Band of Skulls bring their Killer songs to Record Store Day

The hard-rocking Hampshire trio played an in-store gig for the store on Record Store Day in 2013.

But as they prepare to release their fourth album By Default, the band are coming back to play in the street and debut some of their new material as part of the line-up of live music to mark the annual event, which also includes The Smoke Fairies and the revived local legends Emptifish.

Bassist and singer Emma Richardson told WOW247: ‘Being able to support a record store is always a great thing. And Pie and Vinyl is thriving, which says a lot in this day and age with our present culture, so any support we can give to guys like that, we will try.

‘Last time we did a couple of acoustic versions of our new songs. It was the first time we’d played them out live, even though it was these sort of stripped-down versions. It will be great to do a similar thing this time around with these new songs.

‘We’re still figuring out how we’re going to play them. I don’t think it’s going to be full-on, but It’ll be great to showcase the new material. I don’t know how that’s going to happen yet.’

So far fans have only heard the single Killer. But for the new album, due out on May 27, they worked with producer Gil Norton who has manned the desk for such heavy-hitters as The Pixies, FooFighters and Throwing Muses.

‘It was a really great experience,’ says Emma. ‘We went back to Rockfield Studios which was where we did our second record, Sweet Sour. It was great to go back to that studio – it’s in the middle of nowhere in Wales, so it’s a good place to get your head down and get on with it.

‘Gil’s an amazingly intelligent and astute producer and he really got our band, I think.

‘He’s worked with a lot of great names, so it was a pleasure to see how he works. He became part of the band for a month or two.

‘Last year was mainly spent writing and recording. It’s been a bit of a luxury this time, we’ve had a bit more time to really write a lot more songs and have more to choose from and make this one the best one yet.’

While the trio – completed by Matt Hayward and Russell Marsden – have purposefully remained as a three-piece, they are looking to add an extra player for the first time when they hit the road on this campaign.

‘It’s very exciting, we’re in the process of rehearsing up for the live shows. We’re going through each song and working out what we need to add in or take away at the moment, it’s that next stage.

‘It’s all done and all ready to be released, we’re just waiting for that now. It’s a bit odd, we’re a bit in limbo, but there’s lots to do. We’re not lost for jobs.

‘It’s just the three of us who write and record and because we all write and play different instruments it’s kind of nice to keep it to us three. It’s hard enough to work out who plays what on some things.

‘But we will be having someone join us with the live side of it this time, one of our friends. We’re trying to expand our sound a little, so it does help to have the option to do that.

‘If you limit yourself too far you can’t progress, so we’ve got to that point now where we need someone.’

Castle Road, Southsea

Saturday, April 16

pieandvinyl.co.uk________________________________________________________________

THE FULL LINE-UP OF LIVE MUSIC IN CASTLE ROAD, SOUTHSEA

SATURDAY

9am: Bleeding Heart Pigeons, Acoustic performance for people queuing

Midday: Plastic Mermaids

1pm:Smoke Fairies

2pm: Band Of Skulls

3pm: Blaenavon

4pm: Emptifish

5pm: Spaff Tits

6pm: Sacha Day

SUNDAY

Midday: Temples Of Youth

1pm: Ellie Ford Band

2pm: The Boy I Used To Be

3pm: Left With Pictures

4pm: New Desert Blues

5pm:Sink or Soar

6pm: Misgivings