Skindred are back, and they’re not easing in gently. The Newport genre-smashers have unleashed “You Got This”, the blistering title track from their upcoming ninth album, landing 17 April via Earache Records. It arrives armed with a riotous new video and all the ragga-metal energy that has made Skindred one of the most uplifting and unpredictable heavy bands of the past two decades.
“You Got This” wastes no time powering up. Guitarist Mikey Demus swings in like a wrecking ball with slabs of metallic groove while drummer Arya Goggin hits with the urgency of a prize-fight bell. Frontman Benji Webbe flips from machine-gun toasting to soaring hooks, delivering a message of grit and positivity with the conviction only he can muster. It is unmistakably Skindred: heavy, hooky, joyous and built to shake venues into motion.
The inspiration for the song came from a quiet moment rather than a full-blown rock epiphany. Webbe witnessed a man in a gym battling through rehab after a stroke. As the trainer encouraged him – “You got this” – Webbe saw a spark of raw determination, a moment of resilience that stayed with him. It became the seed for a song dedicated to pushing through the rough days when life feels like it’s stacked the deck.
“For me, having songs that lift people who are going through tough times is the most important thing,” Webbe says.
It’s a sentiment that has pulsed through Skindred’s DNA since day one.
Skindred’s story begins in the ashes of mid-’90s outfit Dub War, the cult band whose fusion of metal, reggae and punk laid the foundations for Webbe’s fearless sonic identity. When Dub War ended, Webbe regrouped with Daniel Pugsley, Mikey Demus, and Arya Goggin, forming Skindred in 2002 and unveiling their boundary-breaking debut Babylon. Fusing dancehall bounce with metallic might wasn’t just fresh – it was confrontationally new.
Over the next two decades, albums like Roots Rock Riot, Union Black and Kill the Power cemented their reputation as innovators in heavy music. But it was 2023’s Smile that delivered a career-defining surge. The record peaked at #2 in the UK, earned the band their biggest venues yet, and saw Skindred take over Wembley Arena in their largest headline gig to date. Meanwhile, older hits like Nobody erupted again thanks to a new generation discovering them on social media.
If Smile was the celebration, “You Got This” is the rallying cry that keeps the party burning.
Skindred’s new album reunites them with Grammy-winning producer Jay Ruston, whose resume jumps genres with ease – ideal for a band built on smashing genre walls in the first place.
“Working with someone who doesn’t stay in one lane suits us perfectly,” Arya notes. “That’s always been Skindred’s approach – never get boxed in.”
As ever, the road lies at the heart of the band’s mission. Skindred remain one of rock’s most coveted live acts, equally adored by long-time loyalists and teens discovering live music for the first time. The fans, as Mikey put it, are the ones who carried Skindred to those bigger rooms – one ticket, one tour and one explosive gig at a time.
Benji, forever dreaming big, has Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage and US festival giants in his sights. And with the wind behind them like never before, who’d dare tell him it’s not possible?
“You Got This” isn’t just a title. It’s a philosophy. It’s Skindred reaffirming their purpose: to lift spirits, smash stereotypes, and bring people together through that unmistakable collision of metal riffage, reggae rhythms and feel-good power.
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