These are early days in the life of the third album by reggae crossovers The Skints. Having just entered into the studio with previous collaborator Prince Fatty, the four-piece find themselves in the midst of a festival heavy schedule – one that has taken them into mainland Europe for a combination of reggae specific and alternative music events, as well as recent appearances at the likes of Redfest or Secret Garden Party.
With their outward exposure, The Skints are still comparably quiet when it comes to expectations of their new album. “Stepping up the levels across the board”, the band offers as a mantra-of-sorts for the new record, “lyrically, musically, as a whole album.”
Their recording process has seen them evolve creatively. Although the outcome of this evolution remains to be seen, their time in a familiar studio has allowed them to work more freely than on previous records.
“We’ve been working with Fatty for about three years now since our last album,” the band explains. “I’d say it’s the studio that feels most like home to us as we’ve easily worked here the most of everywhere we’ve been.”
That comfort has led to further experimentation. Whereas The Skints had written the record in full before hitting the studio in the past, on album number three the creative juices are free to flow.
“I feel like the new album has had the most fun, and ‘fuck it, let’s do that’ attitude to it,” the band freely admit. “[On] this one we just came in with skeletons of songs, sometimes a chorus and even nothing at all! Definitely the most creation in the studio so far.”
Although the world is yet to be privy to the results, The Skints promise the best songs they’ve ever written, while remaining aware that these are indeed early days. The record will be a result of their experience – their impressive rise from a toilet circuit band to main stage festival performers in an extraordinarily short amount of time.
The record will also be a product of its surroundings. “It’s always the way at Fatty’s,” the band muses. “For the hour we might spend trying out different drum patterns or flinging on different records to catch a vibe, we seem to make our best work happen!”
According to the band, their most creative and driven work is underway. Should album number three allow them to continue on the same trajectory, the future is looking even brighter than before. For The Skints, a large proportion of that is down to their chosen studio.
“It feels like every hour there’s a story, moral or not,” the band responds when asked about their time with Prince Fatty. “A particular favourite of mine is a story about a very famous reggae legend to which the punchline is ‘Take two, man!’.”
The half-finished joke is as tantalising as things to come.
Photos by Corinne Cumming at Captured By Corrine. Twitter.