"They plays a really nice type of punkrock which i really want to hear more of. " - Skrutt Magazine (Sweden)
http://www.skruttmagazine.se/ Did an interview with Skism, This is a pretty long interview so you'd better settle in. You can go directly to the interview at http://www.skruttmagazine.se/skismsve.htm
Wynn Skism sent me their latest record and a t-shirt to me. They plays a really nice type of punkrock whcih i really want to hear more of. Would like to hear the early records too......may-2021
Tell me the history about Skism?
-Skism originally started in 1989 as “Skism, I the beholder” with Eric Morgan (who was in a band First Order at the time), Pedro Felix and myself as a Punk/Metal Hybrid. It was a brief and tumultuous incarnation and by the time we finished recording it was narrowed down to “Skism”. Everybody had differences on what they wanted to do, and the band disbanded shortly after. Unfortunately Pedro has passed away since then and Eric move on to metal band “Lament” and more recently “A Pale Horse Maned Death” Currently Eric Morgan has a release Theologian Nonextant EP is coming out June 6th and has a project with Eddie Heedles, Johnny Kelly and Corey Glover coming out soon. In the 2000’s, I decided to reform Skism with a friend Peter Wurst on Drums. I played Guitar and Bass (and Albee Damned recorded some guitar track on the “Schism” CD). We were very angry post Clinton Years and already knew the Bush years would be worse and needed to express it. We did a lot of experimental songs on those recordings, and I have mixed feelings about the “Schism” and “Flesh and Blood” Cd’s. And then again in 2020 being sequestered and quarantined, I needed a place to either break things or scream!.. I was contributing to the Mad Mulligans, but I needed to let out more aggressive stuff and Skism “2021” happened.
Which members is in the group now?
-Wynn Skism - Vocals, Guitar, Bass Mike Palmeri - Drums Albee Damned – Guitar, vocals Although we are currently looking for a guitarist because Albee Damned is currently tied up with the Mad Mulligans.
Tell me a little about yourself, you have been to bands like Krays, Wrench etc. I have only some record with Krays, tell me about the other bands you have been to?
-Albee Damned and Jonny Kray and I were the Original Krays. Unfortunately, we split up and I missed out when they reformed, but I always had bragging rights that my bass lines were on their first demo recordings. Wrench, on the other hand gave me the chance to play in Europe. It was a Doom Metal band with some Punk Influence (guess why) thanks to Wrench I go to play in Poland, Hungary, Croatia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Check Republic, etc..
Skism have done some records in the early 2000´s How can I get them, and how do they sound?
-Unfortunately, those recordings are out of print. We were very experimental at the time and the music reflected that, plus we self-released and due our lack of budget the quality wasn’t that good. Not all songs hit the mark, but there’s some good stuff there I probably rerecord in the future. Although, if there is enough demand, we may push Rotten Bastard Records to release them.
Have you ever been to Sweden, what do you know about Sweden, any good bands you like from Sweden??
-Unfortunately, we haven’t been to Sweden yet. I’ve gotten a bit of information about Sweden from a good friend, Ingela, who was modeling here in NY for a while and was nice enough to model for the cover of the “Flesh and Blood” CD… her website is http://swedishexotica.com/
Which countries have had the pleasure to be hearing Skism live?
-Unfortunately, only the US. We crashed and burned a lot.
When you do songs, how do you do, are you jamming together or do someone comes with a lyric and some with the music or how do you do your songs?
-It’s largely someone comes up with an idea, a good structure, then we all get together and make a song out of it.
It seems like your lyrics are important, is there anything you not will write a song about?
-There’s no subject I will not write about, only subjects, I haven’t gotten to yet.
Please tell me a little about the following lyrics
US Nazis fuck off and die,
Trioxin,
Outside the club
Well.. U.S. Nazis was written on January 7th, the day after a group of “American” trump supporters tried to overthrow the election. The sight of fellow Americans waving Nazi and confederate flags and people wearing “Camp Auschwitz” shirts trying to overthrow the election really disgusted me. The song was an expression of my feelings. Trioxon on the other hand came out of my love of horror movies, Return Of The Living Dead, to be precise. When Frank tells the story of how the canisters came to the warehouse, I decided to imagine what a prequel would be and wrote a song about it. Outside the Club, was a lot simpler as I was walking my dog in the middle of winter and it was around -5C (which I’m sure you in Sweden laugh at) and I was thinking, how did I used to hang out in this whether drinking beers in just an MC jacket and jeans!!
Rotten Bastard is it your own label?
-Actually, I take care of the websites and back end stuff.
What does punk mean to you, what got you into punk and how it changed through times?
-Punk is just a name and has become watered down and sub labeled/Sub Genre’s.. Pop Punk, Post Punk, Hardcore, etc.. and largely become overtaken by “punk identifiers or purists” …In reality, if you love punk you know it when you hear it. I like what I like. As for what got me into punk, I started with the well-known stuff like Ramones, Clash, Dead Boys, Misfits, GBH, Sex Pistols, but “The Peel Sessions” really got me into a lot of good stuff and when I heard the Damned and Stiff Little fingers I was hooked. And how has it changed? It’s become a lot less shocking and a lot more PC.
How is it in USA right now, racism, Biden, covid?
-It’s complicated in the USA right now when 40% of Americans refuse to believe in accepted facts like who won the election, did violence happen at the capital, is climate change real, the government is just trying to microchip everyone with the vaccines, etc.. I like Biden. I don’t trust him though. He has to prove himself before I’ll support him. As for racism, I’m really shocked at how much it has shown itself in the US over the past decade. I have always known there were racists out there, but I hadn’t realized how prominent it was.
Beer is expensive in Sweden. I have a very big interest in beer and brew myself? Your favorite beer style? You don´t have an own Skism-beer? If you will have an own beer which type would it be and what would it be called?
-I thought about a Skism beer. I brew my own here as well (usually every Autumn when the temperature cools down). Mostly Stouts and Dark Ale’s. There are some good brew shops in NYC to get ingredients and healthy brewing yeast. But, for the most part I prefer to drink Guinness, I like a good stout. Either that or in NYC we have a local brewery “Brooklyn Lager” which is a dark full-bodied Lager with a great flavor. I’m actually enjoying one now.
Is there any new good bands in USA now?
-I have to say the Krays, and Mad Mulligans (I may be biased there), there’s also a local band called “45 Adapters” that starting to get popular, I quite enjoy.
What is your strength when you play live?
-We always try to put on a good show and have a lively stage presence. I don’t care if it’s 3 people or 3000, we put it all out there.
Which type of people comes to your concerts? Which type of people do you miss?
-Mostly drunks. I do miss some of the assholes who would curse me out while I’m playing then want to hang out and have a few beers when I get off stage. People are complicated.
Do you buy much records, or is it only Spotify and those type of things to listen to music?
-If a band has a Vinyl, there’s a good chance I’ll buy it. Otherwise, I usually listen on streaming services, but if I like the band I’ll almost always buy a CD, I want to support bands that put out good music.. and hopefully… others will support us as well.
Are you selling any records on your gigs, do people buy them?
-Well we haven had any gigs since we reformed due to Covid. Hopefully, they’ll sell when we play live. We’ve been doing pretty good with online sales but selling CD’s at live shows always is a boost to morale.
Do you care about reviews? Which is the most peculiar you ever had, with this band or any other band you have been to?
- The cool thing is to say no, but in reality, everybody does. If someone says they don’t care, it’s a safe bet they are lying. I’m sure there are people out there who truly don’t care, but I haven’t met one yet. I can’t really think of any weird reviews we’ve had, but one of my favorite quotes was “When you listen to their music, you only think of smelly underground New York places full of good punk music and beer!!” – PunkRockMag.com
If you could choose five bands from the past and the history and nowadays and both dead and living bands to have a concert together with your band. Which five have you been chosen?
-If I could jump in a lineup of 5 other bands my choosing it would be.. The Damned GBH The Krays Mad Mulligans Mr Pickle and the LTD
Is music a good way to get out frustration and become a nicer person outside the music?
-Dear god yes!!! It’s the best way to safely releasees frustration. When I didn’t have the musical outlet, I had to find other safe ways to blow off steam, which is why I’ve been training in Kickboxing and jiuJitsu.
What shall a young guy do today to shock their parents as the way we did when we were young? They have already seen everything?
-I´d’ like to come up with something clever like “being a yuppie”, but there’s not much left. I’m sure the younger crowd will figure something out.
Is it boring with interviews? Is it much interviews? What do you prefer Telephone interviews, face to face or as this one via e-mail?
-I haven’t hit that point yet where interviews are boring. It’s probably because we haven’t been asked the same questions a million times yet (or even a hundred). I enjoy an Email questioner because I can have a few drinks whilst filing it out. Other than that, I enjoy the interaction of a radio/video interview.
Five favorite records?
-Damned Damned Damned – the Damned
Walk Among Us – Misfits
GBH City Baby Attacked by Rats
Ramones – Rocket to Russia
Minor threat – Out of Step
Five favorite concerts?
Ramones,
the Damned,
the Who,
GBH,
Dropkick Murphys
Wisdomword?
-“Think”
Something more to add?
-Hope I didn’t ramble too much.
Comments