Skegss: Cruising On The Highway Of Life
“It wouldn’t be worth it; $300 for 50 push ups is an honest day’s work, so I’d go with that!” Ben ‘Benny’ Read, vocalist and guitarist from Australian rock duo SKEGSS, is firm on whether he’s ever done fifty push-ups for one dollar, referencing the title of their 2015 EP. He’s here to discuss brand new album Pacific Highway Music, at the time of speaking just over a week old and one that Benny is happy to have out, both on a creative and administrative level.
“It’s a funny feeling – sometimes you just need to sort out the filing cabinet, so to speak, so you can move on to a new chapter, but at the same time it’s invigorated me for the future; I’ve got a better understanding of how I want to do the next thing that comes up.”
One such area revolves around the humble bass guitar – Benny played bass on the record following the departure of long-standing bassist Toby Cregan at the end of last year, bringing the band lineup down to just himself and drummer Jonny Lani. While Benny admits there is a bittersweetness about Pacific Highway Music in that regard, he’s doing what he can to remain positive. “In hindsight we should have probably got someone in to play bass live in the studio, but it was good because sometimes it’s hard to get the chance to step outside your own circle and see into it, so it was good in that respect.”
What’s also good is the album in question; actually, that’s a disservice – it’s excellent. An easy listening meld of reflective garage rock, alt rock and grunge, replete with fuzzy guitars and heartfelt lyrics, it’s appropriately perfect for a long summer road trip and will delight those who like bands such as THE WHITE STRIPES and THE MENZINGERS. Indeed, the Pacific Highway itself – a stretch of 621 miles that connects Sydney with Brisbane – did indeed lend itself to the overall reflective nature of the record, even if the influence was subconscious. “I think [driving] is a lot of people’s favourite pass time,” muses Benny. “It’s probably the only time most people get a bit of alone time where they can zone out, put on their own music or a podcast; certainly, I find that I can consolidate bits and pieces. But there are also a couple of songs on the record – and a couple that didn’t make it – which were about driving as well.”
SKEGSS also pushed the boat out on their musical style thanks to producer Paul Butler, who was keen to have them try out new ideas even if they weren’t too keen, but they often produced results. “The slide riff we have on Spaceman, Paul kept asking me to try it and I didn’t want to at all” admits Benny. “But he told me to try it just for a second and when I did, I immediately thought ‘Oh shit, this is great, let’s try things!’ But honestly, I’m the sort of person who will do something if someone suggests it, because you never know what can cause magic.”
Benny mentions that he’s always writing music – he says at one point he’s already got a few new songs ‘on the boil’ – but even with his continuing creativity, there will always be room for older material to play a part, with certain elements of Pacific Highway Music having been conceived over a decade previously. “There are some bits I’ve had that were written back in 2011 or something, and then I’ve been sitting around one day and accidentally figured out lyrics to go with it. So when I’m in rehearsal, I’ve always got a lot of accumulated songs around and I’m never afraid to dip into them if I think it will fit with what I’ve got.”
SKEGSS are setting out on tour next year – and with live bassist Kelton Lee in tow – and the dates include a run of eight across the UK in April and May that form part of a wider European tour. Benny is very much looking forward to not just returning, but making friends along the way. “It’s going to be so nice to reconnect with people we’ve met,” he says “and we’ve also given ourselves time between shows to hang out with people and see the sights. We know that touring is usually about playing, then hitting the road and getting to the next city to make it feasible, but it’s such a luxury to have a few days where, if you meet someone at the show, you can arrange to hang the next day.”
They might be from Down Under, but SKEGSS’ trajectory is very much Up and Over, and with a strong, new album in their arsenal, the future looks very rosy indeed.
Pacific Highway Music is out now via Loma Vista Recordings.
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