Rollerskate Skinny – Interview
“We don’t need luck, we need hits”
Another archive interview. This one is with Rollerskate Skinny’s Ken Griffin and it was broadcast on Cork Campus Radio (now UCC98.3FM) back in late 1996 or maybe early 1997 - I’m not 100% sure.
I mention in the interview that we had chatted to the band a few months earlier. My records show that the first interview was recorded on Tuesday, 27 February 1996 and that the band played in Nancy Spains later that week on Friday, 01 March 1996. So I reckon this interview was recorded in late 1996 at the earliest.
Both myself and John were huge fans of Horsedrawn Wishes so it was great to have Ken as a guest on the show. Ken chats about the critical response to Horsedrawn Wishes and the band’s plans for a third album. In the interview Ken is quite frustrated by the business side of the industry and particularly the lack of promotion by Warner Bros. for the album. The photographs below and at the top of this post were all included with a press pack that was sent to Campus Radio with a promo copy of Horsedrawn Wishes.
The interview was conducted by myself and John O’Leary for our Campus radio show The Hibernia File. The radio show was on air between 1995-1998 and was produced by Kieran Hurley. Over the course of those years myself and John interviewed most local Cork bands and many Irish and international bands who played in Cork including: Rollerskate Skinny, Revelino, The High Llamas, Cathal Coughlan, The Dirty Three, Gallon Drunk, The Sultans of Ping, The Frank & Walters, Emperor of Icecream, Will Oldham, Yo La Tengo, The Divine Comedy, Trashcan Sinatras, The Handsome Family, Stereolab, The Young Offenders, Sons of Mr Green Genes, Servotron, Whipping Boy, Man or Astroman, Mundy, The Frames, The Wannadies, The Devlins, Martin Stephenson, The Prayer Boat, Ron Sexsmith, Nine Wassies From Bainne, The Shanks, Rumble, The Sewing Room, David Gray, Jubilee Allstars, The Hives, Donovan, Goldblade, Alabama 3 and many more.
Most of these interviews were lost years ago and I reckon both myself and John would agree that’s probably for the best. The Rollerskate Skinny interview survived and can be heard below. Thanks to The Fanning Sessions Archive for providing me with the audio recording.