New indie music review with Skinny Lister and Wombo

Our weekly fix of the best new indie music as Julia Mason brings us her reviews of Skinny Lister and Wombo.

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Artist: Skinny Lister

Track: Down On The Barrier

Photo Skinny Lister

There are some songs that seem so blindingly obvious you wonder why they haven’t been the inspiration for hundreds of songs.

And so it is with the new single Down On The Barrier from London folk/shanty punks Skinny Lister which worships at the altar of live music and preaches the good word of punk rock.

There will be many a gig-goer who understands that live music can be a spiritual experience.

“Take me to my church I need to confess.

Chime the decibels and beat from the chest.

Oh my communion, unholy communion, Roaring out the gospel ‘we shall be blessed’…

Let’s get down, down on the barrier”

This is a rabble-rousing track, full of the exuberance of the Skinny Lister live experience. The chorus demands to be roared-out loud and proud, as the crowd shouts as one about the communal experience of being at a gig. Skinny Lister bring the party big time to their music and Down On The Barrier is no exception. With Pogues style hooks, thrashing percussion and thumping drums this is music to shake off the shackles and simply be free to have the time of your life at the gig.

Expanding on the message behind their euphoric new track frontman Dan Heptinstall says: "Music is a kind of religion to many gig goers, and in Down On The Barrier we’ve tried to capture that feeling. The church in this case is the venue, the sermon is the song and the preacher the artist. It’s a nod to those almost spiritual moments when we gather to enjoy some communal rock ’n’ roll worship, as well as a healthy dose of support, release and camaraderie. See you down on the barrier!"

The band also announce both a UK and Ireland tour and North American for Winter 2023. Having just completed a headline tour in the UK and an extensive support tour across the US with Flogging Molly, Skinny Lister will be heading to the east coast of America and Canada for a tour with label-mates PET NEEDS and Bandaid Brigade in October and November. They then head home to 15 towns around the UK and Ireland throughout November and December 2023.

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Artist: Wombo

Track: Thread

Photo Fallon Frierson

Indie rock trio Wombo share new single Thread from their new EP, Slab, set for release on Friday 9 June via Fire Talk.

Originally made to be a solo piece on piano, Thread is filled with unassuming layers that transform the song’s outward simplicity into something both transient and spellbinding.

Wombo, from Louisville, Kentucky recently came off a string of UK dates including London’s iconic Moth Club, Great Escape Festival, Dot to Dot festival and Edinburgh’s Hidden Door festival. Their experimental doses of surrealist escapism have garnered fans as they have toured the UK and on Thread their stripped-down soundscape meanders beautifully.

Lead singer and bassist Sydney Chadwick provides a low-key delivery which perfectly combines with the instrumentation. Beguiling and enchanting Thread is a low-fi indie gem, calming and yet weaving its magic to draw the listener in.

Sydney expands further on the new single: “Thread was originally just a little thing I used to play on piano. I showed Joel and Cameron one day when we were messing around at practice and they persuaded me to try and put some words to it and helped me turn it into a song we could play together as a band.”

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