SKILAA at Neck of the Woods
Thursday 5 September 2024
Photographs by Milad Asadi
Full feature by Hazel de Heer
A slender crescent moon flitted between brightly lit city skyscrapers. The laughter from people outside bars and the rumbling of cars that echoed through the lively streets of Karangahape Road would soon be replaced by live music and applause. I was given the wonderful opportunity to attend the live performance of SKILAA’s newly released debut album Tiger in the River, with support from openers Lips and She’s So Rad. SKILAA have been working on their LP for over four years, crafting 10 intricate songs; psychedelic fusions of hip-hop, RnB, folk, funk, and jazz. Last year, I had the pleasure of interviewing Steph Brown from Lips for 95bFM. I got to learn a lot of amazing things about Steph and her song-writing process, but had yet to see her perform on stage. Tonight would also be my first time at Neck in the Woods, a venue I had been hoping to go to for some time. So as you can imagine, I was super excited for this gig!
Cosmic RnB music beckoned me down the steps into the venue. I blinked and was in a red, blue and purple lit jungle. Warm yellow lights hung over the bar, leafy vines dangling from the lampshades. Tropical plants and white flowers decorated the stage matching the vibrant nature aesthetic on the Tiger in the River album cover. Colourful cartoon art adorned the walls and a 3D tiger head within a wreath hung to the left of the stage. Each time I looked around more people had accumulated in the venue. Eventually the mumbles of conversation faded out and people began to gravitate towards the stage as Lips got prepared. The band formed in 2010, lead by NZ song-writer Steph Brown on keyboard and lead vocals along with producer Fen Ikner on drums, Maude Morris on electric guitar, and Ruby Walsh on electric bass.
A tom-heavy drum beat broke the silence. Steph Brown’s raw vocals captured the audience while she sprinkled bright chiptune synth notes amongst the guitar’s gritty power chords in the song Heave Ho! from their most recent album I Don’t Know Why I Do Anything. Steph changed the synth to a flute sound for their next song Empty Hours, a melancholic yet optimistic song with soft synth melodies and gentle vocals. Lips have and continue to bring a unique sound to the indie-pop genre, returning to the electronic chiptune synth for their song Guilty Talk. The band brought a slow and dreamy vibe to the room with their songs from their EP Look, Listen. The light and pensive Everything to Me is one of my favourites from the album. I love the way Lips translates a swell of emotion into music notes, and how they catch you off guard with occasional off beat notes and syncopation without making the song sound too messy. The switching up of the rhythm and chaotic drums keeps the song interesting and adds distinctiveness and flavour.
She’s So Rad (SSR) are an indie rock/pop band comprised of Anji Sami on vocals and synth, Phil Hadfield on bass, John Parker on drums, and vocalist and guitarist Jeremy Toy who produced Tiger in the River for SKILAA. They began their set with a loud gritty electric guitar and a heavy rock beat on drums. Anji and Jeremy are both amazing vocalists who utilise taking turns singing the melody verses harmonising with each other at different points in their songs. The contrast of Anji Sami’s mid to high range layered over Jeremy Toy’s deeper vocals melts into a moody and dreamy harmony. SSR played songs from their 2015 album Tango, a balance of gloom and excitement - sorrowful rock music. The crowd danced and jumped along to the strong power chords and crash-filled drum beats. Despite technical difficulties, the band finished their set, Anji’s younger sister coming to the rescue to hold down a button for the synth, gathering much love from the audience.
Claps and cheers erupted from the crowd as SKILAA came on stage. The room buzzed with positive energy. The Tāmaki Makaurau band consists of five members: lead vocalist Chelsea Prastiti, vocalist Helen Pahulu, guitarist Michael Howell, bassist Tom Dennison, and drummer Adam Tobeck. Their first song, I Never Knew, was packed with angelic vocal harmonies, groovy drums, clean jazz guitar chords, and galloping bass lines - a solid introduction to the album's atmosphere. Followed by Southern Gothic, an upbeat jazz-folk amalgamation that slowly descends into intentional chaos over the course of the song. Chelsea effortlessly switches between rhythmic rapping, improvised scatting, and melodic vocal runs and arpeggios as well as singing in lyrics in other languages. Her incredible range of vocal ability carries the sassy, self-empowering lyrics with strength and passion. The most conventional song of the album, Scratch Me Out, features a busy drum beat, reverberating guitar, dreamy soprano vocals, and metaphorical lyrics. This song and Southern Gothic are my personal favourites. The crowd was hypnotised.
One thing that unites all songs in the album is the use of layered vocal harmonies and the overarching theme of a tiger: biting back, fighting back. SKILAA continues this motif in the loungey hip-hop song Money, a collaboration with Detroit rapper Guilty Simpson. “If you like this then where the f*ck is my money at?”, the lyrics speak about musicians being taken advantage of far too much in the industry. Bite Like That samples spoken word in another language over funky bass and harmonic guitar notes - the flowing rap telling listeners who SKILAA is: a group of people who know their worth and aren't afraid to sing it loud. As Straight Trippin brought the album to a close the crowd cried for another song. The band came back on stage to perform one more.
SKILAA is what happens when five skillful and passionate musicians come together. The technical talent and melismatic song-writing of the band was apparent throughout each song. SKILAA mesmerizingly and intentionally unravels and repairs the song with bizarre time signatures and tempo and key changes. The band’s hard-work and effort speaks for itself with the album being shortlisted for the APRA Silver Scroll Award! Chelsea’s charismatic and bubbly personality connected the audience to the band - conversing with the crowd and arousing laughter. All the members seemed so at home performing on the stage, it was an amazing night. Don’t be disappointed if you missed this show, because SKILAA are performing their debut album a second time in Pōneke. I would definitely recommend anyone reading this to give a listen to Lips, She’s So Rad, and SKILAA’s music.
95bFM 
