuckers don't know nothing about me, Jump about they made adrenaline free, Dead face your looking like a zombie, Ted talks and everything that come in between, I'm on the white gold, In it too tuff, White lines and white stuff, Credit card buff, Cut it up, On the white gold, I'm tearing up the rug to this Motown, With no sleep, you know the vibes tougher when you don't sleep She got that white gold, Trapped at the bottom of the top, But got that base smoke, Forever underdog, they said I'm lame bro, Pretending like they don't know but they know Coming like a These motherfuckers don't know nothing about me, Jump about they made adrenaline free, Dead face you're looking like a zombie, Ted talks and everything that come in between, I'm on the white gold, In it too tuff, White lines and white stuff, Credit card buff, Cut it up, On the white gold, I'm tearing up the rug to this Motown, With no sleep, you know the vibes tougher when you don't sleep She got that Monday - Tuesday sick of all the above, Got a couple people telling me I got buzz, But I don't care coz tonight I want love, Love, love, love and a little bit of drugs These motherfuckers don't know nothing about me, Jump about they made adrenaline free, Dead face you're looking like a zombie, Ted talks and everything that come in between, I'm on the white gold, In it too tuff, White lines and white stuff, Credit card buff, Cut it up, On the white gold, I'm tearing up the rug to this Motown, With no sleep, you know the vibes tougher when you don't sleep We don't have a comments system enabled, mostly because we respect your privacy and we also don't want to potentially have to act as moderators on this site. But we'd still love you to talk to us! If you have any feedback on this post that you'd like to send us, or you simply want to say hello, click the button below! Click here to email us!

It has been approximately nine months since Skinny Rasta was released back in June of 2025, and it is still stuck in my head to this day. Thankfully I have gotten past the point of waking up in the middle of the night with my brain screaming “BUM BUM BUM BUM!” as I stumble down the hall to the bathroom in a semi-conscious state, but only barely. Skinny Rasta is a great benchmark to use when looking at the band’s recent (and exponential) growth in such a short amount of time as well. Despite being an immensely popular song, for some reason it is still sitting at just over 70,000 views in these last nine months, whereas Pie N Mash has only been out for three weeks and is closing in on 92,000 views as I write this. (And I’m willing to bet it’ll be at 100k by the time this article is published next week). Though the musical style may be vastly different, there is certainly no difference in the quality of the two tracks. Both are excellent, and extremely catchy—the only obvious difference is in the number of followers the band has had between then and now. The Skinner Brothers' following has grown by tens of thousands of new faces across each of the different steaming and social media platforms between June of last year and today. Obviously, a significant portion of that is due to the “Ren Effect” after the release of Sick Sick Soul Vol. 1, but that is in no way meant to diminish the tireless efforts of the Skinner Brothers Family. Many of whom have been doing a fair amount of heavy lifting by sharing the music with as many people as they can, and often by any means necessary. The phrase “guerrilla warfare” comes to mind, but you know, with music! I'm not sure if it was an intentional decision or just a bizarre coincidence, but the band also updated their music catalog with the changing of the seasons similar to the way Starbucks updates their drink menu. We traded in the heavier, colder feeling songs like Dipped and Bitch Lets Ride for lighter, beachy vibes in Subtropical, and then the surfer-chic Skinny Rasta came along just in time for summer to fully kick off. And with summer just around the corner once again (thank God!), it begs the question of whether or not we’ll see a resurgence of playful, warm-weather jams again in the near future? I couldn’t tell you, but I’m ready to pull up a beach chair and sip something out of a coconut until we find out! When Skinny Rasta came out, I remember thinking that it was impossible to be sad while listening to it, and nothing about that has changed. No matter what you have going on at any given moment, putting Skinny Rasta on will lighten the burden, at least a little bit. It’s almost as if the line “I feel good today” is a direct order that somehow forces your brain into malicious compliance. Whatever this pseudo-serotonin is, it is definitely habit forming– it has kept us all coming back for more week after week, but there are certainly worse problems to have! > I was so drunk, thought they loved me, and I'm still your favorite junkie Personally, I knew I was going to love this song just by the way the guitar sounded in the intro, but that line is definitely what sold me on it. It briefly tapped into my inner Eminem when I thought “he didn't just say what I think he did, did he?” but that's what I love about Skinner Brothers lyrics—some are poignant, some are utter nonsense, and good luck figuring out which is which. Just when you think you've got it hammered down, he throws something sassy like that in the mix, and suddenly you're that weirdo sitting in a crowded public space laughing to yourself because no one else can see you're wearing headphones. Perfect. Another day, another watch list. Speaking of questionable behavior, can we talk about how the video has Zac stumbling down the middle of the street drinking beer out of a can and pouring a few out—presumably for all of the homies that are no longer with us (because they were already picked up for public intoxication)? I have to admit, there is no feeling on Earth quite as liberating as being punk in drublic, but the last time I wandered down the road drunk as balls I ended up stealing a traffic cone. Well, I shouldn't say I 'stole' it because I didn't actually keep it... I guess I “temporarily rehomed” a traffic cone. But with enough vodka you'd be surprised how far you can make it before realizing you don't actually need a traffic cone in your life. Food for thought. Only God can judge me. Another thing I really liked in the video was the part towards the middle, when the guitar starts going crazy and the background turns into a bunch of swirling, psychedelic colors. It almost feels like being trapped inside a lava lamp. Regardless of who is editing the videos at any given time, the Skinner Brothers have a knack for aligning visual textures like that perfectly with the intensity and variation of the melody. If you follow along with the Patreon, you'll have heard Zac describe creating his melodies as “riding a wave”. I don't think he means that metaphorically, either—It almost sounds like some form of synesthesia experience when you listen to him describe it. But being able to pluck an abstract concept like that out of your head and present it in such a way that other people are able to experience it too is an art form in and of itself that the band really does not get enough credit for. This video also serves as a time capsule for Skinner Brothers history, because it captures the final moments where Zac had to play every character in the video himself before the rest of the band started making steady appearances and doing promotional reels together. That's pretty impressive considering the Skinner Brothers were still releasing a new song/video every two weeks at this point, and they had to get really creative with filming locations and props to keep up with that schedule. At one point, you can see mulch bouncing off the drums while they're being played, as well as Zac swinging a car tire around as the video goes on. If I remember correctly, he got himself into a bit of trouble for throwing a handful of that same mulch at the cameraman (Claira!) who was very pregnant at the time and was not aware that she should have been receiving hazard pay that day. I'm happy to see Kian and Jack showing up in more of the videos now, because it takes a village to manage that level of mischief without anyone ending up in the ICU. In closing, I'll say that Skinny Rasta is the perfect jam for anyone looking for a quick pick-me-up on an otherwise melancholy day. At least the tunes from this era of Soul Boy are a bit more mellow, and don't have that hostile undercurrent of back-alley brawls and a relentless pursuit of vengeance that has creeped into some of their heavier tracks... Oh. There it is 😆 ☘️🖤 Lyrics courtesy of Bandcamp: I get the feeling when I wake up I gotta find some place to skate up I get my smoke on, let me bake up Skinny Rasta, feel like Jacob Hate ain't in my makeup With love, we will not break up Gotta take off all your makeup Gotta be yourself, just wake up Don’t run run run I don’t know a thing about how This world works, but I do know that I feel good today I feel good today I feel good today When the copper come, he gone shakedown Had a full-scale mental breakdown But he didn’t find where my stash at Skinny Rasta, I’m a street rat I don’t know a thing about how This world works, but I do know that I feel good today I feel good today I feel good today I’ma sing it to the skies above me Neil Young and Stills and Crosby I was so drunk, thought they loved me But I’m still your favorite junkie I don’t know a thing about how This world works, but I do know that I feel good today I feel good today I feel good today We don't have a comments system enabled, mostly because we respect your privacy and we also don't want to potentially have to act as moderators on this site. But we'd still love you to talk to us! If you have any feedback on this post that you'd like to send us, or you simply want to say hello, click the button below! Click here to email us!

Today is a good day. I have been patiently waiting for _Squeeze Me Like A Lemon_ to get chosen for a while now, and you guys have made my dream come true. Obviously I love this song (how can you not?!), but I can't decide if my reason for loving it is the catchy chorus or the opening riff that gets stuck in your head long before you've even had a chance to learn the lyrics. Have you ever had that happen when you've heard a new song for the first time? You end up with a few random notes stuck in your head, but without the lyrics it's impossible to look up the name so it just drives you crazy instead? Yeah, this is one of THOSE songs. It'll haunt your dreams until you wake up humming it in the middle of the night, and then when you _do_ finally learn the lyrics, the cycle continues because they will also get stuck in your head. Long story short, you had better get comfortable with this song, because once you've heard it for the first time it's going to be staying with you for a while. I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but in my spare time I like to go through the catalog and check out all of the other artists the Skinner Brothers have collaborated with over the years. For a moment, I got really excited because I thought JC Stormz was one that I had missed, but then I saw the tell-tale red bar under a few of his videos indicating that my bad memory and I had been there before. Not everyone has the privilege of solving mysteries that they themselves have also starred in on a regular basis, but at least it keeps things interesting. The important takeaway here is that I liked his music before, and I got to fall in love with it all over again last night thanks to songs like Role Model, and even his most recent release, Call You Back. Not only does JC Stormz have a great voice, but his delivery is methodical and persistent, like water gradually wearing away at a stone. He doesn't come crashing through the gate throwing a bunch of information in your face like he has something to prove to you— his calm, even-toned delivery gives you the distinct impression that he is more like a controlled explosion. Similar to the difference you see in people who start yelling when they're mad, but you know they're **really** angry when they're NOT yelling. I love his verse in _Squeeze Me Like A Lemon_ as well,__ but I have to admit that his unique style of delivery in this case does make me laugh every time I listen to it. Especially the second half of his verse where he repeats the same thing a second time, but a little faster so it sounds a bit more like a run-on sentence. You have to understand, I used to work at a psychiatric hospital. I have seen many things throughout the years, but one thing I am no stranger to is having random dudes come up to me claiming to be John Lennon and insisting that their rap career was meant to kick off when they were ten years old. My normal response in that situation would be something akin to “Sure you are, buddy! Does this juice taste like Thorazine to you?” but unfortunately if you try that with singers you get to hear what a police car sounds like from the inside. Come to find out. Anti-psychotics aside, JC Stormz is definitely one of the more interesting artists I've explored after discovering him through a Skinner Brother collaboration. I mean, yeah—he's a brilliant lyricist, I just really wish he also offered a wide variety of vegan and gluten free desserts that could be shipped right to my doorstep. Oh wait, he... does?! According to his bio on YouTube, JC Stormz (aka: Josh Parker) is also the CEO of Veg and Vitality, a UK based company offering vegan and allergen-safe meal solutions. Bet you didn't see that one coming! Just look at it... Photo credit to Veg and Vitality on Instagram If they don't have desserts like that in hell, I'm coming back. Anyway, I have seen the video for _Squeeze Me Like A Lemon_ several times in the past, but it wasn't until I sat down to write this article that I started to notice all the subtle little nuances that went into making it. For instance, when I paused the video between scenes, I noticed a couple of flashes of text (in what looks like Zac's handwriting), including the one shown below that reads “May 7th, 1990”. This, of course, reminded me of the diary he had mentioned a while back that he intended to read on Patreon at some point. Screenshot from the video for Squeeze Me Like A Lemon Now, you know how I love my wild theories, so obviously the next logical conclusion that I came to was that he was probably splicing bits and pieces of that same diary into various music videos as some sort of quiet confession. Too quick for you to see with the naked eye, but Tyler Durdenesque enough that you could probably piece it together if you took the time to dissect the video in slow motion like a crazy person. But who knows, with Zac's approximate age I think it's pretty unlikely that he was around in 1990 at all, let alone drafting a toddler manifesto, so I'm probably way off base here. Which does kind of beg the question(s)—who's handwriting is it then? And what is the significance of May 7th, 1990? Did you also happen to catch the “Error 1962: No operating system found” message? Tell me you had a Lenovo without telling me... But don't worry— one of the first troubleshooting options the internet had to offer for that particular error code was forcing a reboot by pressing “Ctr+Alt+Delete”. How's that for a bit of foreshadowing? Screenshots from the video for Squeeze Me Like A Lemon I can't be the only one that thinks that this video is a cross between some kind of demented citrus-hating crush porn (don't Google that) and a killer advertisement for Minuteman lemonade—which the internet has just informed me is not commonly sold in the UK (don't worry, you're not missing much with that one). But seriously, what did the lemons do to you?! They've been crushed, kicked, and run over by a car all in the name of art. I will say this though, the bright pops of yellow really stand out against the black and white background, so their sacrifice was not in vain. I just hope no one involved in the filming process had any paper cuts that day. I was also happy to see Zac's fuzzy jacket with the haunted pockets making an appearance in this video. If you haven't watched Kian's soul leave his body after putting his hand in there on Patreon yet, you don't know what you're missing. I will also say that seeing the same jacket in the wild now hits different after witnessing those horrors unfold. > We gotta find a way out of here, I don't care if it takes ten years I mean, the video looks like it was filmed inside a glass elevator, so I doubt it'll take that long to get out. Probably just wait for the doors to open and the problem will sort itself out. But on the off chance that it doesn't, at least they've come prepared by setting up a card table to pass the time and bringing an entire drink cart with them for the occasion. Screenshot from the video for Squeeze Me Like A Lemon The Hendricks gin was a nice touch— I must admit that I have always wanted to try it but haven't gotten around to it yet. Come to think of it, I'm not sure that I've ever had any brand of gin, but I'm a sucker for whimsical marketing so Hendricks has been on my radar for some time now. One of you will have to let me know how it is so I can try it next time I go to the liquor store (or get trapped in an elevator). Apparently I can go on about this all day, so that's enough of my rambling for now. If you haven't listened to _Squeeze Me Like A Lemon_ yet, you better go do that right now. Don't make me quote the song for a little extra motivation... > Come on, you fuckers! ☘️🖤 We don't have a comments system enabled, mostly because we respect your privacy and we also don't want to potentially have to act as moderators on this site. But we'd still love you to talk to us! If you have any feedback on this post that you'd like to send us, or you simply want to say hello, click the button below! Click here to email us!

If you've been a member of the Skinner Brothers Family group on Facebook for any amount of time, you will likely have seen some jaw-dropping sketches from our very own Carol Harris come across your timeline (among the many other crafts she has shared with us along the way!) Carol possesses a remarkable talent for crafting highly realistic drawings, masterfully employing a diverse range of artistic styles to infuse her work with vitality and depth. Her strategic use of color immediately grabs your attention and gives each piece a compelling combination of visceral power and profound emotional resonance. Her art isn't something that has been created for your passive observation, it allows you to experience the subjects through her eyes and actively engage in the interpretive and emotional journey she has orchestrated for you. We were so excited when Carol agreed to do this interview with us, so let's cut the chit-chat and get right into it! Photo credit to Carol Harris Q: How long have you been creating art and what inspired you to start? > I started drawing at around 13yrs, going on half-term trips to visit my nan who lived in Wales Pwllheli. So it really was just doodling and passing time at that point. Q: How would you describe your art style? Are there any styles you'd like to try but haven't yet? > I'm not sure if I have a style as such, I kinda just get an idea and go with it, if that makes sense. Oil paints— I want to try more with them, but I find them quite difficult. Photo credit to Carol Harris Q: What is your favorite artistic medium? Are there any others that you dabble with on the side? > I like pencil, but I'm doing more with charcoal, pastels, Biro etc. So trying to add a bit more medium where I can. Q: Who is your favorite artist to create fan art of? > I probably would say Ren, but The Skinner Brothers are a great band to draw. Their style is unique. So yes probably Ren and the SB. Photo credit to Carol Harris Q: Are there any specific tools or brands of materials that are favorites to use? > I don't really have a brand or anything. Sometimes the cheaper brands can be better, but not always, because Derwent are a good brand. Q: Where is your cozy place? The place you feel most at ease when creating? > I literally draw from my bed— I sit and create an easel with stacked pillows. Sounds strange, but it seems to work. Photo credit to Carol Harris Q: Do you have any advice for all the aspiring artists out there who are just beginning to learn their craft? > I don't really care, everyone is different. All I'd say is don't give up, and try not to compare your art with anyone else as this can be a little disheartening sometimes. Every artist is different, that's what makes them all individual. Q: Anything else you'd like to add for the readers? > Hope this is okay, since it's not typed lol. I just find it easier. Let me know if you can't read my writing lol! The hand-written answers to our interview questions... This was a first, and I love it! We can't thank Carol enough for the time she has taken to answer our questions! It has been such a pleasure for us getting this insight into her world, and to see how she manages to create such brilliant pieces seemingly out of thin air! I'm excited to see what she creates next! If you aren't following Carol already, she has an extensive catalog of artwork to explore over on her Instagram page, so make sure you go show her some love! We don't have a comments system enabled, mostly because we respect your privacy and we also don't want to potentially have to act as moderators on this site. But we'd still love you to talk to us! If you have any feedback on this post that you'd like to send us, or you simply want to say hello, click the button below! Click here to email us!

If you've managed to bag a copy of the deluxe edition of Soul Boy IV by now, surely you're already very familiar with the song _Flip Phone_. This track is so light-hearted and playful that it's impossible to not like. Maybe I'm taking things too literally here, but this song always reminds me of one of my favorite flip phones that I had many years ago. It was a silver Motorola Razr with a white dragon wrapping around the case. It had all the functionality of a ham sandwich, but man did it look cool. And the satisfaction you got from snapping it closed on someone that was pissing you off was next level. Those were the days! In lieu of having actual lyrics to go by for this one, I'm just going to do the best that I can. And that's questionable on a good day, so I apologize in advance for thinking that Zac is singing about "ketamine and ringtones," but once you've heard that it's very difficult to unhear it.**** Admittedly, Jackie was right about the way things sound better or worse coming from different sound sources. I can hear some parts of this song a lot more clearly now on my laptop than I have been able to in the past with the cheap headphones I buy (because they have a tendency to fall into lakes). Needless to say, _Flip Phone_ is another song that has a couple of spots where I can't quite make out the lyrics. I am a firm believer in the saying that "a closed mouth gathers no feet," so I'm just going to leave all of that alone with the understanding that 'ketamine' is probably the least concerning thing that I definitely misheard here. I'll tell you though, as much as I enjoy writing these articles, you don't realize how much you don't know until you're sitting in front of a blank screen with a flashing cursor taunting you with every blink. And then add to that a pile of misheard lyrics muddying up the space inside your head... suddenly you can't remember if you've ever even heard this song you've listened to a million times before! And I trust gas station sushi more than the transcripts on YouTube, so that is of little help as well. I will never understand how YouTube can get so many obvious lyrics completely wrong, but the quiet parts in the background saying, “Someone call my phone- Where the fuck is it?” it picks up perfectly fine. Technology, man. > Life's just a fuckin' bitch then you die (Phew! For a moment I thought I was the only one who felt that way.) Of course, I also have being an American working against me, so even when I do understand what the lyrics are saying that's no guarantee that I'm going to understand the message behind them. For instance, I had no idea what Jack Jones was. This was one of those situations where you're secretly very confused, but you just kind of go along with it and smile to be polite... Anyway, you can imagine my surprise when, many months later, I found myself lost in some random shopping mall in Galway, Ireland (where you have to pay to use the toilets and they hide all the coffee shops until you cry for some reason) and the next thing I knew I was standing outside of a Jack Jones! All at once the light bulb in my head clicked on– I stopped my friends dead in their tracks by exclaiming "Wait a Goddamn minute!" while grabbing one of them by their arm, and then proceeded to ramble on about flip phones for a solid five minutes as they struggled helplessly to get away from me. And the kicker? I still have no idea if that's the Jack Jones the song is referring to or not. I am fully aware that there is also a famous singer by that name, but if that's the case, Zac would likely need more than a flip phone to talk to him because he died at the end of 2024. Maybe there's a Ouiji board app by now, who knows? The point is to never give up on your dreams! I was going to ask Jackie if I was correct about the Jack Jones reference or if my Galway epiphany was all for naught, but I thought I'd roll the dice on this one—I'll have either made a brilliant real world observation that will thoroughly impress you, or I'll be hilariously wrong. Either way, I will not be disappointed, so feel free to let me know. Jack Jones aside, _Flip Phone_ was another in a long line of superb collaboration choices. This song was my first introduction to Pozzy, who seems to be gaining some traction himself and working with a fair number of other noteworthy artists. Of course, one of which being Hen$haw, who you will remember from the other popular Skinner Brothers collaboration, Mark of the Beast. Hen$haw is featured on the track _Been Around_ from Pozzy's latest album, It's All Up in the Air, released in December of 2025. Pozzy doesn't seem to be a stranger to putting in a lot of hard work for his age either, as evident by one of his most popular releases, Might Go Out, which has racked up 21K views in seven months. His spoken-word delivery has a way of keeping you locked in, keeping your mind focused on the message of the lyrics by blending his vocals seamlessly with the music instead of allowing you to get distracted by it. Whether or not Pozzy will do another collaboration with the Skinner Brothers in the future remains to be seen, but he bears watching either way. And now that we have him on our radar, this will certainly not be the last we see or hear from him! > 'Cuz you know they're gonna hate you when you're on the right track This is probably one of the most prophetic lyrics in any Skinner Brothers song to date, second only to the line “mask on my face when I reach my peak” from the aforementioned _Mark of the Beast_. For some reason, there's something about creating art and attempting to release it into the world for everyone to enjoy that really brings out the worst in people. The only thing they seem to resent more than your failure is your success– they'll happily pretend to support you when you're down on your luck, but the moment you start making any progress they will try to get inside your head and do anything in their power to keep you there. Maybe the success of others makes them feel inadequate about their own shortcomings? Or perhaps they are just giant, somewhat-sentient bags of douche, whose mouths work at a significantly faster rate than their brains. Who knows, but if ever there was a surefire sign that you're doing something right, it's when everyone else around you tells you that you should just give up. > Take a cold shower, mix it with a pill and no sleep This line, on the other hand, is not one that I imagine will go down in the longstanding history of good advice. Sure, it sounds great in the context of a song, but do you know what happens when you actually try something like that in real life? If the Cat in the Hat were a person, it would be him. Enough said. ☘️🖤 We don't have a comments system enabled, mostly because we respect your privacy and we also don't want to potentially have to act as moderators on this site. But we'd still love you to talk to us! If you have any feedback on this post that you'd like to send us, or you simply want to say hello, click the button below! Click here to email us!

This week we have a very special edition of Song of the Week for you. It's a break from our usual format, where we review _past_ songs picked by the community. Instead, we're reviewing a _future_ release - the upcoming _Pie n Mash_ , which will see its premiere outing on YouTube this Thursday evening at 8pm GMT. We were both quite taken by surprise when asked if we'd like pre-release access in order to do this, but needless to say, it was an immediate and resounding YES!! It's always an honour and a privilege to be included, so once again we extend our heartfelt thanks to Zac. Thanks also to the very talented Noir X for providing us some great images to go along with this! So, the premise we're working on for this special edition is to review the song as best we can, without the usual inclusion of a video, and without giving too much away. Below are the results of our unique (to us) challenge. * * * ## Jamey's Take Photo credit: Noir X The thing that I love most about the way Zac's mask evolves with each consecutive album is that the new mask usually comes before the music, as is the case here with _Pie N Mash_. It's almost like meeting a new character each time the mask changes, and then the music that follows tells the story of who this new character is. In the context of this song, he wasn't exaggerating with the description “monotony fighter”, because _Pie N Mash_ is not like anything you've ever heard from The Skinner Brothers before. This song shakes things up like a grenade in a pool full of Jello. If that is any indication of who this current character is, or how the rest of the next album is going to sound, my advice to the fans would be to buckle up and hold on tight, because it's going to be a wild ride. This first look goes hard with absolutely zero remorse, and it's not showing any signs of slowing down soon. As I'm sure you've already noticed from the reels on social media, _Pie N Mash_ is nothing short of electric. It's fun, it's fast, and it's the kind of show-stopping tune that feels like it was scratched on the back of a napkin in the dead of night over a carton of cigarettes and a bottle of Lagavulin 16. What's not to love? The production is deliciously raw with a crisp, hungry edge that screams at the top of its lungs until it cannot possibly be ignored. The drums instantly snap this song to life and are closely followed by some of the cleanest guitar work you could ever hope to hear. The riff that you hear throughout the chorus comes in early, and has a hazy, almost dizzying quality that feels like it was plucked straight out of Alice in Wonderland. There's no escaping the wicked bass line that creeps up on you like a thief in the night either, and those dirty little drops? They make you feel something deep inside your chest that may or may not be medically concerning. Photo credit: Noir X Every part of this track is alive, ebbing and flowing with its own distinct personality that comes together like Optimus Prime just to slap you in the face. Lyrically, it's crude in the best definition of the word, yet sophisticated enough for you to realize that this is not by accident. The first verse issues a warning right out of the gate: “I'm a chill guy, but don't test me” like a rattlesnake shaking its tail. Without wanting to give too much away, I'll say that it only pushes back harder from there. You've already heard how the chorus explodes with the kind of hook that's going to crack the foundation when the crowd starts singing it back live, but I promise no matter how many times you've listened to those reels, you haven't actually **heard** it until you've listened to the song in its entirety. What you've heard so far is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. The chorus is massive on its own, but the gradual buildup with the hammering drums and relentless guitar blow the lid off the whole thing, leaving a smoldering path of destruction in its wake. Between the song itself and the video, I have a pretty strong feeling that you will all be stunned to silence by the time it's finished. The video for _Pie N Mash_ is a bit more difficult to dissect, because much like the music itself, some aspects of the videography change over time as well. This doesn't necessarily make them better or worse, they're just different, and they are tailored to match the overall feeling of whatever song they are paired with perfectly. To me, this video seemed sharper and more confrontational than some of the others in the past. Like if you were to describe the video for Dipped as a gut punch, this one would be an uppercut, if that makes sense. They're both going to knock you on your ass, but sometimes the journey is just as interesting as the destination. Maybe it's because of the closeups of Zac singing paired with the aggressive nature of the lyrics? Or perhaps it's the way the video alternates between scenes in the garage and the black and red silhouette (you may remember from Patreon) that make it feel like a slow descent into madness? It could also be the vicious strobe effect on the guitar and drums that bring you as close as you can possibly get to epilepsy while still being able to keep your license. Either way, the video for this song is every bit as tactile and stunning as the song itself, and the bright pops of red on top of a slightly desaturated background give it a haunting, dreamlike feeling that is impossible to forget. * * * ## Jackie's Take Photo credit: Noir X I'm beyond excited to do this, especially after listening to the song quite a few times. At the same time, it is fairly challenging to do without giving much away. My usual fallback of trying to break down the lyrics doesn't seem appropriate, because you, the reader, don't yet have access to the full song and so will miss at least some of the context. Plus I'm working to a more limited word count this week (my inner editor has a very hard time with this!). So I'll try to concentrate more on the sound and vibe of the song as a whole. I won't say anything about the video either, other than to say it's amazing, so don't miss it! The first thing my ears picked up on was the beautiful guitar opening. It's low and guttural but also really melodic. The second thing was the opening line of the lyrics - I can't reveal what the words are, but I can tell you that it firmly establishes a "no fucks given" attitude that continues throughout. It's delicious and immediately draws you right into the overall theme of the song (you'll know what I mean when you hear it). As it's been plastered all over shorts on socials in the last few days, I _can_ quote lyrics from the chorus. One line in particular stands out for me: > Double double of that rude boy sound my way I love it, not only because it just sounds great and adds to the attitude of the song, but anytime I hear the words "rude boy", I'm instantly reminded of _A Message to you Rudy_ by The Specials, which I've loved for many years. Rudy being short for rude boy. That bass guitar is the hero of the song according to my ears and helps set that heavy-hitting, fast paced train of energy. As we all know, Zac is multi-talented (sickeningly so, honestly!) but I do think he has a particular knack for writing amazingly satisfying bass lines (as well as great melodies and deceptively simple but deep lyrics). It really hits home in Pie n Mash, especially the segment that carries us through the chorus. It literally feels like you're surfing on a wave of bass, and personally speaking, this is the stuff (alongside guitars in general) that lights my heart on fire. Photo credit: Noir X The genre-melding is present as usual too, but it sounds especially well done in this song. This isn't just ska, punk also takes centre stage in music, lyrics and attitude, but there's some heavy rock influences bouncing around the edges too. It all blends perfectly to give us something unique in a way that only Zac manages to do. So perfectly in fact, I think this song could be the foundation of a new genre. Skapuck? No? Just me? Ok then! I think I'm at risk of being accused of some sort of brown nosing with what I'm about to say, but it's my honest opinion and I don't care, so I'm going to say it anyway. _Pie n Mash_ feels polished. Not in a big label way (there's no shallowness here for a start), but in a way that screams The Skinner Brothers are a band who have truly found their groove, and the confidence that comes with that. In this context, I'm talking more specifically about Zac himself, who writes and performs everything on the recorded songs (at least for the vast majority). This is quite obviously still The Skinner Brothers sound, with that amazing talent for blending genres seamlessly, but there's something new and fresh about it. It's the song of an artist who knows exactly who they are and what they stand for, and has absolutely no qualms about sharing that with the world. Not that past songs haven't felt similar, but I hear a change in this one. 2025 was a huge year for The Skinner Brothers, and I felt a similar change on the tour. The energy on stage felt renewed and bolder than it had the year before, and this song feels bolder still. To witness the growth of an artist right in front of your eyes is a thing of beauty. It's a little like watching your kids grow and bloom, only less expensive and it doesn't turn your hair grey. _Pie n Mash_ genuinely feels like a game changer. It's honestly difficult to imagine how The Skinner Brothers could possibly get any better, yet Zac manages to do it time and time again with each new release. I think you're all going to go wild for this one, and absolutely justifiably so. I can't wait for you to hear it! My verdict: I'm in love with _Pie n Mash_ (both the song and the food, to be fair). It's got explosive attitude, has a break-neck pace, and feels like both a rebellion and party song at the same time. It's performed and recorded superbly, has the potential to start a whole new genre, and on top of that it's made me come over all emotional thinking about how far Zac, Claira and the rest of the crew have come, especially over the last year. Plus it manages all of this while still staying, and feeling (in the best way), fully independent. There is so much more I could say, but I'm afraid to give too much away. Suffice to say: _Huge_ amounts of love for this one! Exemplary work, Zac. * * * Photo credit: Noir X Long story short, _Pie N Mash_ doesn't just deliver on the first play through, it gets better (and bolder) with every listen. I would know, because we've probably listened to it more than Zac has at this point, and it's currently putting everything else on my playlist to shame. I hope you're all able to join us on Thursday for the premier– you definitely don't want to miss this one! On behalf of Jackie and I, we can't thank Zac enough for trusting us with early access to this belting masterpiece, and to Noir X as well for getting back to us so quickly and allowing us to use his stellar images for this article. Big love to the entire Skinner Brothers team, and we can't wait to see what the rest of the year has in store for you! Well, there you have it, folks. Two reviews, one song, and 48 hours to go until the Skinner Brothers release the beast that is _Pie N Mash_ on the world. I hope you're hungry, because this one is extra saucy. * * * We don't have a comments system enabled, mostly because we respect your privacy and we also don't want to potentially have to act as moderators on this site. But we'd still love you to talk to us! If you have any feedback on this post that you'd like to send us, or you simply want to say hello, click the button below! Click here to email us!

You have no idea just how happy I was to learn that Mississippi Mud Pie Blues won the poll this week. I'd have been happy writing about any of this week's options, but I'm super happy about this one. If you've had the misfortune of never hearing this song, you can rectify that sad situation immediately via the video below. Ok, lets do this. I have my hastily scrawled notes from last night in front of me (I often hand write things while sat in bed, before transferring to my PC the following day) and I'm eager to get to work at the keyboard. When asked which of The Skinner Brother's songs people use to introduce the music to friends and family, the top answer by far is Prawn Soup. Don't get me wrong, I completely understand why, but I think Mississippi Mud Pie Blues is an equally strong contender for that task. It has that catchy but grounded, feel-good factor that reminds me of songs like Our House by Madness. In a spiritual sense at least. My hastily scribbled, pre-draft notes in all their glory. > Had enough of lining up in fucking dole queues Here's that grounding, right in the opening verse. Thousands, if not millions, will immediately identify with that statement. It's not something you _want_ to identify with, but it's a fact of life for many. A bit like having to pay taxes - you acknowledge it's a necessary part of life but you really wish you didn't have to. I won't spend too long delving into that line because this isn't really the focus of the song, it's just an illustration of how, no matter what, Skinner Brothers songs always contain that particularly working class reflection of reality which rings true for so many. I think it's a big part of what draws us to the music and keeps us firmly rooted in place, ears wide open. > Let me tell this story By this point, we're already eagerly listening, but now we're settling in with a mug of hot cocoa in a comfy chair. Zac really does have some very interesting stories to tell, but even if you're not already aware of that, your ears are still primed for glory. Don't get too comfy though, you're going to be up and moving very, very soon, because shortly after this, that absolutely killer bass line hits. There's no sitting still from that point on. > Walk about the city > I'm depressed but you like me As someone who has sat on both sides of the depression fence, I know it can be really hard to "like" somebody who is depressed. I don't mean in a general sense, but in the day to day, in the moment, sense. The difference lies, I feel, in those who _love_ you enough to see past that. Again, not going to dwell on this, but I thought it was an interesting line! Photo credit: A still from the video of Mississippi Mud Pie Blues. This is here purely to feed Jamey's obsession with the pool / billiard ball. > 'Cos everybody had a little phase in the 90's Enough said, I think we all know what line means. I didn't really have that phase myself, at least not much of one. I liked the music but at that time I was mostly utterly consumed with metal, trying to write uni essays and bringing up a baby single handedly, so there wasn't much partying going on over here (unless singing lullabies very badly to get a crying baby to sleep at 2am counts). After that little rave flavoured diversion comes that utterly killer, revved up and heavy hitting bass line, which is honestly one of my favourite things about this song! I suspect I'm not alone in that. No matter how many times I listen to it, it grabs me from the guts every single time. "Double the guitars and we'll go again" - that (spoken) line comes right before the bass kicks in. Whoever was in charge of the bass got a little carried away I think and at least trebled it (no pun intended). This is far from a complaint - it's glorious, and carries us right through a chorus that's just utterly playful. > Now I'm out the back they smoke crack and blow back > Got me singing throwbacks I'm the Sega Genesis > Sipping on that jack black > In a black mac > In a black hat > You know I'm taking the piss > Cos I'm flying, wilin' > Looking at my watch super stylin' > When I mumble man I got Lou Reed smilin' I haven't an earthly idea what any of that means as a whole, other than they're the kind of things you might think about while at one of the aforementioned raves, both in-between and during being hurtled around on the dance floor. I adore the playful word salad, though! > Let me try that again > Louuu Reeeeddd There are so many oft quoted lines in this song, but this one probably takes top prize. It just never fails to make you smile, especially with the addition of Zac's infectious laughter. There's a member of the Facebook community with the same name (but different spelling), so it always reminds me of her and makes me smile even more! > Talk of the town, talk of the whole weather Again, I have no idea what this really means, but I love it. I don't know why, this line just amuses me. It conjures an image in my mind of a group of old ladies in a small town, talking about Zac as he walks by and then quickly switching to talking about the weather. The latter thing being something I'm pretty sure actually happens on a daily basis, at least in the UK. > Trip to the chicken shop cost me a tenner > But when I'm in Paris that's crepes and Nutella Another famous line. A lot of people seem to crave fried chicken after hearing it but personally it makes me crave crepes. Not with Nutella though, that sounds like a horrible combination. Then again this is coming from the man who invented eating raw oats and golden syrup off the floor, so I guess we should keep any culinary expectations pretty low. Grim Sickers is the featured artist on this song, and I do really like his segment. He fits quite naturally into the song, as all of the featured artists on SB songs tend to do. > Two pints and a pack of fags I'm not sure what to make of his lyrics as a whole, but this line always stands out to me. Taken in context, I guess it's meant to illustrate part of a typical British day. A couple of pints after work kind of thing. But it always reminds me of the comedy show Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps. I've never even watched it, but it was hugely popular in the UK for ages, so the title is stuck in my brain. Even if like me, you're lost with the lyrics, Grim adds a layer of texture to the song that compliments it really well. Photo credit: A still from the video of Mississippi Mud Pie Blues. The song is pretty quirky musically speaking, too. From the tinkling opening notes to the tease of rave music to the bass line that goes from satisfying to absolutely getting all up in your face (in the best way!). There's some twisty turny (not an actual word, I know) and groovy guitar parts in the mix too (I'm lol'ing at my technical terms), that help form those layers of quirky. There's also some excellent drumming hovering around in the background. It's mostly kept light but very precise, matching that playful feel of the song beautifully, and is a particular pleasure to listen to via a decent set of headphones. Again, I'm feeling woefully inadequate in my knowledge of proper music terminology, but there's an array of sound and texture being added by the drumming. I've had a lifelong love affair with headphones because they allow you to pick out every single sound, and of all the instruments it makes the more delicate drum parts stand out a lot more. This song makes for an incredible live experience. I've now had the pleasure of listening to it performed live three times, and I will never tire of it. It suits many situations but it has the energy to make a particularly good party song - that really comes to the fore in a live setting. It's just so much more fun when performed live, Zac and the band pour so much energy into it and it drives the audience wild. Thanks to the recent live album release, recorded in London last year, if you've missed The Skinner Brothers on tour (my heart goes out to you) you can now hear a live performance of it for yourself! The whole album is a blast, and I'm so thankful we now have a proper live recording. In closing, Mississippi Mud Pie Blues is just brilliant. It feels like a comedy in song form, the kind that's both cutting and wholesome, and that you never tire of watching. It's comforting, friendly, and never fails to make you feel better about the world. If you can listen to this song without smiling, you might want to seek therapy. * * * __Mississippi Mud Pie Blues__ is part of the album __Soul Boy III__ , which you can buy from Bandcamp by clicking the button below. Buy the album on Bandcamp * * * We don't have a comments system enabled, mostly because we respect your privacy and we also don't want to potentially have to act as moderators on this site. But we'd still love you to talk to us! If you have any feedback on this post that you'd like to send us, or you simply want to say hello, click the button below! Click here to email us!

You all might hate me for this, but up until recently _Tears In Her Tonic_ was one of the few Skinner Brothers songs that I didn't listen to very often. And don't get me wrong—it's a great song! It's extremely catchy, and has a nice, mellow feel to it, which is wonderful. But I won't lie to you, I don't know anything about the sound quality of different instruments, or the technical process of making music. I'm a lyrics person first and foremost, and for some reason I was having a hell of a time understanding a lot of the words to this particular song. It was still on my Skinner Brothers playlist, of course, but that's over seven hours long so it's easy for things to get lost in there. Could I have just Googled the lyrics and not missed out on all this time with such a great song? Apparently yes, because that's what I did to find them for this article. But my success rate of finding Skinner Brothers lyrics online has not been the greatest in the past, so I guess it didn't even cross my mind. I don't know if they do Easter egg hunts in the UK (well, I do now because I just Googled that, too), but finding Skinner Brothers lyrics on the internet is a very similar experience. Are they on Google? Are they on YouTube? I think I saw some hiding under a small shrubbery on Bandcamp, but someone else may have beaten me to it. The struggle is real. All that aside, now that I've listened to the song again with the lyrics, I have seen the error of my ways. As I mentioned before, the song has a very mellow vibe overall, but it's also a little somber in places, like the feeling you get when you've just come to terms with some bad news. The drums are not overpowering, and I love the little guitar trill leading into the chorus that sounds like something from the original Mario Brothers game, or the sound you'd expect a dog to make when they tilt their head to the side in confusion (start the song at 0:31 and see for yourself!) Kitty Bella was an excellent addition to this track as well. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe this was her first collaboration with the Skinner Brothers before going on to record Heartbreak St a year later. Her voice is angelic, and a seamless fit for the overall feeling and structure of this track. If you haven't checked out her other music yet, Kiss the Moon is beautiful, and her most recent release, Man's World, is guaranteed to have you dancing in your seat and singing along. Make sure you go show her some love and follow her on all your socials! > You're up there then you're out, you're inside then you ain't The lyrics to _Tears in Her Tonic_ seem to be describing the highs and lows of life in general, or perhaps just the music industry. It feels like being on a roller coaster—one moment you're at the top of the world, and the next you're plummeting straight into the pits of hell with no way of pumping the brakes. Maybe life isn't quite as labile for everyone else, but the rest of my neuro-spicy friends will know exactly what I mean by that, and how sometimes you just have to learn to ride the wave until the moment passes on its own. It's tough living life outside of the emotional gray area, where things are always felt way too strongly or not ever enough, but with a little time and patience you can learn to overcome it. The experiences Zac has described with the music industry in some of his Sunday Service videos (which seem to have recently been removed from YouTube) sound very similar. The industry itself is so fragile that the concept of 'making it' is really just a myth, because it can all be taken away the moment you become too comfortable in your own success. One day (usually when you have the support of a label or manager) everyone loves your band– you're getting booked for festivals, doing interviews, music blogs are eating you up... and then just like that, you're dropped like a hot potato and left with the degenerates here at Bad Brains. Ah well, at least we're fun. But that seems to be more along the lines of what he was describing here. > These beats and simple melodies got me feeling peace Have you ever looked at a person and wished you could trade places with them just for a moment to see what it's really like living inside their head? Many people have commented (and I've also wondered myself) how it's possible for the Skinner Brothers to create as many songs as they do, as frequently as they do, and still maintain the same level of quality throughout their entire catalog. This particular line from _Tears in her Tonic_ really resonates with me in that regard. If you've been following along with the Skinner Brothers Patreon, you'll have seen how Zac slips into his own little world when he's in the process of creating a song, and it's like he becomes a completely different person for a little while. The energy is through the roof, and it's like there's a billion thoughts swirling around that are all trying to come out at the same time and getting bottle necked in the doorway. This isn't a criticism by the way, it is admiration for a savant level of talent that I genuinely believe only comes along once in a generation, if you are lucky enough to witness it at all. The video for this song is where things went a little sideways for me, for a multitude of reasons. But let's start with the elephant in the room— why is our man just sitting in the bathtub like that? It's like he went in there because he wanted to take a bath, but then forgot how to do it, so now he's hoping that if he just sits there long enough it'll come to him eventually. Screenshots from the music video for Tears in Her Tonic And are you seeing what I'm seeing here in these pictures? Right there on the edge of the... bathtub... is drink vessel, after drink vessel, after drink vessel. Tell me that this two-year-old video is not the villain origin story for Cup City?! That's right, you can't tell me that, because you know I'm right. Who knows, it may go back even further than this! We'll have to make a point to watch all of the older Skinner Brothers videos to determine the exact moment coffee cups began to congregate in random places they do not belong. For science! And then, there's THIS! Isn't that the very same billiard ball I was going on about in the article we did for Stupid Much a while back?! In the article, I had mentioned that the video for _Stupid Much_ shows Zac being relentlessly pursued through the streets of London by a blue billiard ball, which follows him all the way to a pub by the end of the song. Except in this case, the video for _Tears in her Tonic_ would actually appear to be a sequel to that. In this one, a masked character (*cough* Noir *cough*) pulls the blue billiard ball out of his pocket (I'm resisting the urge to make a joke about Pocket Pool here...) while sitting in the bathtub. Then, he proceeds to get into an actual automobile, drive himself a good distance away, walk into the middle of a large, empty field, and throw the ball on the ground before leaving. You know what else you do that to? Mice, when you don't want them finding their way back inside your house. Or, you know, pesky billiard balls that won't stop following you through the streets of London. Seriously, I need to know the story behind this! I'm not sure I will ever get an answer to that question. It will have to be filed away into the Unsolved Mysteries: Skinner Brothers Edition for the foreseeable future. In the meantime, I am just happy I have been able to see _Tears in Her Tonic_ in a brand new light, and don't have to mumble through the lyrics every time it comes on in the car anymore. It can be appreciated at full volume, with the respect it deserves! Now, I just have to try and find it in that massive playlist... Yikes! ☘️🖤 Lyrics from Genius: Don't let the seasons get you down You're up there then you're out You're inside then you ain't They call it treason but its love And it fits like a glove Fits us like a glove Up on this wave and I love it Walkman with processed beats on it Long hair with hints of crud on it She's drinking tears in her tonic Nostalgia beating like a drum I'm up there but I'm dumb I'm dancing coz I'm numb These beats and simple melodies Have got me feeling peace And everything just feels Up on this wave and I love it Walkman with processed beats on it Long hair with hints of crud on it She's drinking tears in her tonic Alcoholic it's the dumb Vibes that get me through Get me through the day Nothing else, it don't do jack I want my money back Forgot my name was Zac Up on this wave and I love it Walkman with processed beats on it Long hair with hints of crud on it She's drinking tears in her tonic We don't have a comments system enabled, mostly because we respect your privacy and we also don't want to potentially have to act as moderators on this site. But we'd still love you to talk to us! If you have any feedback on this post that you'd like to send us, or you simply want to say hello, click the button below! Click here to email us!

<p>Crooked Vulture was one of the first Skinner Brothers songs I heard after being introduced to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6eQhV5wLB4&amp;list=RDU6eQhV5wLB4&amp;start_radio=1" rel="noreferrer">Prawn Soup</a> back in 2024. It still seems wild to me knowing that this song is less than two years old! I swear the Skinner Brothers have some sort of time warp going on around them, where songs like this feel much older than they actually are, and we all just kind of go along with it for the plot. Either that, or I just listen to their music so frequently that it has fundamentally altered my own perception of linear time, but that's much less interesting than the time warp thing.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-embed-card"><iframe width="200" height="113" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NNR6_EOWx6o?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen title="CROOKED VULTURE ft JyellowL &amp; Holocene"></iframe></figure><p>It's kind of like when you look back on a specific song from your playlist, and you can't quite remember a time when it wasn't there, but then you realize it was just released a half hour ago. Maybe it just feels that way in this case because Crooked Vulture shares the iconic “Bella-ella-aye” line with Rhianna's song <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvBfHwUxHIk&amp;list=RDCvBfHwUxHIk&amp;start_radio=1" rel="noreferrer">Umbrella</a>, which was released almost 20 years ago now (feel old yet?). </p><p>The major difference between the Skinner Brothers music and Rhianna's is that I like the Skinner Brothers. Yeah, yeah.. I saw that look. All formal grievances must be submitted in writing to our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ&amp;list=RDdQw4w9WgXcQ&amp;start_radio=1" rel="noreferrer">Complaint Department</a>.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://media.tenor.com/KebqUm4WNP8AAAAC/printer-shredder.gif" class="kg-image" alt="" loading="lazy" width="451" height="498" /></figure><p>As I'm sure is true for many of you, I have discovered several excellent artists through Skinner Brothers collaborations, and Crooked Vulture was no exception. Prior to hearing this song, I had never heard of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jyellowl/" rel="noreferrer">JyellowL</a> or Holocene, and of the two, Holocene was a lot more difficult to track down. I think I found them, but I'm not sure, so I'm just going to ask for forgiveness here instead of tagging a random band that may or may not have any idea what I'm talking about if they happened to stumble upon this article. Holocene, if you do see this, drop us a message and I'll be happy to explore your music further and give you guys a proper write up!</p><p>JyellowL, on the other hand, was much easier to find. With songs like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6sHuJg3py8" rel="noreferrer">Ozone</a> being featured on the <a href="https://www.ea.com/news/fifa-20-soundtrack-volta-football?isLocalized=true" rel="noreferrer">FIFA soundtrack</a> in 2020, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmXSeNXgjso" rel="noreferrer">Ladies Night</a> bringing the heat with a little reggae twist, he seems like another artist that will not fit neatly inside a box. I absolutely love his verse on Crooked Vulture, and his voice compliments Zac's perfectly. The verse adds an extra layer of emotional depth to a tune that already felt like it was treading the water between heartbreak and ecstasy. JyellowL was a perfect fit for this track, and I'm looking forward to hearing more from him in the future!</p><blockquote class="kg-blockquote-alt">I consider you my only option, with you in the hospital, with you in the coffin</blockquote><p>Crooked Vulture is the musical equivalent of dry ice— it’s living proof that something can be hot and very, very cold at the exact same time. That line from JyellowL's verse is easily one of my top ten favorite quotes from any Skinner Brothers song for that exact reason. And as far as the chorus goes, the polar shift between referring to someone as a 'crooked vulture' and then calling them “my bella” in the same breath is enough to give you whiplash. It's like taking a toxic relationship and turning it into a Broadway musical, where you love your partner unconditionally in the first act, and then by the second you're reminded of everything that person has ever done to make you hate them.</p><blockquote class="kg-blockquote-alt">When the lights come on and the music stops, my smile fades and the depression locks</blockquote><p>I suppose on the other hand, this song doesn't necessarily have to be about another person at all—the lyrics could just as easily be describing someone's tumultuous relationship with alcohol. Everyone is happy when the drinks are flowing and the party's rocking, but all good things must eventually come to an end. When the lights get turned on and 'closing time' is no longer a polite suggestion, reality is the taxicab that will always be bringing you home. Or maybe that's just the hangover talking, who knows? I'm not a psychiatrist.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://www.badbrains.net/content/images/2026/01/CV1.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="" loading="lazy" width="1278" height="717" srcset="https://www.badbrains.net/content/images/size/w600/2026/01/CV1.jpg 600w, https://www.badbrains.net/content/images/size/w1000/2026/01/CV1.jpg 1000w, https://www.badbrains.net/content/images/2026/01/CV1.jpg 1278w" /><figcaption><span style="white-space:pre-wrap">Screenshot from the video for </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNR6_EOWx6o&amp;list=RDNNR6_EOWx6o&amp;start_radio=1" rel="noreferrer"><span style="white-space:pre-wrap">Crooked Vulture</span></a></figcaption></figure><p>As an American, though, one of my favorite things about analyzing Skinner Brothers lyrics is when I occasionally have to Google UK slang. Thankfully this is happening less frequently now, as I'm starting to get a handle on what you little devils are up to over there. But on the rare occasion that I do have to lean on Google for support, there's usually a brief AI overview explaining in great detail why 'salmon' (in this case) is most likely referring to a cigarette instead of a handful of other less likely possibilities.</p><p>But for every simple (and wholesome) definition you're able to locate quickly on the internet, <a href="https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Salmon" rel="noreferrer">Urban Dictionary</a> comes staggering through the door with a Marlboro Red hanging from its lips saying, “Hold my moonshine.” No, I am not going to elaborate on that any further. I have provided the resources, you are on your own for the clicking, young Padawan.</p><blockquote class="kg-blockquote-alt">Talk shit down my phone now I feel so low</blockquote><p>This line really hits home for me, as someone who will carry a grudge with me to the grave on the off chance I'll be allowed to bring it with me to the afterlife.</p><p>Come on now, you know the feeling—someone has said or done something wrong to you, and now they're just sitting there with that stupid look on their face, begging to have their chakras realigned. You've been biting your tongue for as long as humanly possible, but eventually you reach a tipping point and end up going off like Vesuvius. You lay into them with everything you have, poison spilling forth like red wine on a brand new carpet. Then, to your immediate satisfaction, you leave them standing there in a stunned silence, mouth agape... But then what?</p><p>You would think that you would feel an immediate sense of relief, as if a giant weight had been lifted off of your chest, but that's never the case, is it? Because it doesn't matter how right you were, or how dumb they are— somehow, against all rational logic, lashing out like that actually ends up making you feel worse. Like you just kicked a helpless puppy for falsely believing that the world is its toilet. And that, my friends, is why life is hard.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://media.tenor.com/DQXgQEFWAb4AAAAC/hades-angry.gif" class="kg-image" alt="" loading="lazy" width="498" height="278" /></figure><blockquote class="kg-blockquote-alt">I feel like I'm living in a movie, directed my Spielberg played by Clooney</blockquote><p>Okay folks, here it is. The ultimate question: Who would YOU cast to play Zac in a movie about his life? Believe it or not, I had already drafted an answer to this question in a different Song of the Week article, but after writing it all out, I ended up deleting it. Mostly because it was completely unrelated to the song I was writing about at the time (sound familiar?), but this time, with THESE lyrics?! Come on, it's fate! So while I have you here, let me tell you why it has to be Bobcat Goldthwait...</p><figure class="kg-card kg-embed-card"><iframe width="200" height="113" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qMM_ACHuwJA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen title="Comic Bob Goldthwait in a VERY funny interview!"></iframe></figure><p>Is it the long hair? The leather jacket? Being voted 'most likely to become a sniper'? The short answer is yes. (I don't want to listen to Bobcat sing, though, so there's that. That's nightmare fuel.)</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://www.badbrains.net/content/images/2026/01/CV2.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="600" srcset="https://www.badbrains.net/content/images/size/w600/2026/01/CV2.jpg 600w, https://www.badbrains.net/content/images/2026/01/CV2.jpg 1000w" /><figcaption><span style="white-space:pre-wrap">Photo source: </span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/MovieDetails/comments/f2d3r3/in_the_doors_1991_val_kilmer_sings_all_of_jim/" rel="noreferrer"><span style="white-space:pre-wrap">Reddit</span></a><span style="white-space:pre-wrap">, against my better judgement</span></figcaption></figure><p>While it's true that a young Val Kilmer (or Jim Morrison!) would be much better suited for the role, that's way too easy considering they are practically twins. Bobcat has the quick wit, quirky sense of humor, and patient intellect that says “I know more than you, but I'm going to wait for you to figure that out on your own.”</p><p>Plus, if you've been following along with the Skinner Brothers <a href="https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheSkinnerBrothers1" rel="noreferrer">Patreon</a> content, I think it's safe to say that Zac could have a lucrative career in comedy if he ever got bored with music. But let's not give him any ideas, at least not until after Soul Boy VI comes out, what do you say?</p><p>☘️🖤</p><p>Lyrics from YouTube:<br />I get the feeling I was smoking and I missed her<br />I pull a drag on this salmon not a bifta<br />and then my hand swing back it crack bone crack jaws<br />then I wake up wherever I do<br /><br />I feel like I'm living in a movie<br />directed by Spielberg played by Clooney<br />Fuck that, I'm gonna let her use me<br />Talk shit on my phone now I feel so low<br />But when the lights come on and the music stops<br />my smile fades and then depression locks<br /><br />But then she go acapella<br />crooked vulture my Bella-ella-aye<br />Then she go acapella<br />crooked vulture my Bella-ella-aye<br /><br />I said it once, said it twice, said it thrice times<br />waking up in the morning with them black eyes<br />'coz everywhere I go turns to blows<br />either way, it's a win-win though<br /><br />FEMALE VOX<br />When she sings I feel okay<br />2 by Tuesday, and 12 per day</p><p>JYELLOWL VERSE<br />I was of pocket when I saw you in those trousers<br />Tryna get your chocolate without saying something childish<br />Let me hold the umbrella for you while you're walking<br />I think I’m in love with her, I think I’m love with her<br />And you know consider you my only option<br />With you in a hospital with you in the coffin<br />Didn’t meet on the web, but the web is what I’m caught in<br />I wanna get lost with ya<br />Then again</p><div class="kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-grey kg-cta-immersive kg-cta-centered"> <div class="kg-cta-content"> <div class="kg-cta-content-inner"> <div class="kg-cta-text"> <p><span style="white-space:pre-wrap">We don't have a comments system enabled, mostly because we respect your privacy and we also don't want to potentially have to act as moderators on this site. But we'd still love you to talk to us! If you have any feedback on this post that you'd like to send us, or you simply want to say hello, click the button below!</span></p> </div> <a href="mailto:[email protected]" class="kg-cta-button kg-style-accent" style="color:#FFFFFF"> Click here to email us! </a> </div> </div> </div>

<p>I'm not going to lie to you, I was stalling getting this article started because I had absolutely no idea where to begin with it, and I ended up going on quite the little adventure during that time. It all started while I was wrestling with my large black blanket, because it's cold enough to build a snowman in my house and I was trying to fashion it into a warm little couch-nest. But in doing so (with the air being as dry as it is in here), I also managed to create a lot of static electricity. That may not sound like a big deal to you, but unfortunately I have a short somewhere inside my laptop battery, and if I accidentally zap the computer it will immediately power down, causing me to lose what little unsaved work I already had here.</p><p>Long story short, I had to find another manner of discharging the static before safely touching my computer... Now, I'm not saying it's your fault that I ended up zapping the dog instead (and I swear I only laughed for like 20 minutes), I'm just saying that she ended up becoming collateral damage in the pursuit of this week's article, because I did light her up pretty good. I may be going to hell, but at least I am one step closer to my ultimate goal of becoming Dr Manhattan.</p><p>(Please don't call the ASPCA, she's perfectly fine and has always had that twitch.)</p><figure class="kg-card kg-embed-card"><iframe width="200" height="150" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7YpaIBMdd3k?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen title="Live Before I Die"></iframe></figure><p>Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised to see <em>Live Before I Die</em> win the poll this week, especially considering it was up against a few others that seem to be a bit more well-known. Released in 2019 as part of the <a href="https://theskinnerbrothers.bandcamp.com/album/25-to-life" rel="noreferrer">25 to Life</a> album (which is one of my favorites, by the way), <em>Live Before I Die</em> is both poignant and defiant, with the standout line being “fuck you if I can't live before I die.” I mean, come on, how can anyone argue with that!? For reasons I cannot explain, this song has always reminded me of an old cartoon that has lived rent free in my head since I was a kid:</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://www.badbrains.net/content/images/2026/01/Bird.webp" class="kg-image" alt="" loading="lazy" width="564" height="696" /></figure><p>Clocking in at just under two minutes, this song is the very definition of 'short but sweet'. In essence, it perfectly captures the feeling of being stuck in a rut with a head full of lofty dreams, and no viable assurance that any of them will survive in the sobering light of reality. The opening lyrics jump straight to the point of questioning whether or not life will always remain the same as it was in the moment that they were written, but they also make it abundantly clear that there is no intention to buckle under the weight of that uncertainty. Instead, you are met with the same 'Carpe Diem' attitude that is always fringing on the periphery of any Skinner Brothers song, telling you to grab life by the horns and to not let it slip by in passive regret. Don't let the gentle, lo-fi keying of the piano lull you into a false sense of comfort and security— the underlying message of this song is to not grieve for a life long past before it has yet to meet its natural end.</p><p>Speaking of soothing pianos, I don't know if it's that, the lyrics, or both that give this song such a well-worn, lived-in feeling. It's a timeless sound that leaves you feeling nostalgic for simpler times you may have only ever read about. As soon as you press 'play', the first couple of seconds are like taking a step into the early 1900's, when Beethoven had just dropped a sick new banger, and you couldn't wait for your horse and buggy to bring you home so you could fire up the phonograph. (I swear to God, if any of you say, “but Beethoven died in 1827!” I'll throttle you!) The Skinner Brothers are not just excited for the sudden resurgence of vinyl records, they're actively trying to bring back wax cylinders!</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://media.tenor.com/sMC3TM8b42wAAAAC/old-skool-dj-vintage.gif" class="kg-image" alt="" loading="lazy" width="498" height="238" /></figure><p>Nothing about <em>Live Before I Die</em> screams overproduction—it's gritty, raw, and direct. And while it's true that Zac's delivery was pretty mellow overall, the lyrics themselves still had plenty of that trademarked venom coursing through their veins. In one moment, he is crooning (almost playfully) about how "I'm always on a comedown, but I never get... ^hiiiigh", and then in the next he's spitting “fuck you if I can't live before I die” with so much malice you feel as though you've pissed him off personally somehow just by listening.</p><p>Whoever he had in mind when he wrote this song probably had a chill run up their spine the day it was released. In fact, I'm willing to bet that the intended recipient of these daggers is probably still not right to this day (come on Zac, we know it must have been SOMEONE... Tell the truth and shame the devil 😉). But be that as it may, the rest of us still get to benefit from the product of that hostility, so I guess that person is just going to have to take one for the team this time.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://media.tenor.com/FefHRKY3xq8AAAAC/frozen-frose.gif" class="kg-image" alt="" loading="lazy" width="498" height="390" /></figure><blockquote class="kg-blockquote-alt">The damn postman's a snail...</blockquote><p>Oh, the irony! Zac must have written that line many, many moons ago, before the Skinner Brothers had the following that they do today. At the time he wrote it, he couldn't have possibly known that one day there would be tens of thousands of us saying that exact same thing while we wait for our own postmen to deliver the Skinner Brothers latest album to our doorstep. A growing number of doorsteps all around the world, in fact. That all sounds like something out of Inception... Or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSEs2ZT5dc8" rel="noreferrer">Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy</a>, pick your poison. (And whatever you do, don't panic!)</p><p>☘️🖤</p><div class="kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-grey kg-cta-immersive kg-cta-centered"> <div class="kg-cta-content"> <div class="kg-cta-content-inner"> <div class="kg-cta-text"> <p><span style="white-space:pre-wrap">We don't have a comments system enabled, mostly because we respect your privacy and we also don't want to potentially have to act as moderators on this site. But we'd still love you to talk to us! If you have any feedback on this post that you'd like to send us, or you simply want to say hello, click the button below!</span></p> </div> <a href="mailto:[email protected]" class="kg-cta-button kg-style-accent" style="color:#FFFFFF"> Click here to email us! </a> </div> </div> </div>

This week's Song of the Week is Freedom in a Padded Cell!

Zac trades gritty realism for psychedelic escapism in Dipped. From gentle lullabies to experimental chaos, join me as I dive into the 'venom,' the Harley Quinn connection, and the terrifying adrenaline of hitting rock bottom.

Gig review of the Skinner Brothers, SAHAJi, and Love Ghost live at Oslo Hackney on November 28th, 2025.

This week's Song of the Week is Mac N Cheese at Woody's!

All the details for what promises to be a spectacular Skinner Brothers show at Scala have been announced today!