It is rare that any band displays the combination of talent and tenacity to continue connecting with audiences 3 decades into their career without becoming a cabaret show, but New York City ska/reggae institution THE SLACKERS continue to push boldly into the future with a fresh energy that belies their 30+ years!
The band were on their creative rise during the mid-late 90s explosion in mainstream interest in ska, but never lost a step when that bubble burst, emerging as a band that continually built up their fanbase the old-fashioned way: with relentless touring across the world and consistent recordings that always brought something new to the table.
THE SLACKERS have pushed on long enough to be regarded as elder statesmen of a new era of interest in ska, but as always, rather than rest on their considerable laurels, this band is achieving new milestones on their own terms. One such milestone was the LP Don't Let the Sunlight Fool Ya lighting up several Billboard Charts, including hitting #1 on the Current Reggae Albums chart. The album was the band's first full length since joining the Pirates Press Records family, a fruitful creative relationship which has also yielded a slew of popular singles, as well as reissues of back catalog classics such as Redlight,
Wasted Days, Peculiar, and the fan-favorite live album Live at Ernesto's.
The latest release from these workhorses is the 12" single "Kill You." Recorded during the wildly productive sessions for Don't Let the Sunlight Fool Ya, this track is a mini-epic that clocks in at just over 7 minutes! The B-side is a dub mix of "Statehouse," from the Sunlight LP. "Statehouse" has a long history of its own; it is an updated version of "Wrongful Suspicion," which SLACKERS frontman Vic Ruggiero co-wrote for punk rock legends RANCID's 1998 LP Life Won't Wait. Both tracks feature the work of Victor Rice, an NYC ska wonder currently residing in Brazil, whose many accolades include two Latin Grammys, as well as production, engineering, and bass playing credits too numerous to list. Among these credits include frequent collaborations with THE SLACKERS
throughout their career, including producing the band's debut full length, 1996's Better Late Than Never.
As always, THE SLACKERS show no signs of slowing down their non-stop touring, with dates throughout the rest of 2023 and beyond. You can bet that with this time-tested philosophy of honoring their legacy while pushing ever forward that the band will continue to electrify longtime fans while gaining new ones in every city, and it won't be long before fresh material like "Kill You" joins the ranks of the band's fan-favorite live songs!
Die neueste Veröffentlichung dieser Arbeitstiere ist die 12"-Single "Kill You". Aufgenommen während der äußerst produktiven Sessions zu "Don't Let the Sunlight Fool Ya", ist dieser Track ein Mini-Epos mit einer Länge von etwas mehr als 7 Minuten! Die B-Seite ist ein Dub-Mix von "Statehouse" von der Sunlight-LP. "Statehouse" hat eine eigene lange Geschichte; es ist eine aktualisierte Version von Wrongful Suspicion", das SLACKERS-Frontmann Vic Ruggiero für die 1998er-LP Life Won't Wait der Punkrock-Legenden RANCID mitgeschrieben hat. Beide Tracks stammen von Victor Rice, einem Ska-Wunder aus New York City, das derzeit in Brasilien lebt und zu dessen zahlreichen Auszeichnungen zwei Latin Grammys gehören, ebenso wie zu viele Credits für Produktion, Technik und Bassspiel. Zu diesen Credits gehört die häufige Zusammenarbeit mit THE SLACKERS
während ihrer gesamten Karriere, einschließlich der Produktion des Debütalbums der Band, Better Late Than Never von 1996.
Wie immer zeigen THE SLACKERS keine Anzeichen für eine Verlangsamung ihrer Non-Stop-Tournee, mit Terminen für den Rest des Jahres 2023 und darüber hinaus. Man kann darauf wetten, dass die Band mit dieser bewährten Philosophie, ihr Erbe zu ehren und gleichzeitig immer weiter voranzukommen, weiterhin langjährige Fans begeistern und in jeder Stadt neue hinzugewinnen wird, und es wird nicht lange dauern, bis sich neues Material wie "Kill You" in die Reihe der beliebtesten Live-Songs der Band einreiht!
