Q&A: Riley Skinner Comes Clean With New Track “Dirty”
MINNEAPOLIS-BASED ELECTRO-FOLK SINGER-SONGWRITER — Riley Skinner’s COVID-19 project turned into something much bigger than most of our lockdown pastimes. A member of the folk duo Heddwen, Skinner found herself alone in her house and felt drawn to make music for herself again, not worrying about the sometimes suffocating judgment of an audience.
But she hasn’t absolutely lost the passion for playing to a crowd in what she describes as her “girl band fantasy,” and that is how she recorded her latest music.
Her new track, “Dirty,” conveys the same peaceful atmosphere as Taylor Swift’s sister albums folklore and evermore. Skinner’s description of the song is reminiscent of the iconic The Perks of Being a Wallflower line: “We accept the love we think we deserve.”
Read the interview below as Luna chats with Skinner about “Dirty,” how she thinks of genre, and what's coming in the near future.
LUNA: How did Riley Skinner come to be?
SKINNER: I am an electro-folk musician currently living in Minneapolis. I’ve been making music my whole life but this particular album was really born out of the pandemic. I’d been playing in a folk duo, Heddwen, and doing my own stuff on the side, but suddenly I found myself trapped in my house and really just making music for myself again. It was freeing not to worry too much about the audience or what anyone else would think and get back to crafting the music that I really wanted to play. When I moved to Minneapolis in 2021 I formed a core band and we recorded an album after a few weeks of playing together.
LUNA: How has your music changed within the past few years?
SKINNER: The main thing that has changed has been playing with a full band rather than being a solo act. I’ve been loving collaborating with my drummer and bass player. It’s more fun to have people on stage with you. I also only recently started playing electric guitar and that has opened up a new world of creativity for me. I still love acoustic music and playing solo shows but I’m having a lot of fun living out my girl band fantasy!
LUNA: Who inspired your music? Who are your biggest influences?
SKINNER: I was raised by two radio DJs and I give them credit for my very eclectic taste in music. Erykah Badu and Björk are my two most listened to artists. I like weird stuff like Meredith Monk and Moondog and I also love campy stuff like The B-52s and The Cramps, and beautiful stuff like Diane Cluck and Lhasa De Sela. I try not to concern myself too much with making rhyme or reason out of what I like or how it shows up in my writing. This particular album was influenced by my favorite musicians of the ’90s: Sinead O’Connor, The Cranberries, PJ Harvey, and Cocteau Twins.
LUNA: Could you introduce your favorite singles you've released so far?
SKINNER: It’s hard to pick favorites — this whole album means a lot to me. The title track, “Surrender,” features Zack Warpinski’s very eerie pedal steel playing, which I really love. “Friend” is a tongue-in-cheek “how dare you” song about a crush, and we made a really fun music video for that one. “Swallow Song” is another favorite — I loved recording the flute tracks with my friend Margo Ramsay in my living room. I don’t know, I love them all!
LUNA: How do you keep your musical exploration going?
SKINNER: I try very hard as a musician not to box myself in too much. Even defining a single genre that I’m working in can be challenging. I used to worry a lot that my songs didn’t realy go together because I do enjoy exploring different genres. But now I understand that if I make something, it’s me, and I don’t have to worry about it. I think my next album will continue to move in a rock direction, but I’m staying open to the process.
LUNA: What inspired “Dirty,” and how did it come to life?
SKINNER: When I wrote “Dirty” I was thinking about the ways in which we withdraw from closeness and love because we feel we are not worthy or deserving of receiving it. I think this is especially true for those of us [who] are queer because we have to grapple with internalized homophobia that can make us feel ashamed of who we are, as if we are not a part of nature. But we are all just a part of the fabric of the natural world. This song is intended to be an invitation to return to self-love. I really enjoyed featuring Cooper Stoulil’s excellent ambient guitar playing on this track. He added a watery lead line as well as layers of bowed electric guitar which made everything sound slightly spooky and surreal. We made a cool music video for this one as well.
LUNA: Who produces your tracks? How do you choose which producers to work with? Do you have some dream producers you'd like to work with?
SKINNER: I produce my own music. I have a strong vision for what I want musically, and I also trust my collaborators to act as a sounding board. My amazing bandmates typically write their own parts, and I also had great input on this album from Holly Hansen (recording engineer) and Greg Obis (mixing engineer). I don’t have any plans to work with a particular producer but I’m always open to new collaborations.
LUNA: Is music your main occupation at the moment? If not, how are you reconciling your day job with your music career?
SKINNER: I am very fortunate to have a creative and flexible day job that allows me to prioritize my music and art. It’s very difficult to make a full-time living as an independent musician, unfortunately. I try to make a little time for music every day, even if that is just sitting in the living room and strumming my acoustic guitar for a few minutes or sitting at the piano and improvising for a bit.
LUNA: Have you ever been on tour? If not, would you like to embark on one? Tell us about it.
SKINNER: I have been on a few very DIY tours over the years. They are always fun and also totally chaotic. It’s awesome to connect with new audiences and it brings you closer to the people that you are touring with — you always end up more bonded and with stories to tell. I’d love to go on a tour again now that this release is out in the world.
LUNA: Where do you see yourself in one year as a musician?
SKINNER: Hopefully I’ll be nearing another full album release. I make music for the love of it, and writing and recording are my favorite aspects of being a musician so I definitely see myself doing more of that. I’d also love to go on a Midwest tour and play a festival or two.
