Skegss go all-in for glory and big dinners on Valhalla, their Viking-inspired first new single of 2021. It comes alongside an announcement of their upcoming album, Rehearsal.
Gone are the film clips filled with psychedelics, road trips, boozing, slo-mo tonguing, and fish-eye lenses. The Skegss boys are vikings now, and they’re bound for Valhalla.
Directed by Jamieson Kerr, Valhalla pits Skegss a long way from their home in the idyllic Byron Bay. Complete with broadswords, fur coats, and plenty of feasting, it’s a step outside the comfort zone for these garage rockers – but an absolute bullseye nonetheless.
Moreover, Valhalla heralds the official announcement of Skegss’ forthcoming album Rehearsal, coming your way March 26th. It’s being helmed by Grammy-winning producer Catherine Marks, who has previously produced or co-produced records with The Wombats, Manchester Orchestra, Wolf Alice, and many others.
Fans of Skegss have been pining for a new record since they started hitting the release train hard again in 2020. Two years had elapsed since their sunny album My Own Mess, and the band were sounding fresh as ever on Under The Thunder, Wake Up, and Fantasising – all of which appear on the Rehearsal tracklist.
Momentum is undoubtedly in Skegss’ favour as they head into the album release. Over the weekend two of those previous singles, Under The Thunder and Fantasising, placed at #27 and #66 respectively in triple j’s Hottest 100.
Valhalla adds to that fast-moving train with style. The track itself is more of the good stuff from Skegss – it’s scuzzy guitars and a damn catchy chorus, all delivered with the usual drawl. Valhalla does lean towards a more dramatic sound, even feeling Western-inspired in the main guitar lick, as if Ennio Morricone started ripping bongs and dropping into Byron Bay barrels.
It’s a track about savouring the good things in life and finding your own slice of heaven on earth. Speaking about Valhalla, vocalist Ben Reed shared:
“Well I learnt more about Valhalla through watching The Last Kingdom and it got me brainstorming about the ideology of it, and thought how sometimes in our life we have moments that are pretty perfect – as perfect as what you’d want the idea of your own nirvana to be.”
“Like when you’re having beers with your friends, having big cook ups that are real fun to share. Valhalla was based on those experiences, but it’s also kind of cryptically about flying under the radar and avoiding getting into any kind of trouble, and staying healthy enough to keep having those times as you get older throughout your life.”
Rehearsal is out March 26 via Loma Vista Recordings / Caroline Australia. Pre-order your copy here.
