SKIES
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| SKIES |
Interview & Review
SKIES band members Alie and Jericho have single-handily created what is now their sound. Through a small period of what sounds like an awkward experimental stage with songs like Hold On (2016), Feel Like It (2015), Leave Me (2015), and Lines (2015). That stage brought up what they seemed to sound like now; Drone (2015), Live Outside (2018), and Green (2017). What Drone has that Leave Me doesn't have is a raw and original sound. A sound that is similar to sound like a two-piece like Twenty One Pilots but also a four-piece like Coldplay. All these songs seem to create their newest album "X", which is an incredible masterpiece the two have released this year (2018). "Since I was a kid I knew I always wanted to write songs and be in a band. I started my first band when I was in primary school and I carried on from there" says Alie. Jericho said the same for him, adding that "it’s always been part of our lives." SKIES began on August 1st, 2015 with their first album, If You Feel Like It, remarkably came out the same year. The third song on that album, Drone, was remixed by Amethyst and The Walton Hoax and released as an individual single a year later. It wasn't until 2 years into their journey until their most popular songs got them on the many Spotify playlists it is on today.
The album from 2017, We Fear Change, came with success. Today, two songs from that album are on their top 5; Green has reached over 110k listens and Dead has reached over 100k listens. Their most listened to song is Drone- The Walton Hoax Remix. But what is not surprising to me, is the fact that the rest of the 5 is made up of X songs. Dusk has been listened to just under 50k listens and Pills (a personal favorite of mine) has reached under 10k listens.
While their songs can come across as focusing on mental health issues, a lot is actually about "relationships or illness or mortality. We've had some people message us and say that our songs have really helped them (fight mental problems) and it really means a lot and makes the songs mean that bit more to us" Alie tells me. She states her songs are written based off of conversations she hears off-hand.
"I tend to just pick up lines from overhearing conversations. Sometimes I get inspired by films but I mainly write a whole song based on one line I heard or thought of."
-Alie
"I try my best to pick out the emotions within Alie’s lyrics and try to translate that into the way I write the music."
-Jericho
Jericho tells me that he is growing a good fanbase, with listeners on Spotify from "all around the world which is really incredible. Obviously, Kent is where we are probably best known but we've toured a couple of times with The Slow Readers Club who are from Manchester so we're steadily working our way around the UK and enjoying every second of it!" Alie mentions that their Twenty One Pilots influence was delayed because they didn't hear about them after they started their band. "We were a 5 piece at the time and found a lot of courage from watching them play as a two-piece, it made us think it was possible to have a big sound and still be a two piece. We work hard to fill the stage and we like to think we have just as much energy as a four-piece would!"
As for my personal favorite song, "Pills is a song about being caught in a difficult situation you can't get out of, like a relationship or an addiction. (It's like) trying to find the right way out, not just the easy way out." Interesting.......
"I think the latest songs we write always mean a bit more at the time" Jericho. Alie says X is her favorite song they've released, "it feels like it sums up how I feel about life right now." As for the future, the duo is preparing to open for The Joiners (9/19/2018) and play at shows in Leeds (9/22/2018), Bristol (9/20/2018), and Nottingham (9/25/2018) all in the UK. So apparently, there is no USA tour yet 😒.
I would thank Alie and Jericho for the continued communication, and I really am sure that will be sustained further down the road! I will certainly keep you guys updated on this upcoming UK act!!
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| X (2018) Facebook- SKIES (Photos) |
Overview: ★★★★3/4
X: ★★★★★
Live Outside: ★★★★1/4
We Fear Change: ★★★★1/2
If You Feel Like It- EP: ★★★★1/4
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