The Slackers Release Single Picture Disc

Picture Disc Release of The Slackers, 'Kill You'

Available now from Pirates Press Records

Taken from the sessions of their hit album Don’t Let the Sunlight Fool Ya, NYC ska/reggae legends The Slackers are back with a new 12″ single, “Kill You,” a 7-minute+ “discomix” produced by the band’s longtime friend and collaborator, Victor Rice, and featuring rapper Rocksteypood! The B-side features a dub mix of “Statehouse” by Emch of Subatomic Sound System!

It is rare that any band displays the combination of talent and tenacity to continue connecting with audiences 3 decades into their career without becoming a cabaret show, but New York City ska/reggae institution THE SLACKERS continue to push boldly into the future with a fresh energy that belies their 30+ years!

The band were on their creative rise during the mid-late 90s explosion in mainstream interest in ska, but never lost a step when that bubble burst, emerging as a band that continually built up their fanbase the old-fashioned way: with relentless touring across the world and consistent recordings that always brought something new to the table.

THE SLACKERS have pushed on long enough to be regarded as elder statesmen of a new era of interest in ska, but as always, rather than rest on their considerable laurels, this band is achieving new milestones on their own terms.

One such milestone was the LP Don't Let the Sunlight Fool Ya lighting up several Billboard Charts, including hitting #1 on the Current Reggae Albums chart. The album was the band's first full length since joining the Pirates Press Records family, a fruitful creative relationship which has also yielded a slew of popular singles, as well as reissues of back catalog classics such as Redlight, Wasted Days, Peculiar, and the fan-favorite live album Live at Ernesto's.

The latest release from these workhorses is the 12" single "Kill You." Recorded during the wildly productive sessions for Don't Let the Sunlight Fool Ya, this track is a mini-epic that clocks in at just over 7 minutes! The B-side is a dub mix of "Statehouse," from the Sunlight LP. "Statehouse" has a long history of its own; it is an updated version of "Wrongful Suspicion," which SLACKERS frontman Vic Ruggiero co-wrote for punk rock legends RANCID's 1998 LP Life Won't Wait.

Both tracks feature the work of Victor Rice, an NYC ska wonder currently residing in Brazil, whose many accolades include two Latin Grammys, as well as production, engineering, and bass playing credits too numerous to list. Among these credits include frequent collaborations with THE SLACKERS throughout their career, including producing the band's debut full length, 1996's Better Late Than Never.

The B Side, “Statehouse,” is a commentary on the struggle for justice in South Carolina seen through the campaign to take down the Confederate flag that flew outside its Statehouse from 1961 – 2015. “Statehouse” began as a reply to “Wrongful Suspicion” which Ruggiero had written back in 1997 with Rancid’s Tim Armstrong. The Dub version of “Statehouse” on this vinyl is a further reworking of the track by Emch, DJ at Subatomic Sound System, and long time collaborator with Lee Perry. Emch deconstructed the tune bringing forward the hand drumming of legendary Percussionist Larry McDonald, a mutual friend and longtime collaborator of the Slackers, Emch, and Lee Perry.

Ruggiero noted, ”I had finished up ‘Kill You’ with Victor Rice, and then I heard Emch’s dub mix of ‘Statehouse,’ and I thought ‘Wow! It would be cool to put them on a 7” together conceptually.’ To say that the tension in America was NOT one-sided (pun intended?), all kinda seemed to make sense.” With that, Ruggiero re-recorded some of his vocals for “Statehouse” in order to fit the dub version better and everything fell perfectly in place.

As always, THE SLACKERS show no signs of slowing down their non-stop touring, with dates throughout the rest of 2023 and beyond. The Slackers will be in Seattle with Voodoo Glow Skulls November 30th at The Crocdile. You can bet that with this time-tested philosophy of honoring their legacy while pushing ever forward that the band will continue to electrify longtime fans while gaining new ones in every city, and it won't be long before fresh material like "Kill You" joins the ranks of the band's fan-favorite live songs!