Please tell us a few words about the new release. How are you happy with the final release?
First of all thanks for having Pigskinner on your webzine. I’m really proud of “High Life”.  It is a personal effort from start to finish. From the recording, to the mixing and the artwork. This way I had total freedom & control of the final product. I definitely had a lot of fun writing and recording the songs that came to be this album. Most of “High Life” was written 1-2 years back, but various huge obstacles got in the way. I returned to work in 2020 and with the covid situation – unfortunately – I had a lot of free time. Being home & broke what better to do than get down to business? The talks with Flesh Sclerosis Productions went smooth and we came to a deal at no time. So all the pieces fell into place. 

How would you describe/label the music on it? Does it sounds like anything we might have heard before?
It’s a bit different than its predecessors I guess. This time I went for a heavier, more “metallic” approach. I wanted a more riff based core and I found myself experimenting on different sounds. I’m not into labels, but it definitely falls into the “extreme metal” category. First reactions are really positive so I guess people like the renovated Pigskinner.

Where was it recorded and how much time did it take you to record it? Any interesting stories from the recording/producing the material?
Once again recordings, mixing & mastering were done at Shithole Studio. Most of the process took part between March/April 2020 since as I said before some parts, as well as the final mix of the album was during the quarantine. Actually, there was a last minute song that got into the album. “El Duderino” was nothing more than me fucking around with the guitar during the recordings. I started playing the opening riff and I guess I was stoned enough to sit through the whole night and record it. It’s a thrashier version of Pigskinner and I definitely had a shitload of fun recording it.

What can you tell us about the cover artwork? Is there a link between the artwork and the lyrics? What are the topics of your lyrics?
What we’ve got is a bunch of cleavers, a marijuana leaf and a skull. Every one of these elements is portrayed in the album with songs about choppy choppy happy time (“The Meat Market”), Mary Jane tributes (“El Duderino”), as well as death in every form it may come. Whether it is the end of your life, your conscience or your freedom. Some times this gets more personified like “Don’t Forget To Feed The Fish”, a song that has to do with the life & actions of Albert Fish.

What do you expect to gain through this release? What are the band's aims at the moment?
I try to make Pigskinner better with every release, as well as develop on a personal level. “High Life” is a step forward for the band in every aspect. I hope I am fortunate enough to have the time & resources to keep doing this for some time to come. As for expectations I guess it wouldn’t hurt if Pigskinner gained some new fans from “High Life”.

Is there a special format the material is released in? Or is it released in multiple formats? How many copies were pressed?
There is a limited run of 500 CDs. You can also stream/download a digital version of the album on the Pigskinner Bandcamp page (https://pigskinner.bandcamp.com). Unfortunately, these are the only two versions of “High Life” you can find right now. I’d love to have it pressed on vinyl some time but for the time being there hasn’t been any interest from labels and times are rough for such expenses. 

Where and how will you promote this new release?
The only place right now is the internet. Pigskinner is a studio project so the pandemic hasn’t affected my plans much regarding live shows etc. With me being the only member and nobody other behind the band promoting “High Life” is time consuming (more like devouring) as it is though.

Where can we order it from?
You can order “High Life” directly from the band by sending a mail to pigskinner666@gmail.com or with a message to Pigskinner’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pigskinnerofficial.  I’ve also set up a Bigcartel store over at https://pigskinner.bigcartel.com. You can also visit Pigskinner’s Bandcamp at https://pigskinner.bandcamp.com to stream/download the digital version of the album.

November 2020