While the calendar may say 2021, Montreal-based band Bad Skin haul hints of being a 90s punk parcel, drawing from their 70s forefathers, and giving The Runaways an actual run for their money. What Shirley Manson and Brody Dalle invoked, what Courtney Love concocted, and even the gauntlet Hayley Williams threw down, Bad Skin surmises on their sophomore EP release, Live Fast Die Punk — available now!
The banger “Grey Day” was a fitting lead off to the new year, delivered in epic punk fashion: bursting out of speakers and chaining you to a flippant nod to the past — all with a promise that punk is fast forward moving inside the guitar licks of Gen Z.
“Grey Day” is menacing. It’s loud. It’s charging. Its cascading “oh – oh – oh” chorus coerces you to chant along, and its heavy bass, pounding electric, and pulsating punk percussion is everything diehards of the genre have come to love.
These are anarchists of music, pushing boundaries, and refusing to slow down.
“The EP was written and recorded back in 2019,” the band reveals. “Our main goal was to take a step further than our previous album. We’ve all grown and matured in our writing, and it shows!”
Fun fact, they confess, is that “Grey Day’s” slick solo was written a mere four hours prior to its recording. “We had another solo before, but Caro wasn’t satisfied,” they shared. “The morning of the recording, she woke up with this melody and recorded it!”
The four-piece from Quebec came together after lead singer/rhythm guitarist, Dope, put a call out for an all-girl punk-rock outfit back in 2016. It didn’t take much time for the cohorts to flesh themselves out as Bad Skin, adding to the roster Caro (lead guitarist), Aurèly (bass), Christine (drums).
With shared passion and conviction, the group became a voice for their voiceless; connecting with fans through relatability, commonality, and going on to raise awareness for daily injustices through their songs. Bad Skin were soon signed to Dance Plant Records, a label they say are mentoring and helping the band become “the best version of themselves and take off on that unbelievable journey.”
In addition to slaying on “Grey Day,” Bad Skin followed-up the track with a visual love letter — a high-voltage music video showcasing the personalities of each individual member, and spotlighting their megawatt energy stage show, revealing how they manage to captivate their audiences night after night and set after set. “We gathered our ideas with Nickolas Markas, our video director, and everything we wanted, we got: a colourful, fun video, and to bring the 90’s nostalgia back at his best!”
The band are no stranger to the festival circuit, having already added an illustrious catalogue of major shows in their newly minted career including Music 4 Cancer, Pop Montreal, Pouzza Fest, 77 Festival, Rockfest pour la santè mentale, and Le Phoque Off. They’ve shook hands with their main inspo, L7, and scored an invitation to the Cannes for MIDEM in the summer of 2019.
They’ve recently announced a slew of 2022 dates, too; presented by IndigoBravo Promotions, Bad Skin will take the stage overseas on a UK blitz this coming July.
Much like their souped-up, amplified, punk-driven tracks and stage shows, Bad Skin shows no signs of slowing. Their intricate song writing, and commitment to the genre in all its ginormous excitement and paramount energy puts the band front and centre to introducing the new generation of music lovers to a timeless genre. The all-female kickass group is taking the world by storm, one “Grey Day” at a time.
“Grey Day” and Live Fast Die Punk are available now.
