On 1st February, Oklahoma rock trio Skating Polly consisting of Kelli, Peyton and Kurtis, will be blending 90s grunge and Riot grrrl with indie-pop sensibilities, as they play the first date of their extensive tour, when they kick things off in Tacoma, Washington, USA. Three other American dates will follow before they head off to perform a dozen or so gigs around Europe, taking in Netherlands, Germany, France and Spain. From there they will hop over to the UK and embark on a 7-date jaunt that sees them opening here in Brighton at The Hope & Ruin on Monday 6th March, courtesy of local promoters and label, Love Thy Neighbour.
This will signal a welcome return to Brighton and the venue, having played a blinding set there back on 22nd March last year. The Brighton & Hove News covered the performance from this family unit (Kelli and Peyton are stepsisters and Kurtis is their brother) – Read our review HERE.
Skating Polly formed in 2009 after a jam session at the girls’ Halloween party. After recording their debut album ‘Taking Over The World’ in their living room. Their sophomore album, ‘Lost Wonderfuls’, (produced by Exene Cervenka of X and mixed by Kliph Scurlock of The Flaming Lips) was released in April, 2013. Their third album, ‘Fuzz Steilacoom’, released March of 2014 was tracked by Calvin Johnson of Beat Happening at Dub Narcotic Studio.
After the release of 2016’s ‘The Big Fit’, Veruca Salt’s co-frontwomen Louise Post and Nina Gordon reached out and said they wanted to write with the band. What started as a writing session ultimately became 2017’s ‘New Trick’ EP. The trio then released their full length, ‘The Make It All Show’ in 2018. In 2021, their tune ‘A Little Late’ appeared on the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack of ‘Music For Falling’.
Admittedly the female-driven alternative acts that inspired the band such as Veruca Salt, X, The Breeders, L7 and Babes In Toyland (the later of whom Skating Polly toured with in Europe) aren’t typical reference points for most of today’s up-and-coming bands, but maybe they should be.
Clearly, Skating Polly want to get at it live and direct again and so it’s worth the time to go and check them out if you haven’t already done so. Snap up your tickets to see them perform in Brighton HERE and HERE.
