SKINDRED's Blend Of Reggae And Punk Comes Out Of Singer's Childhood

March 13, 2005

SKINDRED frontman Benji Webbe recently told The Flint Journal that the group's mixture of extreme metal and melodic reggae accurately reflects the music the band members grew up listening to. "I speak about this to fans and friends most nights," Webbe said. "The way I look at it is if you grew up with a black father and a white mother, you're going to get to know different cultures."

"Musically, I grew up listening to so much reggae music and so much punk rock. I felt like I couldn't be in a band of one stream (genre). I needed to do something that represented me as a musician. If you listen to SKINDRED, I really believe that represents where I'm from. I'm not doing it because I want to make something different. I'm doing it because that's what's natural to me as a person," he added.

Webbe grew up listening to an array of music, ranging from radio hits to punk legends THE CLASH to the ska-fed THE SPECIALS.

"I grew up listening to anything that was out there, from the SEX PISTOLS, THE RUTS and a lot of Jamaican dancehall as well. Anything that the radio played from when I was a kid, too. I was so open-minded when it came to music. I got off on anything really," Webbe said.

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