Skate Punk
A fun upbeat commentary on toxic masculinity as seen through the eyes of a fish.
I was working with a songwriting prompt that was simply a list of words. I knew enough to recognize that all the words had to do with skateboarding, but not enough to feel confident writing a song about it. I do however, live on an island, and we have skate, the fish, off our shores. Skates have spikes along their spines like a punk has spikes on their clothes, and they are tough, but very graceful creatures.
While reading about their mating practices I very quickly found myself writing from the point of view of a lady skate who is sick and tired of all the posturing and bullying that goes on every year in the skate mating grounds. She finds herself wishing for a mate who makes the most of their underwater environment, riding the rip tide and doing mad tricks on the ocean waves.
The recording is simple and straightforward. Nylon string guitar, light bass, just a touch of backing vocals, and some electric guitar to mimic the undulations of the skate.