Skunk Anansie

Biography

Skunk Anansie are a British rock band whose members include Skin (vocals, guitar), Cass (bass, guitar), Ace (guitar) and Mark Richardson (drums).
Skunk Anansie formed in 1994, disbanded in 2001 and reformed in 2009. The name "Skunk Anansie" is taken from Akan folk tales of Anansi the spider-man of Ghana, with "Skunk" added to "make the name nastier".
They have released seven studio albums: Paranoid & Sunburnt×Paranoid & Sunburnt14 September 1995 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Selling Jesus3:442Intellectualise My Blackness3:443I Can Dream3:334Little Baby Swastikkka4:075All in the Name of Pity3:226Charity4:377It Takes Blood & Guts to Be This Cool but I’m Still Just a Cliché4:138Weak3:329And Here I Stand5:1210100 Ways to Be a Good Girl4:0111Rise Up4:09 (1995), Stoosh×Stoosh2 April 1996 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks0100 Ways to Be a Good Girl (instrumental)2:401Yes It’s Fucking Political3:522All I Want3:523She’s My Heroine5:044Infidelity (Only You)6:005Hedonism (Just Because You Feel Good)3:276Twisted (Everyday Hurts)4:147We Love Your Apathy5:118Brazen (Weep)4:329Pickin’ on Me3:1510Milk Is My Sugar3:5011Glorious Pop Song4:18 (1996), Post Orgasmic Chill×Post Orgasmic Chill19 March 1999 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 27 tracks1Charlie Big Potato5:302On My Hotel T.V.3:343We Don’t Need Who You Think You Are4:214Tracy’s Flaw4:305The Skank Heads3:126Lately3:547Secretly4:468Good Things Don’t Always Come to You5:259Cheap Honesty3:4710You’ll Follow Me Down4:0111And This Is Nothing That I Thought I Had3:0412I’m Not Afraid4:4813Charlie Big Potato (music video)5:0514Charlie Big Potato (lyric video)5:2615Intro (interview)0:2016Charlie Big Potato (interview)0:1317On My Hotel T.V. (interview)0:2918We Don’t Need Who You Think You Are (interview)0:3119Tracy’s Flaw (interview)0:2920The Skank Heads (interview)0:2121Lately (interview)0:1722Secretly (interview)0:2823Good Things Don’t Always Come to You (interview)0:2524Cheap Honesty (interview)0:3125You’ll Follow Me Down (interview)0:2726And This Is Nothing That I Thought I Had (interview)0:2127I’m Not Afraid (interview)0:13 (1999), Wonderlustre (2010), Black Traffic (2012) Anarchytecture (2016) and The Painful Truth (2025); one compilation album, Smashes and Trashes (2009); and several hit singles, including "Charity×Charity21 August 1995 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Charity4:392Used4:573Killers' War4:064Kept My Mouth Shut3:37", "Hedonism", "Selling Jesus×Selling Jesus13 March 1995 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Selling Jesus3:502Through Rage3:073You Want It All3:254Skunk Song3:32" and "Weak".
They are often grouped as part of the Britrock movement, as opposed to the contemporary Britpop of their early years due to their overall harder sound. The band, in 2004, was named as one of the most successful UK chart acts between 1952 and 2003 by the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums, with a total of 142 weeks on both the singles and album charts ranking them at No. 491. Skunk Anansie have sold five million records.

Formation and early career: 1994–2001

The group played their first gig at London's Splash club in March 1994. In 1995 they were voted Best New British Band by the readers of Kerrang! magazine. At the award ceremony drummer Mark Richardson met the band who were looking for a permanent replacement for Robbie France, so an audition was set up and the band was reformed. Soon after that, two of their songs, "Feed" and "Selling Jesus×Selling Jesus13 March 1995 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Selling Jesus3:502Through Rage3:073You Want It All3:254Skunk Song3:32", appeared on the soundtrack of the film Strange Days in 1995. "Selling Jesus" became Skunk Anansie's second song to receive radio play, following their first radio release "Little Baby Swastikkka". After hearing this song, radio personality Howard Stern predicted that the band would become a huge hit. The band were also voted Kerrang!'s Best British Live Act in 1996. In 1997 they were nominated for Best Live Act and Best Group at the MTV Europe Music Awards.

Stoosh followed in 1996. Both albums were released by One Little Indian Records. After switching to the Virgin label in 1998, their third album, Post Orgasmic Chill×Post Orgasmic Chill19 March 1999 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 27 tracks1Charlie Big Potato5:302On My Hotel T.V.3:343We Don’t Need Who You Think You Are4:214Tracy’s Flaw4:305The Skank Heads3:126Lately3:547Secretly4:468Good Things Don’t Always Come to You5:259Cheap Honesty3:4710You’ll Follow Me Down4:0111And This Is Nothing That I Thought I Had3:0412I’m Not Afraid4:4813Charlie Big Potato (music video)5:0514Charlie Big Potato (lyric video)5:2615Intro (interview)0:2016Charlie Big Potato (interview)0:1317On My Hotel T.V. (interview)0:2918We Don’t Need Who You Think You Are (interview)0:3119Tracy’s Flaw (interview)0:2920The Skank Heads (interview)0:2121Lately (interview)0:1722Secretly (interview)0:2823Good Things Don’t Always Come to You (interview)0:2524Cheap Honesty (interview)0:3125You’ll Follow Me Down (interview)0:2726And This Is Nothing That I Thought I Had (interview)0:2127I’m Not Afraid (interview)0:13, was released in 1999.
In 1996, the band played a set at the Coppid Beech Hotel, Bracknell during a record label event.
They headlined the 1999 Glastonbury Festival, closing the Pyramid Stage on Sunday 27 June.
Throughout the 1990s, the group toured internationally with such bands as U2, Aerosmith, Feeder, Lenny Kravitz, Bad Religion, Rollins Band, Therapy?, Rammstein, Killing Joke, Soulfly, Sevendust, Oomph!, Muse, Staind, Powerman 5000, Veruca Salt, Marion and A Perfect Circle.
Skunk Anansie were unable to repeat their success in the U.S. However, they did have several concerts there, with the first being in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 2001 and their second in 2016 in Brooklyn, New York City.

Side projects: 2002–2008

After the band's split in April 2001, Skin embarked on a solo career. Her debut album, Fleshwounds, co-written with longtime songwriting partner Len Arran, was released in September 2003 and Fake Chemical State was released in March 2006. She has also provided vocals for a number of other acts.
Ace released a low-key album, Still Hungry, under the name Ace Sounds, which featured many collaborations including Shingai Shoniwa from Noisettes and Skye from Morcheeba. He later joined a band called Inner Mantra. Ace is also a tutor at Brighton Institute of Modern Music.
In 2002 Cass recorded the album Scars with Gary Moore, and played bass and performed backing vocals. Cass also played various instruments on Skin's first solo album. When not recording he concentrates on photography.
Mark recorded sessions for various artists including Skin before joining Feeder after the death of their original drummer, Jon Lee. Mark has also been tutoring at Brighton Institute.

Reunion: 2009–2010

Mark Richardson confirmed reports that the band was reforming in an interview with Drummer Magazine (November 2008 issue), and said that the band planned to release a best-of compilation as well as new material. Ace later set up an official page for the band on Myspace.
On 2 and 3 April 2009, two shows took place at the Monto Water Rats (the former venue of the Splash Club) in London, under the alias SCAM (Skin, Cass, Ace, Mark) and sold out in 20 minutes. The band began their "Greatest Hits" tour on Friday, 9 October 2009 at the Ancienne Belgique in Brussels, with other dates across Europe. It was their first actual tour in eight years. A "greatest hits" album, Smashes and Trashes, was released 2 November 2009. It is a 15-track career-embracing album and includes three brand new tracks: "Because of You×Because of YouAugust 2009 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Because of You (original)3:392Because of You (Michel Cleis remix)9:063Because of You (Dumont's 'Because of I' remix)6:15", "Tear the Place Up" and "Squander×Squander9 November 2009 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Squander (original)2Squander (Frankie Power remix)3Squander (Ill Audio remix)". A best-of remixes companion album was also released digitally.
On 3 July 2009, the music video for "Tear the Place Up" was presented exclusively on Myspace, and on 10 August 2009, a new video for "Because of You" was presented exclusively on Kerrang.com. It was released 14 September 2009 in the UK and was the first single to be released from Smashes and Trashes. The single was a top 10 hit in Italy, and its follow-up "Squander" was a top 75 success in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium.
Their fifth album, Wonderlustre×Wonderlustre9 September 2010 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1God Loves Only You3:492My Ugly Boy3:283Over the Love3:284Talk Too Much3:205The Sweetest Thing3:396It Doesn’t Matter2:467You’re Too Expensive for Me2:298My Love Will Fall3:569You Saved Me3:3910Feeling the Itch3:0611You Can’t Always Do What You Like3:3112I Will Stay but You Should Leave3:56, was released internationally on 13 September 2010, preceded by the first single, "My Ugly Boy×My Ugly Boy2010 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1My Ugly Boy3:272It Doesn't Matter2:473God Loves Only You3:48", which was released in the UK on 16 August 2010 and in Europe July/August. The video for "My Ugly Boy" was presented exclusively on Kerrang.com on 23 July 2010. Wonderlustre reached number one on the Italian albums chart on 1 October 2010 and placed in the top 10 in charts all over Europe including in Germany, the Netherlands, France and Poland.
In May 2010 they were a supporting act for Rammstein, during two concerts in Berlin. The second single from Wonderlustre, "Over the Love" was released internationally in November 2010. In November 2010 the band played on Ídolos, a Portuguese equivalent to the UK's Pop Idol.
"You Saved Me", the third single from Wonderlustre, was released internationally in March 2011.

Continuing career: 2011–present

On 12 June 2011, the band performed at the open air Rock on the Volga festival at Samara, Russia. The performance was exceptionally well-received. The band also appeared on Friday 12 August at Sziget Festival in Budapest, Hungary playing a mixed set of hits and newer material. This was their first appearance at Sziget. Sziget's own website reporting "nobody had any doubts who the Queen of this year's Sziget turned out to be".
While the band were on stage at Pukkelpop in Belgium on 18 August 2011, a small tornado hit the venue and artists and revellers alike were sent running for their lives. Five were killed and several more were injured. Skin described the incident as the most terrifying of her life.
Former drummer Robbie France died on 14 January 2012 in Spain. He was 52.
On 11 June 2012, Skunk Anansie revealed the title for their 5th studio album: Black Traffic×Black Traffic14 September 2012 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1I Will Break You3:122Sad Sad Sad2:573Spit You Out3:304I Hope You Get to Meet Your Hero3:445I Believed in You3:126Satisfied?3:227Our Summer Kills the Sun4:148Drowning4:119This Is Not a Game3:2310Sticky Fingers in Your Honey2:3511Diving Down3:49. The band's follow-up to 2010's critically acclaimed Wonderlustre was recorded in London and produced by Skunk Anansie and Chris Sheldon and mixed by Jeremy Wheatley and Adrian Bushby.
Black Traffic became the band's first independent release via their own label working in partnership with 100% Records. The album was released in September 2012 release and was backed by the first leg of a 20 date European Tour. On 29 June 2012, the band released the lyric video for a new track called "Sad, Sad, Sad". Nick Bassett praised the track on his site The Re-View:
"Thrashing percussion and Skin's vocal – she remains one of the UK's greatest and most underrated female vocalists – are all in check as the band return to the heavy rock sound that first shot them into the mainstream in the mid-nineties."

In September 2013, the band released their seventh album, An acoustic Skunk Anansie – Live in London which was recorded at Cadogan Hall in April of that year. The album was also released as a live DVD and was described by the band as 'a family affair' as it featured Skin's longtime writing partner Len Arran on guitar and Erika Footman, Mark's wife on backing vocals and keyboards.
On 15 January 2016, Skunk Anansie released their sixth studio album, Anarchytecture×Anarchytecture15 January 2016 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Love Someone Else3:312Victim4:163Beauty Is Your Curse3:414Death to the Lovers4:085In the Back Room3:396Bullets3:537That Sinking Feeling2:468Without You3:359Suckers!1:2210We Are the Flames3:2611I’ll Let You Down3:30, and began an extensive European tour in February 2016 continuing throughout Summer 2016.
In 2017, the band launched the first Skunk Anansie scholarship, for young aspiring musicians, in conjunction with The Academy of Contemporary Music. The band pick one successful applicant from either ACM Guildford, ACM London or ACM Birmingham and offer them £27,000 of funding for their degree course. The scholarship was again awarded the following year.
A live album, 25LIVE@25×25LIVE@2525 January 2019 · Album · LiveSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 26 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Charlie Big Potato5:172Intellectualise My Blackness3:443Because of You4:534I Can Dream3:575Charity5:236My Love Will Fall4:597Death to the Lovers4:318Twisted4:219My Ugly Boy3:3110Weak3:4811Hedonism3:5912I Hope You Get to Meet Your Hero4:05Disc 21Love Someone Else3:542This Is Not a Game3:443God Loves Only You4:124(Can’t Get by) Without You4:155Secretly4:576Over the Love3:337Spit You Out3:418Yes It’s Fucking Political4:149Selling Jesus4:3610Little Baby Swastikkka5:1811Tear the Place Up3:3312Squander4:4113You Saved Me3:5514You’ll Follow Me Down5:29, a released through Republic of Music in celebration of their upcoming 25th anniversary on 25 January 2019. It features 25 tracks taken from across their six studio albums, which were captured live from various performances on their 2017 tour.
Continuing the 25th anniversary celebrations Skunk Anansie toured Europe throughout the summer of 2019, headlining festivals and their own shows, finishing with a string of UK shows.
Skin appeared in interviews for the likes of Channel 4 News, Newsnight, The One Show, ITN, and Radio 2 discussing political and social issues. The band were the recipients of the Hall of Fame Award at the 2019 Kerrang! Awards on 19 June 2019.
The single "What You Do for Love×What You Do for Love5 July 2019 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1What You Do for Love3:20" was released in 2019. The black and white video for the song shows Skunk Anansie in concert. "This Means War×This Means War7 February 2020 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1This Means War4:13" followed in 2020. At the beginning of 2022, the singles "Piggy×Piggy26 January 2022 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Piggy2:38" and "Can't Take You Anywhere" were released, but there was no new album.
Skin was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by King Charles on 7 February 2023 at Windsor Castle.
The band's seventh studio album, The Painful Truth×The Painful Truth23 May 2025 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1An Artist Is an Artist3:112This Is Not Your Life3:243Shame4:074Lost and Found4:155Cheers3:276Shoulda Been You3:517Animal4:088Fell in Love With a Girl4:289My Greatest Moment3:4310Meltdown3:26, was released on 23 May 2025 through the Frontiers Music Srl imprint FLG (Frontiers Label Group).

Style

Skin has described Skunk Anansie as a "clit-rock" group, which AllMusic clarifies as "an amalgam of heavy metal and black feminist rage". Members Skin and Ace have mentioned the Sex Pistols, Blondie, dub, reggae, electronica, hip-hop and world music as significant influences.
The band has been described as alternative rock, alternative metal, hard rock, post-grunge, grunge and nu metal.

Other work

The band covered the Stooges' song "Search and Destroy" specifically for the soundtrack of Zack Snyder's film Sucker Punch, released on 25 March 2011. The soundtrack also includes a Skunk Anansie remix of the song "Army of Me" by Björk.

Band members

Deborah "Skin" Dyer – lead vocals, guitar, theremin, piano, keyboards, tambourine (1994–2001; 2009–present)
Martin "Ace" Kent – guitar, backing vocals (1994–2001; 2009–present)
Richard "Cass" Lewis – bass, guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (1994–2001; 2009–present)
Mark Richardson – drums, percussion, backing vocals (1995–2001; 2009–present)

Former members

Robbie France – drums, percussion, backing vocals (1994–1995; died 2012)

Touring members

Erika Footman – keyboards, backing vocals