It’s only been a week or so since we featured the latest artist from Portland (indie pop producer Berkley) – what a hotbed of new music this West coast city has turned out to be in these 2020s. Today we once again turn our attention to the Oregon capital, from whence comes the alternative rock / postpunk duo known as Sky Lions with their debut album in hand. Titled ‘Inside The Circle’, these songcrafters may not be delivering us the happiest of messages – alas, they are bearers of our dark times – the messengers, so to speak, so we shall not shoot them.
Recently formed by creative friends-for-life Radio Sloan and Outer Stace, Sky Lions is a post-punk / alternative rock project that brings together innovation, music, feminism, Trans/queer identity and horror – all things that makes these artists tick. They present an interesting mix, to say the least, carving an interesting niche for themselves. Each of these artists bring to this project ample experience in the musical realm. Having met as children at a kids’ camp in Oregon, the two finally began to play music together in their mid-teens, although many years of involvement in other projects would pass before they finally formed Sky Lions.
With lush and heavy atmospheres, guided by intense and stunning vocals, Sky Lions forge strong melodies and tightly-interlocked instrumentation, surging on vocal intensity that is pronounced and haunting. Leading us through a winding labyrinth of dark allure, they weave a rich tapestry of sound.
Outer Stace is known to many as the vocalist for Portland electro-rock / gothic / post-punk band Photona and synth-drum duo Time Bitch. Radio Sloan has a colorful history that includes being the guitarist in Courtney Love’s touring band The Chelsea, and also in Scarling and Peaches‘ live band The Herms. Radio has released music as a solo artist and is half of the genre bending, post-punk art rock queercore duo The Need, in addition to being involved in numerous other artists’ projects, including Le Tigre, The Transfused and the film ‘The Herstory of Riot Grrrl’.
Outer Stace says, “Neither of us have worked so hard on a musical project in our lives. Life does what life will do, and while we started out making music together as teenagers, our paths took different turns in our adult lives, though we never lost touch. Radio is a prolific songwriter and I will write on anything with a surface when a lyric comes to mind. Together, we decided it was time to make what we wanted to make and how we wanted to make it. The expectations of others were not a consideration for us when we recorded this album. It was an exorcism, a purging of sounds and words we had not previously had the capacity for, as it is such a complex project. Today, we are ready and have poured our love, freely expressed ideas and the deepest parts of our souls into the writing, production, artwork for this record.”
Sky Lions weaves together the threads of life’s absurdity, unquestionable magic and tragedy. Their trans / queer / feminist lens adds a relatability of lives lived and times to come, creating an immersive sonic journey that challenges the mind as well as the ears. They have been described as; intentional, personal, intense, dark, and that their music feels thoughtful, “real” and “honest”. Through genre-blurring compositions and evocative lyrics, they hope to channel their ethos into a call for transformation ! They hope that their songs challenge stereotypes, and ignite conversation.
“Our sound is that of accepting existence for all its flaws. Sky Lions has a darkness that isn’t entirely heavy metal, post-punk or darkwave. Rather, it’s a culmination of who we have been, who we currently are, and how we interpret the world around us. Moving within that world is the core of our musical expression,” says Radio Sloan.
“Sonically, we have built what (we hope) achieves clear visuals and feelings of things otherworld-ly , pain, power, love, peace, anger, and fear, sans the lyrical content. Lyrically, the music is an open letter to whoever is reading. We write about the struggles of be-ing an Other, a Woman, a reluctant participant in society and a human being. “Raw and honest” is something we hope comes through in every song.”
‘Inside The Circle’ is out now and is available digitally from fine music platforms, including Apple Music, Spotify and Bandcamp.
ALBUM CREDITS
Music by Radio Sloan and Outer Stace
Recording, production, mastering by Radio Sloan and Outer Stace
Radio Sloan – guitar, percussion, synth, bass, banjo, programming
Outer Stace – vocals and lyrics
Visual art by Radio Sloan and Outer Stace
Concept, art direction and graphic design by Outer Stace Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR
Rock out and keep up with Sky Lions
Bandcamp | Instagram | YouTube | Spotify | Apple Music
