Skip Curtis debuts with “Messed Up”!
Skip Curtis is the lead singer of haze-pop band XY&O who found early success with their global viral hit “Low Tide” in 2015. He continues to write songs and perform with the band as well as writing for other artists but is now set to introduce his own project with the release of “Messed Up”.
This brooding, introspective song about willing self-destruction straddles a sound somewhere between angst-ridden singer songwriter, Elliott Smith, and the energetic alt-rock of artists like The Cure, James Bay and fellow Welsh Valley boys, The Manic Street Preachers.
The lyrics focus on an internal conflict, an admission of weakness and unworthiness that comes laced with hints of martyrdom. “I can’t find my appetite, I’m so pale and nothing looks right – I’m messed up, I missed the feeling”. “It’s a kind of weird selfish love song” says Skip “about trying to go down in flames but apologising for it at the same time”.
Growing up in the South Wales Valley’s, Skip found ideological escapism in writing music. He adopted the Welsh poet David Hughes’ famous riposte ‘Ambition is Critical’ as a mantra to create music. “I never wanted music to be a way of physically escaping the Valleys. I love them. It was about escaping the stereotype. I was always trying to do something different; playing music and writing songs became my answer. They were and still are, my satisfaction”.
Skip’s ambition was to originally write songs for other people, which circumstantially led to him becoming one third of Welsh haze-pop band XY&O. Wisely deciding to use his own unique vocal range to bring the songs to life. Skip has continued to develop his song writing skills both in a band and as a solo performer. Having already performed at Glastonbury with XY&O, Skip is now building his own solo project.
For more about Skip, check out his WEBSITE and his FACEBOOK page
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