Commemorating 30 years since the release of one of the Aussie music industry’s most iconic singles, this October and November will see Australian funk rock heroes Skunkhour perform nationally for their Up To Our Necks In It (For 30 Years) tour. A celebration of the 1995 smash hit of the same name that cemented the cult sonic alchemy that catapulted Skunkhour from the local scene into international infamy, the upcoming tour will showcase the track Up To Our Necks In It alongside some extra surprises. 30 years on, Skunkhour remain one of the country’s most enduring acts, and 2025 is primed to celebrate the past, present and future of this influential genre-bending collective.
Kicking off on NSW Centra Coast on Friday 24 October, Skunkhour’s Up To Our Necks In It (For 30 Years) tour will head to Newcastle, Byron Bay, the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Frankston and Melbourne, before concluding on Saturday 15 November in Adelaide. Tickets for Skunkhour’s upcoming tour are on sale now from www.skunkhour.com.au.
A raw, jazzy and ultimately uplifting outing, Up To Our Necks In It opens with melancholic instrumentation before swelling into a swooning, soulful affair, embracing rapped spoken-word vocal verses balanced alongside soaring melodies and rousing arrangements. Taken from the band’s sophomore 1995 album Feed, with the album peaking at #21 on the ARIA Charts, Up To Our Necks In It went on to feature on triple j’s Hottest 100, with the single also deviating from Skunkhour’s earlier sonic terrain, ultimately solidifying the group’s trademark funk-meets-rock distinctive musical DNA. “Up To Our Necks is a fairly unique track,” the band shares. “It was very different to the heavier, darker sound we went for on Feed, our second album, and for us in general. It crossed a lot of boundaries and markets for us. It got played on triple j, ABC, commercial FM and community radio. All of that was pretty rare for any band back then let alone a funk, rock, Oz hip hop indie band in the mid 90s.”
“It also helped seal our deal with Acid Jazz records in the UK and was included in their Totally Wired series of compilations,” the band add.
“It’s still our most popular track live and on Spotify as well.”
Instantly turning heads upon its release, the origin story behind Up To Our Necks In It was a truly organic affair, stemming from a literal dream before evolving naturally into the magnetic end result, as the band reveal, “our guitarist Warwick Scott woke up from a dream one morning and that signature riff, chords an all was stuck in his head. He brought it to rehearsal and the band started jamming on it. The vibe of it reminded me of a poem I’d written a couple of years prior. It just had this melancholic and introspective feel to the chords and groove. I seem to remember the chorus and Aya’s verse melody, and lyrics coming together right away too.”
“It was one of those blessed moments in a band when everything seems to get plucked from the ether and things just write themselves,” the band continues. “That’s when you know you’re all in tune and meant to be doing this thing together.”
A band entirely like no other, Skunkhour remain a unique force in the Australian music landscape. Fusing disparate sonic elements together to create a sound entirely their own, it’s this very distinctive and authentic approach that the band attribute as the likely underlying secret sauce behind their ongoing legacy. “I think that’s why the music we wrote 30 years ago still stacks up and why we have such a loyal following,” the band share of their eclectic yet focused repertoire. “And we now have younger generations coming to our shows now who appreciate the mix. It’s a total blast.”
Starting life as a band in the early 90s, Skunkhour emerged in a time that surrounded the rise of grunge, rave culture and hip hop in their early stages gaining momentum. Bringing together eclectic influences and insatiable talent, Skunkhour’s mix of thunderous rhythms, trail-blazing (for the time) rapping, brass sections and more saw them gain a cult status locally, which soon spread like wildfire across the country. Whether wowing the mainstage at festivals, performing alongside INXS and Beastie Boys, or holding court onstage at their own headline shows, the sonic love child of hip hop, acid jazz, alt rock and funk found a dazzling home at the core of Skunkhour’s creative identity; and it’s one that has survived and thrived against disbanding, reforming, multiple appearances on triple j’s Hottest 100, repeated chart success and the general highs and lows of life as a professional musician.
“We’ve been through our trials and tribulations like anyone or group of a certain age (cough, cough),” the band shares. “Most of us had or have side projects and careers in other fields. Aya lived and gigged in LA for a number of years in the late 2000’s.”
“When we reformed around 2010, the original keyboardist Paul Searles was living overseas, so we brought in the legendary Al Goodman who has been with us ever since,” the band adds. “Then in 2022 our drummer Michael Sutherland (who started the band with Dean and Warwick) left, and we brought in Carlos Adura. He plays with The Strides, Tim Finn and The Beautiful Girls. Both he and Al have been a perfect fit in every way. They’ve really helped rejuvenate the spirit and brought back a heavier emphasis on the soul funk groove side of our sound. Which has meant that our live shows are more dynamic and powerful than ever.”
With 30 years passing since the release of their iconic single Up To Our Necks In It, the group have staged multiple revivals over the years, gifting more Skunkhour goodness onstage for fans to revel in. And while all eyes are currently on celebrating their 30-year anniversary milestone this year for one of their most beloved tracks, the chance for even more Skunkhour new music isn’t entirely off the cards, as the band reveals. “We’ve released a number of new tracks in recent years with our Parts of the Sun EP and Rain on Me. But at the moment we’re pretty flat out managing our lives and doing a regular run of shows every year, and the odd festival appearance.”
“We’re probably due for some new music next year to keep things moving,” they add.
But before any talk concretely turns to new material, 2025 offers a chance to pay fitting homage to Up To Our Necks In It and Skunkhour in general, with the band set to bring their infectious live energy and a horde of old and new favourites to stages around the country starting this October.
“Fans can expect plenty of energy and good vibes,” the band shares about the upcoming tour, “with an emphasis on the more well known, dynamic funky side of our catalogue, sprinkled with some reworks, a few of our own faves, as well as some of the recent releases from the past couple of years.”
“We played a run of regional show last year which was a lot of fun and we were amazed by the turnout and reaction. People in those areas seem to really appreciate you coming to their towns and seem a little less self-conscious so the vibe was awesome. It actually reminded us of the early days of touring when you turn up to a place with no idea what to expect and it almost feels like a party ‘cause everyone kind of knows each other or are connected in some way.”
Tickets for Skunkhour’s upcoming Up To Our Necks In it (For 30 Years) tour are onsale now from https://www.skunkhour.com.au/.
SKUNKHOUR – UP TO OUR NECKS IN IT (FOR 30 YEARS) TOUR DATES:
FRI 24 OCT | EVERGLADES, WOY WOY NSW | 18+
Tickets available from www.moshtix.com.au | 1300 GET TIX | All Moshtix Outlets
SAT 25 OCT | KING STREET BANDROOM, NEWCASTLE NSW | ALL AGES
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
THUR 30 OCT | THE NORTHERN, BYRON BAY NSW | 18+
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
FRI 31 OCT | BURLEIGH TOWN HOTEL, BURLEIGH HEADS QLD | 18+
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
SAT 1 NOV | THE TRIFFID, BRISBANE QLD | 18+
Tickets available from www.moshtix.com.au | 1300 GET TIX | All Moshtix Outlets
THUR 13 NOV | PELLY BAR, FRANKSTON VIC | 18+
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
FRI 14 NOV | CORNER HOTEL, MELBOURNE VIC | 18+
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
SAT 15 NOV | THE GOV, ADELAIDE SA | 18+
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets