Skimmed's Crowning Glories
Sunday 20 September 2009 (Michael Bugeja - The Sunday Times of Malta)
It's already mind-boggling enough to try and suss out what prompts a band to call itself Skimmed, let alone try to section the curious canine visual that presents itself on the front cover of this upcoming band's debut CD. As it turns out there's no deep meaning behind the choice of name, although all the band members seem to agree that it's a much better name than Fade, the moniker that an early formation of the band went by. The visual on the afore-mentioned CD cover, on the other hand, speaks volumes. "The dog in the picture is my pet Cocker Spaniel", guitarist Daniel Borg says when I ask about the obvious collage. "Well, actually the front half is; the back end is a totally different dog", he laughs. The over-sized crown on the dog's head however, is where the real message lies; a visual extension of the CD's ego-bashing title - Your Head Is Too Big For Your Crown.
Before I have time to even ask if they had anyone in my mind when they thought up this rather provoking title, Alexandra Aquilina, the band's singer and - as I am soon to find out, their primary mouthpiece - quickly explains that “Yes, there are certain persons in mind; no, I’m not telling who” before adding that the statement could practically be applied to quite a large number of people on this tiny island of ours. Aquilina, in case you haven't sussed out yet, doesn't mince words. "That is who I am", she continues, “I know being too direct can make some enemies, but I don't see myself changing". Borg and bassist Fede Cilia, though not as openly vocal as Aquilina, nod in agreement, and then burst out laughing as if to confirm that being outspoken is sort of a requisite in the Skimmed camp.
I meet Skimmed, well, three of its members - drummer Iommi Underwood is still at work and will be joining us later - in their humble but cosy rehearsal space in Birkirkara. The day of the CD launch, during which Skimmed will perform live after an opening performance by Brikkuni, is drawing near and the band is understandably excited about the whole thing. Surely it must be a bit daunting to take the stage after Brikkuni on your big day? “Not really”, Aquilina begs to differ, “we chose to perform alongside Brikkuni because it is a band we all admire. We want this occasion to be as much fun as possible for everyone who turns up and having Brikkuni there will help us reach our aim”. Her fellow band members concur. “We’ve wanted to do something with Brikkuni for some time now” says Borg. “We are aware of the clashing musical styles, but we’re confident the mix will work well and make the event a success”.
This level of confidence certainly marks a remarkable advancement from the inexperienced line-up that took to the tiny stage at (the now-defunct) Naasha just over two years ago. "Oh, we definitely remember that gig" Aquilina remarks, "Our first thoughts were that it was great, but in hindsight, we all agree it wasn't our best moment. We probably put a lot of people off our music as we were still a bit green then". Determined as they were (and are), Skimmed took the feedback they got from that gig - both good and bad - and used it to strengthen their confidence and their musical aspirations. As Aquilina puts it, "We hope that the people who saw that gig will still turn up to see us now and appreciate the difference". Skimmed may not care about making enemies on a personal level, but when it comes to music, they want to strike a chord with their audience just like everyone else.
By their own admission (if their online biography is to be believed), Skimmed's origins can be traced back to dark bars, weak drinks and odd smells. They laugh when I mention this, obviously not expecting anyone would ask for an explanation. I don't really, but I am interested in what prompted these young people to form a band. "I think we were about 16 years old. I knew Fede from school and he used to hang out with the punks, so I kept pestering him to form a band", Borg recalls. Cilia was reluctant at first but eventually gave in and Fade was born.
Several member changes later Borg and Cilia recognised a like-minded alternative soul in Aquilina. In truth, she had relatively only just started to dig indie music at the time, but she embraced it wholeheartedly and the first real roots of Skimmed started to take shape. After several drummer changes - they are hard enough to come by and even harder to click with musically - the band recruited Iommi Underwood, formerly of The Dominoes. A passionate fan of the nouveau-indie scene and a huge Arctic Monkeys fan, Underwood was a perfect fit for the cohesive factor that Skimmed were looking to complete.
Apart from playing in their own band, all of them are also keen gig-goers, and it was after watching key bands of Malta's later-day alternative scene, among them Lumiere, Totema and Dripht that the spark to form a band had grown stronger. "In the early days our music was very Nirvana-influenced, but over time, we developed our own sound", Borg says when I ask about their influences. "I discovered Nirvana in my father's collection and I was hooked". The band's sound today though has branched out and grown. As the band's current single Can't Stop, which is floating around the top end of most local radio charts, clearly shows, Skimmed have managed to find a balance between punk, indie pop and..."Lene Lovich"?
This suggestion is tendered by none other than drummer Iommi Underwood, who has barely been in the studio five minutes but is evidently keen to get involved. He probably wasn't even born when Lovich released her 1979 hit single Lucky Number, but he promptly tells me his parents are big music fans and have quite a record collection. I have to admit there is a bit of Lovich’s leftfield vocal delivery in Aquilina’s particular vocal style, but more than anything, I recognise traits of Alison from Beangrowers in Aquilina’s quieter moments and of Lisa from The Areola Treat when she's belting out the hard stuff. As more comparisons are bandied about and disputed, Aquilina points out that the particular vocal dynamics I am referring to were actually thought up by Borg, not her, which kind of turns the whole discussion on its head. Who needs Lovich when they’ve got Borg?
Aquilina also mentions that live, the music actually has a stronger grunge presence that isn't as obvious on the recordings. A case of "old habits die hard" perhaps, but a listen to the eight tracks on the upcoming CD does suggest that quite some attention to detail has been applied in the studio. Recorded with David Vella at Temple Studios, the CD bounces various musical elements that stretch all the way from the gritty drive of Bored Games to the shifting skank of Victory Kitchen and the retro rock 'n roll backbeat on Johnny. Without a doubt, the songs on the CD share a common element that transcends style or vision. It is an incessant energy that ripples powerfully from each song’s core, merging itself with the strong melodic slant that defines the music and lends it a broad appeal that should establish Skimmed’s songs beyond the alternative scene, and there’s more. “Just wait till you hear the new songs” Borg tells me “They’re even better”. And to prove it to me, right after we finish the interview, they plug in and treat me to a preview of three brand new tunes which I’m positive will be in the setlist for Skimmed’s gig this Friday.