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Artist Interviews
Q&A: Skunk Anansie
By CMU Editorial | Published on Friday 30 October 2009
British rock band Skunk Anansie first got together in 1994, drawing some influence from the likes of the Sex Pistols and Blondie, as well as dub music, reggae, electronica and hip hop. The band split in 2001, of course, with lead singer Skin and guitarist Ace both going on to pursue solo projects, whilst drummer Mark Richardson went on to play for Feeder. After reforming in 2009 and following a couple of secret gigs in London, the band have begun touring again and are set to release their greatest hits album ‘Smashes And Trashes’ on the 2 Nov. Their first new single following the reformation, ‘Because Of You’, was released earlier this year. We spoke to Richardson to ask our Same Six Questions.
Q1 How did you start out making music?
I have loved music from a very early age, playing drums from three. Got my first kit at six and formed my first band at twelve, which is when I started writing. My first paid gig was at fourteen and I started playing professionally at 21. So, this is something that I have always done. At 24, I joined Skunk Anansie, which was the first time I’d been involved with four people writing together as a real band.
Q2 What inspired your latest single?
Musically, ‘Because Of You’ came from the four of us getting back together. Cass started playing the riff, which became the intro and the verse, then we played with that for a bit and the melody formed, closely followed by the lyrics from Skin.
Q3 What process do you go through in creating a track?
The writing process is as above, then when we record generally drums go down first, followed by bass and guitar, and finally the vocal and any overdubs which we feel are going to enhance the track.
Q4 Which artists influence your work?
Drumming wise, I grew up listening to John Bonham and Stuart Copeland, but more recently electronic music is having a big effect on my writing process, and actually I get way more inspiration from that than anything else at the moment.
Q5 What would you say to someone experiencing your music for the first time?
Come see it live, as well. You only get the full picture when you see it live.
Q6 What are your ambitions for your greatest hits album, and for the future?
We are going to tour then we want to do the festivals, and then we will carry on with Skunk Anansie with a new album.
MORE>> www.skunkanansie.net
