We feel right at home listening to this cool New York-themed single from The Skullers, and are very excited to premiere it on Pancakes & Whiskey today, along with its dreamlike accompanying video. “Brooklyn Girls” will be available tomorrow (July 12th) on all streaming platforms, but you can check it out in advance right here and see why The Skullers grabbed our attention. The modern rockabilly/blues-inspired band have a classic sound that simmers in this catchy new single, which speaks to the authentic side of Brooklynites with lyrics like, “Everything’s moving / And I need a break from the hype / I want people who see the world / As everything that it’s been / So I’m going back to Brooklyn / I don’t care what trouble I’m in.”
Brooklyn Girls
Comprised of songwriter Jack Skuller (vocals, guitars), Luigi Sardi (bass, background vocals) and Brian Fahey (drums), The Skullers got a little extra help from acclaimed Americana artist/producer Don DiLego, who added percussion and can be heard singing some background parts on this song. “When Jack sent me the demo to ‘Brooklyn Girls’, I immediately wanted to be the one to record it,” said DiLego. “I felt the song captured a new spirit in the band, and a notable leap forward in the songwriting. And I can say, I wasn’t let down. The recording sessions for that song were what you’re always hoping for as a producer.”
The Skullers
Skuller – who was recognized by the Songwriters Hall of Fame five years ago, receiving the [Buddy] Holly Prize – told us how it came together musically. “I felt compelled to write a song with a waltz time signature and a single chord progression to channel the hypnotic rhythms of a big city. We wanted to experiment and used Ebow [a hand-held electronic bow for guitar] instead of live strings and loved it!” The stylish cover for this single was designed by local artist SarahGrace Johnson, who also produced the music video with Skuller. The fast-paced, superimposed footage of Brooklyn sights has a neat home video feel; like the song’s lyrics, it starts in Chinatown until they take us over the river via the subway. Once we’re in Brooklyn, if you look closely, you can spot vibrant murals by artists like Vexta, Askew One, Iena Cruz, and Beau Stanton.
Locals have two chances to catch The Skullers live this weekend: Lucky Bar’s Rock ’n Roll BBQ on Saturday, July 13th in Jersey City, and the Johnny Thunders Birthday Bash at NYC’s Bowery Electric on Sunday, July 14th. You can follow The Skullers on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for more updates on their music and upcoming shows (including another date in Hoboken at the end of the month). They recently posted some behind-the-scenes photos from this very recording session, which took place at DiLego’s Velvet Elk Studios, a “getaway cabin” in the Poconos.
Article: Olivia Isenhart
