Skegss

Skegss
Origin Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia
Genres
Labels
Website skegss.com
Members
  • Toby Cregan
  • Jonny Lani
  • Ben Reed
Past members
  • Noa Deane

Skegss are an Australian surf music and garage rock trio originally from Byron Bay. Their line-up is Toby Cregan on bass guitar, Jonny Lani on drums and Ben Reed on lead vocals and guitar. They have released several extended plays and toured both nationwide and internationally. Skegss made headlines after accusing Reese-Lil Yachty of copying the cover art for that collaboration's single, "Do It", from the Australian group's five-track EP, 50 Push Ups for a Dollar (October 2015).

History

Skegss were formed in Byron Bay in 2013 as a surf music and garage rock quartet by Toby Cregan (a.k.a. Toby Two String) on bass guitar, Noa Deane on guitar, Jonny Lani (a.k.a. Johnny Layback) on drums and Ben Reed (a.k.a. Ben Ben Bograil) on lead vocals and guitar.[1] Lani and Reed were childhood friends and reconnected in 2014, "the pair began playing shows for 'a hundred bucks and a couple of beers wherever we could'."[2]

For their debut single, "L.S.D." (July 2014), they were described by Stab Magazine's writer as, "A band without complex. It's just as you hear, a slack rock band, that remind you of walking bare feet, being sunburned with stiff hair thanks to sea salt."[1] Cregan explained the track's title, "The song is called 'L.S.D' but not like acid, more like, Live.Sleep.Die."[1] They followed with a set of performances in Sydney and southern Queensland in August.[3] Chris Singh of AU.Review opined fans could expect, "a sound which is deceptively casual; a well-crafted ode to those with a more laid-back approach to life."[3]

Their second single, "Rock 'N' Roll Radio", appeared in October, which Singh's associate Paul McBride observed, "shows you how easy it is to make a simple and laid-back rock and roll track."[4] By April 2015 Deane had left Skegss to concentrate on his surfing career. The group continued as a trio and issued a self-titled EP. They commenced a tour of North America at the end of that month taking dates in California, New York City and Toronto.[5]

Upon return to Australia, in June, they were signed with Ratbag Records, run by Brisbane-based surf musicians, Dune Rats, and distributed by Warner Music.[6][7] Skegss first EP for the Ratbag label, 50 Push Ups for a Dollar, appeared in October 2015, with a track, "Fun", issued as a single in July.[8]

Skegss next EP, Everyone Is Good at Something, was released as a seven-track effort in July 2016.[9] James Tait of Howl and Echoes felt, "they look to push their career to further heights with the release of their sophomore EP... [they] happen to be fantastically talented at making punk rock: three honest chords on sun-bleached guitars, chugging rhythms and lyrics reflecting both the debauchery and uncertainty of themselves and the young crowds they manage to wow over on an almost nightly basis."[9]

Kill Your Stereo's Peyton Bernhardt rated it at 75 out-of 100 and explained, "[it] plays out as an existential crisis that an indie rock aficionado may have amid a quintessentially Australian social setting... [they] are the Pharrell Williams of Aussie beach-rock, spreading the happiness around like a contagious virus that you’d be goddamn lucky to catch."[10]

The group issued their next single, "Spring Has Sprung", in December 2016, which theMusic.com.au's staff writer opined, "[it] is everything you could want from a raw, DIY punk anthem, with angst-fuelled sing-alongs imminent as we approach festival season."[11] They followed with another five-track EP, Holiday Food, in April 2017.[12]

Its lead single, "Got on My Skateboard", was issued a month earlier, with Andrew Massie of The Rockpit, expressing the view, "Wrapped in driving drums with an instantly memorable hook that'll earworm you for days, [it] bleeds nostalgia of years gone by and the notion that you should take advantage of being young to make sure you don't ever regret things you didn't do, rather than those that you did."[13] They undertook a headlining tour, in June, to promote the album's release.[12][14] "Got on My Skateboard" was listed at No. 39 on the Triple J Hottest 100, 2017.[15]

Members

Current members

Past members

  • Noa Deane - guitar (2013-April 2015)

Discography

Album

Title Details Peak chart positions
AUS
My Own Mess
  • Released: 7 September 2018
  • Label: Ratbag Records/Warner
  • Formats: CD, digital download, vinyl
 2

Extended play

Title Details Peak chart positions
Skegss
  • Released: 22 April 2015
  • Label: Released independently
  • Formats: Digital download
 N/A
50 Pushups for a Dollar
  • Released: 16 October 2015
  • Label: Ratbag Records/Warner Music
  • Formats: Digital download
Everyone is Good at Something
  • 15 July 2016
  • Label: Ratbag Records/Warner Music
  • Formats: CD, digital download
Holiday Food
  • 7 April 2017
  • Label: Ratbag Records/Warner Music
  • Formats: CD, digital download, vinyl

Singles

Title Year Album
"L.S.D" 2014 Non-album single
"Fun" (stylised as "FUN") 2015 50 Pushups For a Dollar
"Spring Has Sprung" 2016 Holiday Food
"Got On My Skateboard" 2017
"Up In The Clouds" 2018 My Own Mess
"Smogged Out"

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Watch: Skegss – "LSD"". Stab Magazine. 31 July 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  2. ↑ Nail, Jonny (18 April 2017). "Future Is Now: Skegss". Rolling Stone. Australia. Archived from the original on 28 April 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  3. 1 2 Singh, Chris (5 August 2014). "New Music Video: Skegss 'L.S.D' (2014)". theAU.Review. Heath Media. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  4. ↑ McBride, Paul (24 October 2014). "Single Stream: Skegss 'Rock 'N' Roll Radio' (2014)". theAU.Review. Heath Media. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  5. ↑ Angeles, Jana (23 April 2015). "Aussies Abroad: Skeggs, Starlight Theatre, Smith Street, the Red Paintings, Twin Lakes, True Vibenation and Courtney Barnett Reveal International Tour Dates!". theAU.Review. Heath Media. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  6. ↑ Moskovitch, Greg (15 July 2015). "Dune Rats Are Starting a Record Label, Meet Their First Signing". Tone Deaf. Seventh Street Media. Archived from the original on 22 July 2015.
  7. ↑ Mathieson, Craig (14 March 2017). "Dune Rats Race to Top of ARIA Chart with New Album". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  8. ↑ Jenke, Tyler (23 April 2017). "Byron Bay's Skegss Have Had Their Artwork Ripped off by a US Rapper". Tone Deaf. Seventh Street Media.
  9. 1 2 Tait, James (15 July 2016). Lauren Ziegler, ed. "Skegss Distill Punk to Its Essence on New EP Everyone Is Good At Something". Howl and Echoes. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  10. ↑ Bernhardt, Peyton (17 July 2016). Alex Sievers, ed. "Skegss – Everyone Is Good at Something". Kill Your Stereo. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  11. ↑ staff writer (30 November 2016). "Skegss Lock Down 'Spring Has Sprung' Single Tour". theMusic.com.au. Street Press Australia. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  12. 1 2 staff writer (4 April 2017). "Skegss Announce Holiday Food Tour Dates, Drop Vid Featuring Aaron Gocs". theMusic.com.au. Street Press Australia. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  13. ↑ Massie, Andrew (28 February 2017). "Skeggs drop new track 'Got On My Skateboard'". The Rockpit. Australia. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  14. ↑ "Skegss' No Future Is Here". The Northern Star. News Corp Australia. 28 September 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  15. ↑ "1–100 Hottest 100 2017". Triple J (Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)). Retrieved 24 April 2018.
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