“Make it a mantra, make it a habit, to recognise what you have while you have it” beams Lorna Heptinstall from Skinny Lister on their uplifting new single “Mantra”. LISTEN HERE
The latest single to be lifted from the band’s upcoming album ‘Shanty Punk’ (out 20 October, via Xtra Mile Recordings) is bright and beatific in its message, and set to a tune simply born for a good old fashioned barn dance.
Sat amongst typically more driving and stomping tracks of the album, “Mantra” offers a welcome moment of reflection and is intended to bring a slightly different flavour to proceedings. Led by the band’s leading lady Lorna Heptinstall, it sees her releasing her inner Dolly Parton across a track dashed with a hint of country and a pinch of Cajun music. Based on the glass half-full mantra that Skinny Lister themselves live-by, Dan from the band explains:
“The song is a reminder to recognise what we have while we have it, enjoy the moment. It’s all too easy to recognise what we had once it’s gone. Sometimes it’s good to not be looking forward or looking back, but to value the here and now. It’s about recognising the moment – reaching out and grabbing it with both hands.”
The sweet country two-step of “Mantra” follows the full-force folk/punk of previous single, “Company Of The Bar”, with both tracks due to feature on ‘Shanty Punk’, the sixth album from Skinny Lister, and arguably definitive new album.
The follow-up to 2021’s ‘A Matter of Life & Love’, a freewheeling record that paid homage to all the greatest things in life; ‘Shanty Punk’ goes one further with a concept record that’s simply all about: Skinny Lister. As Dan elaborates:
“Shanty Punk is our concept album – and the concept is Skinny Lister. It’s a pure distillation of what makes Skinny Lister tick, and perhaps a collection of songs that leans further into our folky routes than we’ve ventured in some years. It felt to us like it was time to touch base and celebrate the essence of the band, while at the same time – giving it a fresh and dynamic feel.”
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