Rob Skane plays garage.folk.rocknroll music. Garage and folk are his modifiers. His life's subject is always rocknroll - rocknroll that is open, honest and unadorned. "I've been describing my music as garage.folk.rocknroll for several years. I enjoy the raw power and passion of music created by the garage rock bands of the 1960's and the story telling aspect of the folk music. And I arrange and present my songs as rocknroll songs. So, that's were the garage.folk.rocknroll thing comes from," explains Rob.
Rob's most recent release, SelfNoise, offers up 11 charmingly lo-fi slices of life in the fast lane, slow lane and suicide lane. "The bulk of my lyrics are inspired by the fact that I am totally fascinated with people and the way they do what they do," Skane says, "I observe as much as I can, file awaywhatever I need to, and then come up with fictionalized slices of someone's life. And in those slices I try to convey thoughts and feelings that I have had . . . and I hope other people have experienced too."
Rob recorded and mixed SelfNoise in his tiny home studio. "I had worked in a recording studio for a few years and I learned a bunch of stuff about mic placement and all of that crap. And then I attended a local college for a little while and learned a bit more about recording and music theory, as well. So, I felt comfortable making my own recording at my house. It was a little harder than I imagined it would be, but at least I didn't have to deal with the sterile environment of a recording studio and," jokes Skane, "there's something to be said for the convenience of doing bass tracks in your underwear in the middle of the night."
The All Music Guide gave SelfNoise a 4 star review, stating that, "...This New York-based musician uses equal amounts of Robbie Robertson and Lou Reed to create his descriptive and personal vignettes. Using a sparse amount of instruments, Skane relies on the lyrics to carry most tracks..." and saying that, "... the overall effort is superior..."
A Utica, New York native Rob spent much of his youth "listening to hundreds of albums, everything from The Beatles to The Sex Pistols and anything in between. I'd get home from school, listen to records, practice my guitar and eventually I started scribbling down my own lyrics." Rob's favorite band comes as a shocker to most people, "I'm a diehard KISS fan", Skane confesses. "They were a huge musical influence in my life,especially Alive one, that album blew my mind - it still does, actually. And, as a matter of fact, Ace Frehley is the reason I picked up a guitar", notes Rob.
Rob Skane has performed his garage.folk.rocknroll music in literally hundreds of cafes, bars, bookstores and coffee houses. Standing before audiences armed only with his voice and his guitar. He can strum, but he can't hide...he digs that. Rob is passionate about his garage.folk.rocknroll music and shares that passion with anyone who will listen.
