London-based independent powerhouse punk rock label Xtra Mile Recordings and English folk-punks Skinny Lister are excited to present ‘Mantra,‘ the latest single to be lifted from the release of the band’s sixth studio LP titled ‘Shanty Punk.‘
“Make it a mantra, make it a habit, to recognize what you have while you have it,” beams vocalist Lorna Thomas on the uplifting single, a song bright and beatific in its message and set to a tune simply born for a good old-fashioned barn dance. A track that finds Thomas releasing her inner Dolly Parton across a tune dashed with a hint of country and a pinch of Cajun music, the song is based on the glass-half-full adage that Skinny Lister continues to live by.
Frontman Daniel Heptinstall explains: “The song is a reminder to recognize what we have while we have it – enjoy the moment. It’s all too easy to recognize what we had once it’s gone. Sometimes it’s good to not be looking forward or looking back, but to value the here and now. It’s about recognizing the moment, reaching out, and grabbing it with both hands.”
The sweet country two-step of ‘Mantra‘ follows the full-force folk-punk of previous single ‘Company Of The Bar‘, with both tracks due to feature on ‘Shanty Punk‘, a glorious, riotous mix of chest-thumping anthems, shanty sing-a-longs and folk-punk classics that demand to be played live. Written and recorded by the band, ‘Shanty Punk‘ is a concept album that is a pure distillation of what makes the long-standing band tick, and perhaps a collection of songs that leans further into the band’s folk roots more than they’ve ventured in some years.