The Skints

Formed in 2007 by high-school friends from east London, between Leyton, Walthamstow and Woodford, The Skints established themselves as a quartet at the crossroads of reggae, ska, dub and punk, with detours into dancehall, soul and rap. Initially very active on London’s DIY, punk and squat-party circuits, The Skints quickly developed a songwriting approach in which multiple voices take turns — sung melodies, spoken phrasing and a more abrasive energy. After an initial EP in 2008 they released Live.Breathe.Build.Believe in 2009 and Part & Parcel in 2012, the latter shaped by producer Prince Fatty. FM (2015) broadened the band’s scope further with a concept inspired by British pirate radio, while Swimming Lessons (2019) mixes reggae, lovers rock, dub, punk and more introspective moods, featuring guests such as Protoje, Jesse Royal and Runkus. Over the years The Skints have toured extensively across the UK, Europe, North America and Japan, appearing on both punk and reggae stages and cementing their distinctive place in British independent music.