By Crimson Cat

How did you six meet and decide to form a band?
We joined the band one by one through jamming and performing in Melbourne’s sweat-drenched live funk scene.

What’s the inspiration for the band name? Is there any association to the car?
We’re just like that car, we don’t look like much, but we sound massive, we’ve got heaps of power, and we’re a heap of fun to take for a spin one night!

When and where was your big break?
We’ve been regulars on the Melbourne funk scene for years now, playing residencies at classic venues such as Cherry Bar, but the real turning point for the band was our southside album launch at Red Bennies!  We sold the place out, tore the roof off, and the gig turned into a huge rambling funk party, wild dancers ending up on stage, and our sax player winding up in the moshpit!

Since then, we’ve played a huge show at the Espy, built our regular fan base, and even found out that there is now a Skylines tribute band (named after one of our songs)!!!

You recently released your debut/mini-album ‘Right Track’. How was it like recording that?
Recording is always intense, but it was heaps of fun!  We kept the production pretty minimal, and as close to our live vibe as we could for most of the harder funk numbers, but there’s also something a little different for everyone, including our homage to reggae and the more layered, slow build production style of the album’s title track.

You write original songs, is there a main songwriter in the group?
Everyone brings something different.  The Skylines is one of those rare things: a truly collaborative writing partnership.  Basically, we just get together when we’ve got a bunch of cool riffs or lyrical ideas that we want to jam out, and hammer it all out into a tune in the rehearsal room.  Our rehearsals and writing sessions are almost as much fun as playing live!

What inspires you the most with your writing?
It’s gotta be the dancers.  We write songs that people can really funk out to, no holds barred party music, and this comes out in the tunes that we write, and in the way we play them live.  

You’ve already played at The Evelyn, Tony Starr’s Kitten Club, The Belgian Beer Garden, The Purple Emerald and soon Red Bennies. Where has been the best crowd so far?

Every crowd is different.  Some are listeners, some are party animals, some are dancers and some are just plain nuts!  Our most high-profile fan would probably be celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, who saw one of our gigs and is now the proud owner of a copy of the “Right Track” mini-album.  

Our album launch at Red Bennies had it all, with an incredible vibe, and an amazing crowd of listeners, party animals, dancers and nutters, and it’s going to be even better on June 11!!!  

Where is your dream location to play?
We’re strongly inspired by the sheer size and power of the great 70s funksters and rockers, so it’d be great to play a stadium show at the ‘G one day!

Are there any plans to tour nationally?
Plans in the pipeline, but nothing’s locked in at the moment.  Watch this space!

What artists or bands are you listening to at the moment?
Lots of Stevie Wonder, Daft Punk, James Brown, Michael Jackson, Chilli Peppers, anything that’s funky as hell, and anything that makes you shake your moneymaker…

The Skylines perform at Red Bennies on Friday, 11th June 2010