Aaron Corcoran’s influences are as diverse as they come; from Tom Waits and Danny Elfman’s Oingo Boingo to poets & writers Allen Ginsberg, Bukowski, Kafka and Philip K Dick (the sci-fi writer behind the Blade Runner story). This fresh-faced twenty-something is the brainchild behind the multi-instrumentalist known as Skinner, who has just released his debut album, ‘New Wave Vaudeville’, following his acclaimed 2024 ‘Geek Love’ EP.

Skinner’s brand of unhinged No Wave inspired music emanates from him picking up obscure, internet ripped demo tapes from the likes of Xerox and Peter & The Girlfriends who were around in the late 1970s and early ‘80s. Aaron explains, “One guy used to go round to second-hand shops in New York, and he would find all these cassette tapes, vinyl records and 7-inches of all these No Wave bands that might have put out 500 copies. They’re not even on Spotify or Bandcamp because the record label probably dissolved the songs straight away.”

Born just to the west of Dublin, I sense an element of maturity and an old soul within Corcoran. “When I was really young, I only listened to Americana, folk music from the ‘30s up to late ‘60s because my Dad was really into Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. As a teenager, everyone was listening to the charts and I was like 50 years behind everyone else”, he laughs.

The folky roots certainly aren’t initially obvious on Skinner’s white-knckle ride of an album but the perceptive Corcoran highlights the links between punk and folk. “I think there’s such a crossover with those early folk artists with a lot of punk musicians. Folk was the forefront of punk because it was the first music that incorporated protest and ideology into the lyrics. It was very lyric heavy, and I think that’s why I kind of liked it so much. There is a natural progression into punk music when you’re younger and you’re kind of gravitating towards faster music. I still listen to a lot of folk because it’s the original storytelling music.” As a point of fact: Aaron is off to see the new Bob Dylan biopic with his Dad this upcoming weekend.

He seems very comfortable in his skin, and not remotely interested at all in chasing the fame monster. I asked him what aspirations he has for his music. “When I was growing up, like for most people who are music fans, there’s some people in the day-to-day of life that find it strange and challenging in a lot of ways.

When I found music, that was where I could go and feel connected to the world, without necessarily having to interact with physical people. I want my music to be a place where you go and find out new things & ideas about yourself. Ultimately that’s the main goal for an artist, to inspire people. That’s the only reason that I make music and I enjoy making it.”

The album kicks off with an absolute runaway train of craziness in the title track. However, we picked out one of his quieter moments on the record, ‘Spiralling’, and asked him the context of this one. “That was actually one of the oldest songs on the album”, recalls Aaron. “I think that was written in 2022. It started off as a poem and I wanted to make a kind of slower song, including elements like jazz with the saxophone and the drum breaks. 

It’s a personal song about depression. I wanted to show that it doesn’t always have to be loud, aggressive punk stuff, but you can also have a sensitive side. It just leaves you a bit of breathing room, if you want to make softer music in the future. I’d like to embrace as many different genres as possible.”

Just as Dublin’s Gilla Band took Aaron under their wing, with singer Dara Kiely offering advice and helping Aaron manage his voice when there’s a lot of shouty-screamy moments in Skinner’s armoury, Aaron has already started doing the same for other Irish bands that may need a foot up onto the first rung of making music. 

“Dara was listening to my demos. He said, “Oh, you really like to shout, but it doesn’t really sound like you’re all the way there. Do you want me to give you some lessons?” I thought he was joking. I was quite taken aback at someone who didn’t really know me, wanting to help me out in that way.” This has instilled some trust in Corcoran that the industry isn’t always the grim reaper.

—

—

“It makes you kind of want to do the same thing because you meet a lot of assholes,” laughs Corcoran. “I’ve started recording other bands this year. I had some free time and I have a studio I’ve been recording myself at for years. So, I started going to different shows and finding other bands. If I like their show, I usually go to them after and ask if they want to do a single with me, telling them I’ll record it and do it for free.” One particular band that Aaron name-dropped was Delivery Service from Dublin, who he describes as a mix between The Breeders and The Moldy Peaches. Intriguing…

There is no doubt that vocalist, guitarist and percussionist Corcoran feels like the live setting is really where it’s at. “I really judge a band based on their live performance rather than their records. There’s nothing worse than going to a show and walking away feeling even more bored than before you went in. For me, the live performance is about total freedom and expression. It is the original way of showcasing your music.”

He kicks off his tour in Belfast’s Voodoo on February 5th, with the routing set to include dates in Liverpool, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, London and Bristol. Aaron agreed that his experimental and left-field approach to music lends itself to a more interesting and flexible live show, but that isn’t always easy for some of the live session musicians to grasp. “I always find it really funny with musicians when you sit down with them and their gig is playing in other people’s bands. When they come in to play with me, I’ll usually say “here’s your foundation, here’s your basis. After that, it’s up to you, do what you want to do.” They get really frazzled by that,” smiles Corcoran.

He’s not afraid to push musical boundaries, yet at the same time Corcoran wants the musicians and the fans to enjoy the experience equally. “I go to see so many shows and it doesn’t even look like the band are enjoying themselves,” he says. “If you’re not enjoying yourself, how can you expect the crowd to enjoy it then? Some people think they have to put on this front as a performer. People connect with people who are human. I try to get people to come up on stage with us and do different things. It should be a communal effort and it’s much more fun for everyone.”

—

—

Words: Lee Campbell
Photography: Niamh Barry

—