‘As cliché as it sounds, being our first release I wanted ‘Skeletons’ to really show the bare bones (no pun intended) of the band. We ended up making the record between my bedroom and Thomas’ attic as I wanted the EP to feel as DIY as the songs. It ended up being a pretty fun and personal process. It’s always great playing music but it’s even better when you get to do it with your best mates’ – the enthusiasm of Snake Eyes’ frontman Jim Heffy when it comes to describing the recording process of the three-piece’s debut EP is infectious.
‘Don’t Worry’ opens the EP with frantic drums, furious riffs and a true punk rock aesthetic – and it’s all over in under two minutes. The thunderous ‘Listen’ follows with the kind of scuzzy sound that makes you pine for gigs to come back, while ‘Skeletons’ finds the band veering into a sound somewhere between Kevin Devine and The Hives. Written by Jim after he regretted not calling out a former colleague’s offensive comments, it’s a song about how difficult it is to deal with people who just don’t listen to reason – or want to learn about different cultures: ‘If sticks and stones break my bones, I think I’ll be fine. Try to talk him around, it’s a waste of time. It’s hard to see what’s clear with a narrow mind’.
‘Wishbone’ is another sharp piece that falls under the two-minute mark, while the closing ‘Bugged Out’ finds the band talking about glitches, body twitches and traveling down a ‘straight road with no direction’ amidst a Manchester Orchestra-style soundtrack. Make no bones about it, Snake Eyes are a band you’ll want to keep a look out for…
