Skin: Fleshwounds

Skin:
Fleshwounds

out 26.08.2003
Palophone/EMI

Singer Skin is back once again! Skin, 30, from London, sold millions of CDs with the rock band Skunk Anansie. The band split up more than two years ago. In 2003 Skin has made her first solo CD, "Fleshwounds". Her real name is Deborah Dyer, but she's known as Skin because she shaved her head for seven years and now she does again. In an exclusive interview from 2003, she talked about her new music, her new life - and her new hair!

How did you get your first record deal?

I was playing my second gig with Skunk Anansie at a London club the day Kurt Cobain from Nirvana died. This guy from One Little Indian Records was there. He was a really big Kurt Cobain fan. He told us, "If your music can stop me thinking about Kurt and the end of Nirvana, you must be good." We met him after the show and he gave us a record deal. Now I'm with EMI Records.

Why did you stop shaving your head?

After Skunk Anansie split up, I started letting my hair grow. People on the street stopped recognizing me, which was great. I don't really like being famous. I shaved my head again a year later, but now I like having hair.

Why did the band split up?

We ... got to a point where we knew that the chemistry wasn't the same ... Some things had happened ... At first, we were just going to have ... a break for a couple of years and just do other things and then come back to the band. But as I was doing my music I just ... realized that it was over.

The band split up in April 2001. What have you been doing since then? In Skunk Anansie, I never really had time to do anything. When I left the band, I wanted to go slowly. I wanted to be at home, to have a normal life. I learned how to cook better and took my driving test. I did all the stupid things that I never had time to do when I was in the band and on tour all the time. And I spent a lot of time writing songs and producing my new album.

What is the album about?

It's very emotional. I started writing songs after the band split up. It was a very difficult time for me. I ended two relationships. Some people around me were very sick. I wrote about what was happening in my life. Later I wrote political songs. But the first songs I wrote were the best. So I put them on the album.

How do you feel about the album now?

I'm really delighted with it ... My album is all about lyrics and melody and feeling and voice. There are so many things that I've done on this album that I've never done before. I'm really happy with my song writing and my lyrics, and I feel like I've really improved.

www.skinmusic.net