Clarisse Cornish talked to The Skinner Brothers frontman Zac (Skinner) about social media, music and making it (and much more).
The Skinner Brothers shot to indie-fan recognition after supporting The Libertines on tour shortly after forming in 2018. They went on to support The Streets and Kasabian on tour. And, just this year they played Reading, headlined two of their own tours and released a new album Soul Boy II.
So Zac and co are really cutting it up. And musically too: their indie-rock sound adds in soul and hip hop, and, in their recent single “Soul Boy”, an electronic-dance vibe.
But Zac’s story is not one of easy success. His music career has developed through sheer doggedness. After moving to London on his own aged 18 to get started in music, he spent years practising while working in retail to survive.
“I went and got a job. I didn’t go study or nothing. I got a job in Boots for years and just worked there and tried to learn how to play music in my room – it was f**ked man, it was bad news… I just kept playing and playing.”
Notably, Zac still explains his drive through fear of a life working in the Co-Op.
Despite live performance success (punctuated by Covid) it’s clear Zac wants to keep perspective on the band’s musical progression.
“The first tour was great; we didn’t really know what we were doing and sort of winged it, then we got some good festivals and that, we were getting a bit more – not confident – but a bit more set in our ways”
Am I buying this modesty? Well yes I am. Because Zac is genuine, himself.
You can see this on the band’s social media. Zac runs it, constantly promoting the band’s music and entertaining fans on Twitter and TikTok. Online he’s no marketing robot. He’s authentically himself and occasionally ruffles feathers because of it.
Recently and amusingly, he poked the bear that is One Direction fans when he mildly criticized the street cred of bands touring with ex One Direction singer Louis Tomlinson.
“I put that tweet up without thinking about it. I’ve got out of the [motorway service station] and checked my phone and had loads of f**king people on me. I called my manager and was like what do I do?!”
The Skinner Brothers are one of the most down to earth and hardworking bands in the industry today. Over ten years of chipping away now seems to be paying off for Zac.
Perhaps he would reject the idea: but for working-class kids looking to break into the industry he is a f-word spitting, grinning, never-stop-working, musically monomaniacal role model.
After you watch my extended interview with Zachary…
where should you get started listening to The Skinner Brothers?
I recommend their album “Soul Boy II” below:
And their most recent tune “Soul Boy”:
