Starting off the month right, on the 1st of February, I got the chance to attend a masterclass with Mikey Demus: Skindred’s iconic guitarist. Mikey worked alongside Birmingham’s Bimm Institute to deliver an engaging insight into his journey as not only the guitarist of Skindred but also as the creator of a rapidly growing, effects pedal company- Red Beard Effects.
Despite being a hugely impressive guitarist, with undeniable talent, Mikey was quick to highlight that the fruits of his success are at the hands of his attitude and willingness to uproot his life for the chance to become a part of something exhilarating. In his late teen years, the guitarist received a ‘once in a lifetime’ call with the opportunity to audition for a rising reggae metal group: Skindred. At this point in his life, surprisingly for anyone in their late teens, Mikey Demus, had seemingly got his life on track completely. Working successfully as a graphic designer, living comfortably in his own apartment, Mikey was on track to make a healthy living very early on in his life. Yet, he gave it all up. The opportunity to audition was enough to encourage his passion as a guitarist and songwriter. By chance, having been seen play in his small-town band, and through a friend of a friend, of a friend, Mikey Demus got the call for Skindred.
Sacrificing his comfortable circumstances in Oxford for a few messy years of living on a friend’s sofa in South Wales, Mikey became a part of Skindred. At the point in which Mikey joined Skindred, the band already had one album out, but the plan was to re-release the record under US management and a US major label. So, initially, there was no real urgency to write new music, there was more of a sense of campaigning for the release of the first album again. But, knowing what would be expected after the album release, Skindred got prepped and ready. They had all the time in the world to write killer new tracks for a second album. In order to do so, they rented a ‘gnarly’ space under a boxing gym and worked to convert the basement type room into a makeshift studio.
Back in 2010, whilst Skindred were represented by US management and had a US label, the band would spend 9 or 10 months of the year in the US. In this time, Mikey said that the UK and the rest of the world got neglected by the band. Although most bands would look back on their time in the US as a massive career highlight, for Mikey Demus and Skindred this time was a tipping point in which the American appeal ran out. It was at this point that Skindred moved away from their US label and headed back to the UK to, ultimately, start again. At a rainy studio in London with UK management once again, it was then that Skindred felt as though it was finally becoming serious, and the band was able to develop a pure identity and grow in credibility. Mikey highlighted that, in his opinion, the records had got, undeniably, better since returning to the UK and working with British producers and managers. This combined with Skindred’s growth of British identity birthed the Skindred that we know and love today.
If you have ever wondered whether Skindred ever fall out. They do. Not in a massive sense. Mikey was quick to emphasise that there is so much love between all band members. But they do in fact have creative differences, they didn’t go to university together, they didn’t grow up together, they all have completely different backgrounds, and experiences of the world. So, of course, the band faces creative disparities, and Mikey illustrated that the older they get, the more their goals have become aligned, yet the steps they want to take to get there have become different. Ultimately, the thing that holds them together is the idea that they ‘are still the band in the back of the van saying we are going to do this, we are going to win, we are going to take over the world’.
When asked about career highlights, Mikey Demus again illustrated his unfaltering passion as he said that ‘I don’t feel like I have reached the level of success that I aspire to’. Despite the success of Skindred, Mikey is yet to be able to sit down and comfortably rest knowing that he has done everything he aims to in his career. He believes that ‘everything you do is just a rehearsal for the next thing’. After having his daughter in around 2016, Mikey reflected on the way he wanted his life to look. Skindred provided a living and was fulfilling, yet the guitarist felt something was still missing within his career. It was after this that Mikey started the venture of his guitar pedal company. It wasn’t until meeting his business partner Adrian Thorpe (of ThorpyFx) that Mikey’s idea had any substantial standing. Some of Mikey’s advice in navigating the industry revolved around ‘staying humble, remembering where you came from, and surrounding yourself with people that remind you of that’ whilst, also surrounding yourself with people that have ‘lofty ambitions’ as well as motivated, positive mindsets.
Mikey gave us the inside scoop into his favourite band to tour with, this was, of course, Disturbed. He described them as ‘a well-oiled machine that run a tight shop’, whilst being ‘perfect gentlemen'. Unlike the culture with most global bands of ‘putting a fence around things’, and almost becoming superior in a sense, Disturbed reflected none of these characteristics and the atmosphere was much more one of community and shared experience. Expanding on this Mikey, went on to illuminate one of the bands that he has loved doing festivals with, and now provides pedals for: Nova Twins. Being a huge fan of the band and impressed with the strides they are making in the alternative scene, Mikey is proud to have a pedal on bassist, Georgia South’s pedal board.
To find out more about Mikey Demus’ effects pedal company, you can access the website below. And if you haven’t already given Skindred a listen, head over to your chosen streaming platform and make time for them...
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