skunkhour

Skunkhour were everything you looked for in a band. They could be whatever they wanted to be. Wether playing mellow reggae inspired beats (That’s the Way/Do You Like It), four to the floor rock (Horse/Skeleton) or the infectious simple funk/rock/pop (Home/Kick in the Door), they were visionaries and certainly ahead of their time.The Larkin brothers Del and Aya had a background in ska bands. Guitarist Warwick Scott was influenced by funk and rock. The Sutherland brothers rhythm team played rock and jazz. Common influences for all musicians were reggae, 1970s funk (James Brown, Funkadelic) and hip hop. They joined together to become Skunk, and later, Skunkhour, named after the poem by Robert Lowell.Managing to sound International and uniquely Australian at the same time. Skunkhour were one of the first bands where you could hear a rapper with a distinct and unashamedly proud Aussie accent, a whole decade before the whole skip hop movement was busted open by the ‘Hilltop Hoods’. Vocally and lyrically on the earlier stuff, the Juxtaposition and complementation of both Del’s rhymes and Aya’s melodies fit seamlessly. Lyrically thought provoking, wether it was tales of mateship, society or Mother Earth in ALL her forms. The message was always complimented by the music, commercially appealing yet they managed to worm out some of the most wicked grooves and rhymes fuelled by the musical intuitiveness of both sets of brothers , On Vocals, the Larkin’s, Aya (Vocals)/ Del (Rapping) and the rhythm section of the Sutherland’s, Michael (drums)/ Dean (bass).Complex and so simple.It was live when all these pieces fit together… the songs easily surpassed their recorded counterparts. With the energy exchanged between both band and crowd and the strength of the bands musicianship guaranteed you always left a gig hoarse, sweaty and smiling.In early 1993, Skunkhour supported UK acid-jazz outfit Galliano on an Australian tour, and then issued their debut, self-titled album featuring JJJ favourites ‘Booty Full’, ‘Do you like it’ and live favourites ‘Echidna’ and ‘The Sheep of Sam Clams Disco’.In ’94 Skunkhour released two e.p.’s. ‘State’ and ‘McSkunk’, with both title tracks to re-emerge on 1995’s ‘Feed’. As with all their single releases, they both contained a treasure trove of B-Sides featuring remixes and new tracks.With a shit load of live gigs under their belt Skunkhour had refined their sound, took all the bands musical ideas, lyrical themes and expanded on them … and in 1995 were the proud parents of their 2nd album ‘Feed’. JJJ grabbed a tight hold of the album and the single ‘Up to our necks in it’, which made into the hottest 100 that year. With the radio support and rock a solid reputation as a live band, Skunkhour took to the road and must’ve played every beer barn and festival in Australia.In 1996 Del, left to work for Walt Disney as a graphic artist. Two ‘Farewell to Del gigs’ at Bondi RSL to commemorate the occasion…. It was the end of an era.Reborn like a phoenix from the ashes, 1997 saw the release of the band’s 3rd studio album ‘Chin Chin’, minus the rap/hip hop stylings of Del and with the addition of Chris Simms on percussion adding an extra soundscape. To Skunkhour’s credit they took the opportunity to expand and explore on their established sound. A sleeker, dreamier and more soulful sound was born.On the bands last CD ‘The Go” The band stripped themselves back bare musically and kept it real simple. Simple soul, simple funk, simple pop and simple rock… combined and blended with fun naivety and a worldly maturity at the same time. Perfect. This sentiment was echoed by the public, with Skunkhour earning a place in the ‘JJJ hottest 100’ in 1999 with ‘home’ and again in 2000 with ‘kick in the door’.After almost 10 years, four albums and over 1200 live shows in Australia and overseas, much to the disappointment of their fans the members of Skunkhour decided to call it a day. In November 2001 Skunkhour played two final shows at Balmain Leagues Club dubbed ‘The Big Goodbye’. These two very special performances saw the band reunited on stage with Brother Del. Throughout their career it would seem their path to stardom was paved. Although successful by most Australian bands standards, huge success in Australia seemed to elude them. Stardom could have been so simple for a band like Skunkhour, but in a self sabotaging kinda sense, their quest to keep themselves and their music honest kept them always skirting on the fringes.Their catalogue stands as a testament to their integrity.Selfishly, as a fan, huge success eluding them was one of the greatest things that happened to the band… every show was a special event and everyone that was there, was there for the band and the music… and there is no one better to have a boogie next to than a skunkhour fan. They get the message… They get the music… they get the ideology….Span style="text-align:center;position:absolute; background-repeat:no-repeat; height:32px; width:100%;left:0px;top:200px