Skiving (fka Human Resources) is the art rock post-office organisation currently restructuring London’s musical identity. Contrasting the sterile aesthetics and jargon of the workplace with their chaotic and exuberant music, the quintet aims to play the nuances of surreal social commentary against a backdrop of musical exploration to construct their immersive lyrical landscapes.
It is the project of Harry Handford, Matt Baker (Modern Woman, The Wheel 2!), Juan Brint-Gutierrez (Modern Woman), Colin Olive, and Leo Dutton. Formed in 2021 after university, the quintet has developed a distinctive aesthetic performing in “schlubby middle-management office attire,” turning corporate mundanity into sharp artistic commentary.
Post-punk has been enjoying a renaissance over the past few years, and Skiving is continuing to push the genre into a brighter, more accepting direction with “The National Lottery.” On their new single, the band spins a folksy narrative into an urgent message by melting vivid imagery over empathetic viewpoints. The band scoffs at modern acts of grandeur and greed, viewing these ideas through the lens of innocence rather than money-hungry, power-driven, bloodshot eyes. This approach enables the band to dismantle the destructive concepts that have been normalized and reveal the nuances that keep us separated. This important messaging is delivered via acrobatic, off-kilter vocals that skate over blaring, punchy horn melodies and thick basslines, adding a carefree splash of color to the bleak songwriting. This juxtaposition is what makes “The National Lottery” such a memorable listen, and only begins to scratch the surface of what makes Skiving such a refreshing voice in modern rock.
“This song is the sugar-rush maximalism of childish self-delusion. It’s a critique of capitalist accumulation of status, through money or commodities, through the eyes of a child that thinks he’s won the lottery,” explains the band when asked about “The National Lottery.”
