Skinny Lister

Skinny Lister are a family of like-minded musicians who came together in 2009: English to the core and with folk in their hearts, Daniel Heptinstall, Lorna Thomas, Maxwell Thomas, Sam Brace and Dan Gray are the life, the soul and the party. Their music, equal parts traditional folk and ramshackle pop, rip roaring and rum totingly exciting, a Skinny Lister gig is an experience that spins you round, lifts you up and puts a smile on your face all the way home. Whether its heave-ho-ing shanties, family penned traditional songs or their own trade mark sounds from a lost summer spent tripping through fields of corn or hazy nights at a country pub, Skinny Lister is a lifestyle and the soundtrack to happiness. Summer 2010, the first summer of Skinny Lister and what a summer it was…. From Glastonbury to the Isle of Wight, Camp Bestival to Leeds Festival and Leek to Greenwich and back, Skinny Lister spread the colours of the summer with their sunkissed brand of pop-folk songs, flying kites on breezy heights across the UK, winning and spinning fans along the way. For a Skinny Lister gig is more than just songs, it’s about singing and dancing, do-si-do -ing, laughing and leaving all your worries behind. The only blackberries Skinny Lister know are the ones that stain your hands and turn your ice cream purple. Skinny Lister’s infectious melodies and good time songs such as Plough & Orion, Colours and Kite Song have already pricked the most discernible of ears including, 6 Music’s Steve Lamacq and Tom Robinson who championed the band’s fledgling release, December. The Independent summed up the Skinny Lister sound with “It’s really quite lovely music – tunes to soundtrack a day spent relaxing’, whilst NME Radio hailed it ‘Bruisingly pleasant stuff’’, and respected beardstroking online music site Drowned in Sound described the band as ‘Heartfeltedly glorious, somewhere between the Arcade Fire and Los Campesinos’. August two thousand and ten and as the last of the summer rum came to an end Skinny Lister embarked on a new voyage and adventure as they set off on their Narrowboat Tour. H’way down the Grand Union canal from Linslade in Bedfordshire, cruising thecruising the waterways of Great Britain, the band played at lockside pubs and hostelries along the way; ending up at Camden Lock for a rip-roaring night of music, song, dancing and fun with the bunting strung high at Camden’s olde Lock Tavern. As they wended their way down the beautiful British backwaters and into London, the band wrote and sang, laughed and loved and captured their unique sound, in new songs, shanties and diddles. The tour culminating with the recording of the very special ‘Grand Union’ EP, which the band gave away to fans and friends who crammed into the good ship Skinny at the Lock Tavern gig at waters end. Following the final summer festival of the year, plans were afoot for yet another eccentric Skinny escapade, this time in the shape of the Homemade Tour. A gallivanting rollercoaster ride (well 50mph) in the Skinny Lister Land Rover travelling the length of Great Britain and playing to family, friends and fans in the band’s home towns. From the Forge and Flagon in Leicestershire, where legendary Party George (Max and Lorna’s dear old dad, who taught them all they know!) joined them onstage for more than a shanty or two, to the Bridge Hotel in Newcastle-upon-tyne. Wheezing and puffing its way with Double Bass on top and Skinny Lister onboard, the Landy finally made it back to London via Hastings for an end of tour party at the Enterprise in Camden. The Homemade Tour EP resplendent in its fine livery, was the result of their hard work, single handed mission to cheer the hearts of English country folk. December found the shivering Skinny snowmen and women locked away in the isolated Bryn Derwen studios, in deepest darkest Snowdonia, to record their debut album with producer David Wrench(Bat for Lashes, James Yorkston). Capturing the energy, and gusto at the heart of Skinny Lister, the songs of the summer, sing-along shanties and good time tunes, all recorded for the band’s debut stereophonic outing; the results of which will be out very soon! So it’s full steam ahead for Skinny Lister and let the revelry begin!!