Welsh genre-defying outfit Skindred are still finding new ways to surprise themselves after twenty-five plus years. Smashing together reggae, metal, punk, rock, hip-hop and pretty much anything else that’ll work, they’ve built a reputation as one of the most infectious and unpredictable live bands around in the process.
Yet for all the festivals conquered, records released and legendary stages shared, there are still a few boxes left to tick, and their latest record You Got This just ticketed one of their biggest. Their ninth studio album has become their first-ever UK number one, giving Skindred a fresh dose of confidence and, in drummer Arya Goggin’s words, a little extra “Skindred Swagger”, just in time for their biggest headline tour in Australia, which kicks off tomorrow.
You Got This really is a fun, fresh record with a lot of heart to it. Released in April, the band has had time to marinate in it. Looking back on the album and the short journey since it’s release, Goggins says, “I think for us, coming out the gates with a number one record, it solidifies the confidence that we had in the tunes… I can feel that sort of confidence in the band that we also have, there’s a bit of extra swagger that’s going on in the Skindred world at the moment, and that’s a very cool thing.”
Finding a renewed swagger over twenty-five years into their career is a very cool, very rare thing, indeed. Achieving their first UK number one album was no small feat for Skindred, who have ticked off many other milestones along the way. “It’s like there are these little goals that you set yourself that you don’t ever utter to anyone else because you’d be disappointed if you didn’t get them… ticking off firsts has become mental, whether it’s a festival or coming to do headline shows in Australia the year- the latter being something we’ve never done in the 25 years we’ve been around! I feel there’s so many more opportunities and first ahead, and that definitely spurs us on to keep going.”
To see a band who has achieved so much striving for more rather than settling is equally as inspiring form the outside, too. A few years ago, Skindred supported KISS on their End Of The Road tour in the UK, which marked their final ever UK shows. “You get to do these things, maybe it wasn’t ever a specific ‘first’ in your mind, but suddenly you’re like, “oh my god, we got this opportunity?!”.” Goggins says in disbelief, admitting to still having KISS posters on his wall.
Their previous record, Smile, was released a little over three years ago, which isn’t too long in the music world, but the sound is completely different to You Got This. Working with Jay Ruston was the key to this refreshed sound. “He came into the team, we didn’t know him… we’d done a couple of zooms and we liked his vibe… he had produced some great records, worked with some great people, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re always going to gel.” Luckily for them, they hit it off with Ruston straight away, as he fully understood Skindred’s knack for doing things a little differently. “I believe that it’s our best-sounding record as well, sonically. I feel that Jay takes a lot of the responsibility for that, he’s brilliant.”
While they got along like a house on fire, bringing someone new in at this point in their career was certainly a risk, but one worth taking. “He became part of the family over that time and earned our trust individually… I’ve never worked with someone where they sat in for every aspect of the record like that.”
Skindred’s last Aussie appearance was 2024’s Knotfest. Now, they’re gearing up for the first ever headline tour here. Their music has always resonated with Australian fans, but moreso in recent times and especially with the release of You Got This, which has put them on the map for many new fans. On what excites him most about their return, Goggins says, “Every time we’ve been over there, it feels like a second home, even though we’re never actually headlined there… we always say, ‘we’d love to be massive in Australia, it’d be so fucking cool!’. That’s always been van talk, but now we finally get to come and do a healing run… we’re making up for lost time now, and we’ll be trying to come back as many times as we can.”
It’s no secret that Australian crowds are special, and with a new album under their belt the energy among the audience on this tour will be off the charts. For Goggins, “Can I Get A” is a track that he feels will go off particularly hard Down Under. “It’ll be a special moment because I feel it did really well in the UK, it’s done well in Germany, now it’s your turn to have some of that.”
Skindred’s first ever Australian headline tour kicks off TOMORROW, September 1st. If you’ve ever wanted to experience this band, there is no better time than now. Full of their newfound ‘Skindred Swagger’ and with an entire new album in tow, Skindred are ready to make up for lost time, and we’re ready to give them the kind of Aussie welcome they’ve been 25 years for.
If you’re feeling spontaneous and ready to rock, you can snatch up a couple last-minute tickets HERE.
SKINDRED Tour Dates:
Tuesday 1 September – Magnet House, Perth
Thursday 3 September – The Gov, Adelaide
Friday 4 September – Northcote Theatre, Melbourne
Saturday 5 September – Metro Theatre, Sydney
Sunday 6 September – The Triffid, Brisbane
