An interview with SKAGS
An interview with SKAGS
What inspired the name of the band? What are your influences?
The band’s name began as an acronym, formed by the first letters of our member’s names at that time. Since then, inevitably, some members left and other came, but in the meanwhile we decided to keep the name. Actually, the word “skag” is slang for recreational drugs, and such we consider our music, intense and highly addictive.
We all share the love of music, however each one of us has his/her own personal taste. There are some obvious influences in our sound but also quite a few background inspirations. You can see much of Pink Floyd, Radiohead and Porcupine Tree in our compositions, as well as Depeche Mode, Archive, The Gathering, etc. All these influences combined, they create a unique mix of guitar and synth sounds, which are joined by solid drum and bass lines and embraced with ethereal vocals- something apparent in the bands mentioned above.
How do you approach songwriting? Are there any themes that you are keen to explore when you start off?
We admire and support people who fight injustice and discrimination despite the obstacles. Our songs concern a multitude of subjects, mainly social and political, such as discrimination of any kind and the alienation we experience in modern societies.
How do you approach songwriting? Are there any themes that you are keen to explore when you start off?
We admire and support people who fight injustice and discrimination despite the obstacles. Our songs concern a multitude of subjects, mainly social and political, such as discrimination of any kind and the alienation we experience in modern societies.
Why do you write the sort of music that you do?
Art in general and especially music is a strong conveyer of messages and feelings alike. We want our music not to be empty of meaning- on the contrary through our music we strive to discuss various controversial topics. Take for example our album, “Digital Cage Of A Cursed Generation”, which is a metaphor for the contemporary Digital Era. As the music progresses through each track, we portray our take on a variety of social issues we deal with today, such as the environmental crisis, drug addiction, police brutality and even loneliness, alienation and depression. We really want to make a truthful connection with every listener, a sort of a non-typical “conversation”. If, after indulging in our music, any of our listeners’ point of view might slightly change in a positive manner, we ’d consider our job done.
How do you decide what songs to perform live and how do you transpose them into that live setting?
Selecting a playlist is very important in a show. We want our audience to feel part of the performance. We want them to dance, to feel the energy, even shed a tear if it reaches their hearts! So, we try to have all kinds of tracks in our show, starting with powerful songs and putting some ballads in between also. We also like to extend some guitar or keyboard solos or have a nice intro before a well known song. There’s a bunch of stuff that we have for you!
How do you decide what songs to perform live and how do you transpose them into that live setting?
Selecting a playlist is very important in a show. We want our audience to feel part of the performance. We want them to dance, to feel the energy, even shed a tear if it reaches their hearts! So, we try to have all kinds of tracks in our show, starting with powerful songs and putting some ballads in between also. We also like to extend some guitar or keyboard solos or have a nice intro before a well known song. There’s a bunch of stuff that we have for you!
What plans do you have for the future?
Right now, our main priority is to promote our debut album “Digital Cage of A Cursed Generation”. The covid pandemic has set back any plans for live performances, but we hope that all gets back to normal very soon. We really miss playing our songs live!
The band has many plans for the future and only some of them are:
-A release party for our album
-A live videoclip
-A new photography session
-Getting back to the studio in order to record and release our second full album