Skunkhour
| Skunkhour | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Skunk |
| Origin | Lismore, New South Wales, Australia |
| Genres | Alternative rock, acid jazz, hip hop, funk |
| Years active | 1991–2001, 2009, 2013, 2014 |
| Labels | Beast, Id/Mercury, Acid Jazz/Sony, Epic, Universal |
| Members |
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| Past members |
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Skunkhour are an Australian funk rock band that were formed in Sydney in 1991. They released four studio albums, Skunkhour (July 1993), Feed (April 1995), Chin Chin (July 1997) and The Go (May 2001) before disbanding in November 2001. Feed peaked at No. 21 on the ARIA Albums Chart while Chin Chin reached No. 34. Four of the groups songs, "Up to Our Necks in It" (1995), "Weightlessness" (1997), "Home" (1999), and "Kick in the Door" (2000) were listed in the annual Triple J Hottest 100. The group has reformed periodically since 2009 for occasional concerts and festival appearances.
Skunkhour began as an urban funk band with the Sutherland brothers—Dean on bass guitar and Michael on drums—and Warwick Scott on lead guitar. They relocated to Sydney by 1992 and were joined by the Larkin brothers—Aya on lead vocals and Del as a rapper—both of whom had a background in ska bands. Del's departure in late 1996 marked a stylistic shift from funk and rap to more melodic funk-based rock.
Skunkhour formed in 1991 as an urban funk group in Sydney, originally named Skunk, with the line-up of Warwick Scott on lead guitar, Dean Sutherland on bass guitar and his brother, Michael Sutherland on drums. They were named Skunk to evince a combined "sound of funk and ska, which are major influences".
In early 1992, the "Skunk" trio met Larkin brothers, Aya and Del, and thus the search for vocalists was complete. After a few gigs the Larkins joined the band—renamed Skunkhour after a 1958 poem of the same name by American Robert Lowell—with Aya on lead vocals and Del as a rapper. Their style reflected the members' diverse backgrounds: the Larkins had played in ska bands, Scott was influenced by funk and rock, the Sutherlands had played rock and jazz, while all five were influenced by reggae, 1970s funk and hip hop.
They gained popularity on the Sydney live music scene and by early 1993 they supported United Kingdom acid jazz group, Galliano, on a local tour. Skunkhour signed with independent label, Beast Records, to release their self-titled debut album by July that year, which they had self-produced. Steve Corby of The Canberra Times described their sound as "a layer of thumping bass and drums followed by a thick layer of funk, a hint of grunge and an icing of jazz, all wrapped up by a rap vocal". He reported that they had supported gigs by INXS and by Beastie Boys. An extended play, Booty Full, followed in September. Paul Searles joined soon after on keyboards.
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