Skegss have continued their run of singles in 2020, releasing their third – and ostensibly final – track of the year by way of the new acoustic ballad “Wake Up”.
Premiering on triple j overnight, the track sees its official release today, and showcases some of the finest and most vulnerable songwriting of the group’s career. Featuring little more than Ben Reed on vocals and acoustic guitar, the intimate nature of the track is a tonal shift from the more rambunctious nature of previous tunes “Fantasising” and “Under The Thunder”, but provides a sharp insight into the sonic possibilities of the group.
“This song is about waking up to yourself instead of having excuses for things because you’re worried it could cause more harm,” Reed explains of the song. “It’s okay to do things for yourself—you’re allowed to change your mind and not let anyone make you feel bad about it.”
The track also comes accompanied by a Jamieson Kerr-directed video, which was shot at South Golden Beach and the Byron Bay Hinterland, and features shots of Reed performing the track, along with cuts of bassist Toby Cregan and drummer Jonny Lani joining him in digging in the sand.
“The shovels in the video represent everyone carrying invisible shovels in real life,” Reed adds. “You can dig yourself into holes and you can dig yourself out of holes. Sometimes you need a bit of help getting out.”
It currently remains unclear whether these new singles are set to appear on a forthcoming record from Skegss, or if they will continue as a run of standalone singles. Skegss released their debut studio album, My Own Mess, back in 2018, with the record reaching #2 on the local ARIA albums chart, debuting ahead of acts such as Paul McCartney.
Skegss’ “Wake Up” is out now via Loma Vista Recordings/Caroline Australia.
