Rising Australian surf-punk trio Skegss today released the lead single from their eagerly-awaited second album.
Valhalla is an epic track from the album Rehearsal, which will be released on Loma Vista Recordings on March 26.
Formed in Byron Bay, New South Wales, in 2014, Skegss were originally a four-piece, but are now a trimmed-down trio of Toby Cregan (bass), Jonny Lani (drums) and Ben Reed (guitar and vocals).
With their unruly bleached-out locks, they look like typical surfer boys, but produce a hard-to-ignore blend of guitar-laden garage-punk which will appeal to fans of bands like The Vaccines, Fidlar and The Blinders.
The video for Valhalla sees Reed, Cregan and Lani as Vikings, enjoying a gluttonous feast before their own massacre.
Reed says: “I learnt about Valhalla through watching The Last Kingdom and it got me brainstorming about the ideology of it, and thought how sometimes in our life we have moments that are pretty perfect — as perfect as what you’d want the idea of your own nirvana to be.
“Like when you’re having beers with your friends, having big cook-ups that are real fun to share, and we’ve always been lucky enough to have got to do that with (fellow Aussie trio) Dune Rats.
“Valhalla was based on those experiences, but it’s also kind of cryptically about flying under the radar and avoiding getting into any kind of trouble, and staying healthy enough to keep having those times as you get older throughout your life.”
Skegss made their mark with a series of well-received EPs, and their debut album, 2018’s My Own Mess, reached No 2 in the Australian national charts, and was only pipped to best rock album of the year accolade at the 2019 ARIA Music Awards by Amyl and The Sniffers‘ self-titled debut.
Their two most recent EPs, Everyone Is Good At Something and Holiday Food, were re-released together as a vinyl LP last year, and it made No 17 in the chart.
Skegss have built a growing reputation as they’ve taken their lively shows to dingy pubs, skate parks and festivals in the UK, New York and Los Angeles, as well as their home country.
Rehearsal, their first album for Loma Vista Recordings, is a 13-track ride through the band’s laissez-faire lifestyle and sunkissed narratives of love, friendship and youthful musings. It’s available for pre-order HERE.
