In honor of The Royal celebrating their seven year anniversary, we sat down with one of their favorite local reggae bands, SKUMBUDZ, for a Salt Baked Q&A. Despite not playing live shows during the COVID-19 outbreak, the band has been busy.
Read our story below and find out what you can expect from them when the world turns back on.
Salt Baked City: When did Skumbudz become a band?
Skumbudz: We officially became a band in 2017.
Salt Baked City: Introduce yourselves (who’s in the band).
Skumbudz: We have Christian Shupe on the drums, Colin Sheffield on the bass, and myself (Kade Long) on guitar and vocals.
Salt Baked City: Are you all from Salt Lake City?
Skumbudz: All three of us actually grew up in Lehi. Colin and I have known each other since middle school, and after high school we met Christian.
Salt Baked City: So, I’m chilling in my backyard listening to your song ‘Coffee & Kush’ off of your album ‘Valley Vibes‘ and thinking to myself, “this could be the soundtrack to my typical morning.” I’m going to get right to it, why does the band love cannabis?
Skumbudz: That’s awesome, the song was written as kind of an anthem to the perfect morning. Sitting out with some loved ones, smoking a spliff and drinking coffee. We look at cannabis as just another substance to our daily lives. Like water and food (laughs out loud). It’s a medicine for the body and soul.
Salt Baked City: From what I’ve saw at Reggae Rise Up last year, I feel your band fits in the category of dirty rock, reggae, with a hint of heavy metal. Is that a safe assumption?
Skumbudz: Yeah, we all bring our own styles into the mix. I bring that reggae, hip-hop, bluesy feel. Colin brings that ska-punk feel. And Christian brings that rock and heavy metal feel.
Salt Baked City: What bands have influenced your sound?
Skumbudz: We all have our own personal influences, but collectively, we’ve all really liked Sublime, Stick Figure, Rage Against The Machine, and Incubus.
Salt Baked City: It looks like ‘Valley Vibes’ is your only album. Is there a sophomore album on the horizon?
Skumbudz: Oh yeah, totally! We have about 7 new songs we’ve been working on, and we’re always writing new material.
Salt Baked City: Collectively, what original song is the band most proud of?
Skumbudz: ‘Heavy Chains’ has always been a gem to the band.
Salt Baked City: Does it ever surprise you which songs are more popular with your fans?
Skumbudz: ‘Sound Junction Hwy’ was the first song we ever created as a band, and we have played it hundreds of times. I think we have personally grown kind of tired of the song, but fans always seem to love it.
Salt Baked City: Does the band consume cannabis before playing live? If so, what’s the bands go to strain?
Skumbudz: We usually smoke a spliff or two, and have a couple of beers. Strain is never an issue really, we just like to smoke spliffs. We have had a couple of shows where we drank too much before, and that never goes too well. But we never really smoke too much before. If we do, we probably just play a little slower than usual or something (laughs out loud).
Salt Baked City: Where is your favorite spot to play locally?
Skumbudz: We started out playing at The Royal a lot, and that place will always kinda feel like home. Soundwell and Park City have been hot spots for us lately, and those shows are always a good turnout. The Depot is definitely the coolest show we have ever played though.
Salt Baked City: In my opinion, missing out on the Utah summer reggae scene could be one of the worst things to come out of the COVID-19 outbreak. How is this effecting the band’s plans?
Skumbudz: Not too much actually. Our drummer Christian is leaving to fight wildfires this summer, so he won’t really be available to play shows. Not playing shows will suck, but Colin and I are just going to take the time to write.
Salt Baked City: With the extra time on your hands, what’s been keeping you guys occupied?
Skumbudz: We’ve been doing a lot of jamming and writing. We’ve also been working on some videos too. Our fans can expect to see a music video for Walnut Tree, and a live session video for one of our new songs.
Salt Baked City: When the world turns back on, what can your fans expect from you?
Skumbudz: Lots of shows, maybe even a small tour. It’s been tough not doing what we usually do, but we can see the end is near and we’ll be playing soon.
Salt Baked City: Where can people purchase your album ‘Valley Vibes,’ and is your music available locally?
Skumbudz: You can buy it on iTunes and Amazon, and stream it anywhere. We have also been burning CDs for people. Hit us up on Facebook or Instagram and we’ll get you one.
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