British rock icons SKUNK ANANSIE have released the striking video for their new single ‘Shame’. A deeply personal song for lead singer Skin, reflecting her family background, the video is a cathartic expression of her exorcising past demons.
Skin says, “‘Shame’ is one of the most personal songs we’ve ever written. Many of us feel or get unconnected to our families because of the lives we need to lead in order to be happy; sometimes they just can’t understand who we are if we are not like them and there’s a lot of shame and hurt in that. ‘Shame’ is dedicated to those outcasts, to those kids that go on to find new families that support & love them, give them hope and help them find true contentment.”
The song is taken from the UK Top 10 album The Painful Truth. A mesmerising, provocative, powerful and emotional collection, it is the sound of Skunk Anansie facing up to who they are and what they want to become. It is more than an album title. It is a reality that they have lived through and has been greeted by rapturous reviews.
Skunk Anansie are currently on tour in Europe.
JULY
11 - Marostica Summer Festival, Marostica (Vicenza), Italy
12 - Villa Bertelli Festival, Forte dei Marmi, Italy
13 - Brescia Summer Festival, Brescia, Italy
15 - Garage, Saarbruken, Germany
16 - Wiltz Castle Festival, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
17 - Zwarte Cross, Lichtenvoorde, Netherlands
19 - Frischluft Open Air, Linz, Austria
20 - SRC Salata, Zagreb, Croatia
22 - Paleo Festival, Nyon, Switzerland
25 - Hills of Rock, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
27 - Arenele Romane, Bucharest, Romania
AUGUST
10 - Gunnersbury Park, London, UK*
14 - Colchester Castle, Colchester, UK*
29 - Festival Do Crato, Crato, Portugal
30 - Barrelas Summer Fest, Vila Nova de Paiva, Portugal
* Supporting Smashing Pumpkins
Full details for all live performances can be found at www.skunkanansie.com
THE PAINFUL TRUTH REVIEWS
“Has a raw, experimental feel… creating a record that has a bleak, sonically rich beauty” – MOJO
“From proudly queer love songs to spine-tingling piano weepies to stadium-sized lust confessionals this is Skunk Anansie’s most musically ambitious album yet… lively, adventurous, emotionally raw” – Classic Rock
“Confronts issues with candour and defiance. Songs hurtle through electronic rock, ska, dub and even tinkling pianos in moods from urgent to ethereal [with a] sense of creative rejuvenation” – The Guardian
“Defiant synth-punk… they dabble in dub, rock and disco. [Skin’s] voice is still stunning” – Daily Mirror
“Vibrant and vital… a band reborn” – Daily Star
“Vocals are delivered with a defiant energy. With tightly wound basslines and a thumping drum track [announcing] them as a band full of vigour despite 30 years in the business” – The Sun
“[An] extraordinary new album” – The Independent
“The Painful Truth adds an electronic edge to the band’s bracing rock and Skin’s typically British lyrics… With Skin equally adept as a balladeer and full-blown rock diva, Skunk Anansie are a band reborn” – Daily Mail
“Skunk Anansie’s very fine new album” – Daily Telegraph
“Skunk Anansie's most vital and inventive album in years… they’ve taken everything that made them special in the first place – the punk attitude, the driving rock melodies, and frontwoman Skin’s incredible voice – and rearranged it all into something thrillingly fresh and recognisably now…. Skunk Anansie at the absolute peak of their powers” – Metal Hammer
“The Painful Truth sounds eye-openingly fresh for a band with such history… shinier, more expansive, less guitar reliant, and frankly as good as anything they’ve done… mixing ska with rock, electronics and synths with throbbing bass and disarming melodies” – Kerrang!
“A return that is determined, defiant and thrilling” – Songwriting Magazine
“An immensely strong album that will only grow in appreciation and stature” – Powerplay
“A record that shows Skunk Anansie as true masters of their art” – Devolution