British rock icons Skunk Anansie will be back in Luxembourg at the Festival de Wiltz on July 16, armed with new album The Painful Truth (due out May 23) which, according to frontwoman Skin, may be their best record yet.

“I don't care that we were big in the Nineties” Skin told Today Radio's Sam Steen in a recent and very candid interview “If thy rest on them laurels thy shall wither up and die artistically, musically, mentally and then financially”.  It is a typically direct sentiment from the ever-outspoken frontwoman and one that defines the band’s attitude on their latest work.

Written in the aftermath of COVID and personal upheaval including the departure of their longtime manager, the album reflects a band that could have walked away. Instead they pulled each other back into the studio, retreating to a farmhouse in Devon, to rebuild their identity and sound “We realised we had to change That’s where this album came from” says Skin “If we're not able to make amazing new music then what's the point”

Produced by David Sitek of TV on the Radio, The Painful Truth is a raw, layered and emotionally charged record filled with spiky hooks and anthemic choruses. Lead single “An Artist Is An Artist” has already earned praise from critics and looks like being an instant live classic. A defiant ode to creative independence, Skin says the song is about staying true to yourself, “The goal is to give people something they didn’t even know they wanted”

New single “Cheers” captures the band’s energy and intent perfectly combining pounding rhythm with a euphoric chorus. Skunk Anansie remain a fierce live act and Luxembourg audiences will get a second chance to see them this summer when they perform at the Festival de Wiltz on July 16 The show is organised in collaboration with den Atelier and follows their sold out concert at the venue in March

“The energy from the crowd in Luxembourg was phenomenal” Skin recalls “I nearly broke my glasses stage diving again”
Even with such intensity on stage, Skin remains grounded by family life. Throughout the interview, she paused our chat to check on her young daughter’s fever. “I keep fit,  you have to when you’ve got a three-year-old,” she laughs. “She’s just started preschool, so of course, she’s sick all the time.”

As well as parenting, she’s focused on helping younger bands survive in a tough climate. “Streaming has devastated artists,” she says. “Even big ones. We pay our support acts properly because we know how hard it is. New bands need to sell physical copies to survive.”

She is also passionate about preserving art and music in physical form “If they can ban books why not music” she warns “That’s why I still believe in vinyl, CDs, even tapes! If you love music, own it”

As they prepare to unleash The Painful Truth and return to Luxembourg for another high-voltage performance, Skunk Anansie are not chasing legacy. They are challenging it. Fueled by urgency, self-reflection and a refusal to compromise, the band continue to push boundaries on their own terms. For Skin and her bandmates, survival in the music industry is not about nostalgia,  it is about evolution, intention and making every note count.

For the full interview make sure to tune in to Today Radio next week & find it for replay on RTL Play.

Tickets for the show are available here.