Skegss take the wheel: how a coastal highway, synths, and punk spirit drove the duo’s new album into uncharted territory.

Words: Steven Loftin.
Photos: Daniel Topete, Jack Moran.

Australian duo Skegss have been on a journey. It's why, these days, they are all about motion. Their third album, 'Pacific Highway Music' – released on Loma Vista Records – pertains to a long coastal stretch of road that connects Australia's bustling metros of Sydney and Brisbane. It's 621 miles long, and filling the vacuous space between them takes something special. It's where the raucous Aussie duo have spent many an hour pondering and listening to music and podcasts. But, most importantly, it's what's informed their latest effort.  

This time they were aiming to create the soundtrack for such a journey. One that inhabits the contemplative nature of such a stretch, so the now-duo set about crafting some tracks. First, they went to LA and The Village Studios, where the album began to come to fruition. But, feeling dissatisfied with the way of life, it was out in the wilds of Topanga Canyon, at Five Star Studios, a world away from the seedy industry-laden city of LA, they cobbled together what would be the majority of 'Pacific Highway Music'. Throughout the album are tracks that embody momentum; 'Tradewinds', 'I Think I Can Fly', 'Brain On The Highway', and 'Aeroplane Heart'. As is their nature, Skegss are steadfastly moving, rarely looking backwards.  

It's also as introspective as the group have got, with Ben penning missives that get joyously inward-facing. Opener 'Tradewinds' finds Ben declaring, "One day I'm going to get out of my way," while on the stripped-back 'Spaceman', he gets more contemplative as he croakily ponders, "I am, so far from space, man." Even 'Batten Down The Hatches' came from an idea Ben had been germinating for a while. "I knew I wanted it to be like a narrative," Ben explains. Deciding now was the time, "I wanted to tell that… I was picturing being on a ship and feeling a little bit lost at sea." But it's these ruminations that help Skegss feel like a shining beacon, one covering that coastal highway with rambunctious punk jams that, as per their recent single 'High Beaming', "I love the way your positivity shines, putting my wild mind at ease." It's Skegss' world, and with 'Pacific Highway Music', we're just living in it.