SKUNK ANANSIE Announces New Album 'The Painful Truth'

British rock icons SKUNK ANANSIE will release their seventh studio album, “The Painful Truth”, on May 23 via FLG Records. To celebrate the band will be playing a very special headline show on day of release, just outside Bristol.

Alongside the news of the album comes the release of the second single to be taken from it, titled “Cheers”. The striking lyric video for the single was created by SKUNK ANANSIE bassist Cass‘s godson Miles Liverpool.

“The Painful Truth” is a truly mesmerizing, provocative, powerful and emotional album demonstrating a band at the absolute peak of their powers, yet with everything to prove.

“I don’t care that we were big in the Nineties,” states SKUNK ANANSIE vocalist Skin. “Creatively it’s irrelevant because in my rock bible the first commandment states, “If thy rest on them laurels, thy shall wither up and die artistically, musically, mentally. And then financially.'”

And for Skin the past counts for nothing. Even when you’ve been a band for 30 years and history seems on your side. “The Painful Truth” 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.

A combination of parenthood, illness, and the departure of their longstanding manager seemed to conspire against them and add to their uncertainty, forcing singer Skin, guitarist Ace, bass player Cass and drummer Mark to question their place in the world as a band, as well as their own personal ambitions. For a while, they came close to calling it a day.

Unsure of what to do, and failing to write on zoom, the four-piece retreated post-Covid to a farmhouse in Devon where amid frank conversations and home-cooked dinners, they slowly began collating their feelings into songs.

“When we write, it’s just the four of us in a room with no outside distractions or interference, getting to know each other again,” says Skin. “We’d done the ‘Greatest Hits’ tour and we realized that things needed to change. If we didn’t do something fresh and forward thinking, we couldn’t really be a band anymore. We’d just be doing SKUNK karaoke.”

And “The Painful Truth” is anything but SKUNK karaoke. Produced by David Sitek of TV ON THE RADIO fame, it’s a fresh, frank, uplifting and textured album, with the band’s knack for writing big pop songs remaining defiantly undiminished. If anything, their hooks this time around are sharper and sink in quicker.

First single “An Artist Is An Artist” is proof of that; a witty, provocative, pulsating slice of spiky, new-wave brilliance it has been greeted with a rapturous reception from fans and media alike, proving a radio smash with playlists on BBC 6 Music, Kerrang! Radio, Planet Rock and Absolute alongside being championed by Jo Whiley on Radio 2. And brand new single “Cheers”, which rides along on a deeply infectious, pulsating rhythm and boasts a truly euphoric chorus, demonstrates once more the sheer quality and ambition of the new album.

“The Painful Truth” is a radical record made for these uncertain times. Their first release on the newly formed FLG Records, and with new management in place, it also comes with a freshness that belies their storied career and previous multi-platinum achievements. It’s a record that will see SKUNK ANANSIE reclaim their place as one of the most exciting, visionary and important bands in British music.

“When I really think about it, yes, we have made some good records in our time but it’s been a long time since we have made a great album. And that is the painful truth,” confesses Skin. “Understanding that, led us to making what I genuinely think is our greatest record yet.”

“The Painful Truth” track listing:

01. An Artist Is An Artist
02. This Is Not Your Life
03. Shame
04. Lost And Found
05. Cheers
06. Shoulda Been You
07. Animal
08. Fell In Love With A Girl
09. My Greatest Moment
10. Meltdown

SKUNK ANANSIE commences its European headline tour in Portugal on February 28 and continues through Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Poland, Denmark, Luxembourg, The Netherlands and Belgium before ending in the U.K. with 15 shows. They have also recently been announced as special guests at the two outdoor SMASHING PUMPKINS shows in August.

SKUNK ANANSIE, formed in 1994 in London, is a seminal band, one of the first multi-racial British rock bands, who are known for their powerful sound and thought-provoking lyrics. Fronted by the charismatic and dynamic vocalist Skin, the band blends alternative rock with elements of punk and metal. They remain one of the most important and influential bands of their era.

Their debut album “Paranoid & Sunburnt” (1995),and its follow-up “Stoosh” (1996) both hit the Top 10 album chart in the U.K. and with hits like “Weak” and “Hedonism”, they established themselves on the international stage, helped by their stunning live performances. In 1999, SKUNK ANANSIE closed the decade out in style by releasing their third studio album, “Post Orgasmic Chill” and headlining Glastonbury Festival, before surprisingly going on a lengthy hiatus in 2001.

The band reconvened in 2008 to embark on the second chapter of their career, releasing three acclaimed albums — 2010’s “Wonderlustre”, 2012’s “Black Traffic” and 2015’s “Anarchytecture”. In 2019, the band marked their 25th anniversary with “25LIVE@25”, a live album that brings together the greatest songs from their six studio albums.

Throughout their career, SKUNK ANANSIE has sold over five million records globally. The band’s international prominence continues to thrive today, selling out live arenas and headlining festivals across the continent.

SKUNK ANANSIE is celebrated for addressing political and social issues through their music and breaking racial and gender barriers in rock. Their influence extends beyond music, contributing to discussions on identity, equality, and activism.

Photo credit: Rob O’Connor