Skindred Unveil Rare B-Side, “It’s a Crime”

Skindred have revealed a brand new lyric video for ‘It’s A Crime’, a rare cut from the Japanese version of their 2007 album, Roots Rock Riot. More than thirteen years after its release, Skindred are reissuing the record, making the track available outside of Japan for the first time.

Recalls drummer Arya Goggin:

“‘It’s a Crime’ was written in 2006 in our basement studio below St Joseph’s Boxing club in Newport. It’s where all the writing for RRR took place. The only reason it didn’t make the album was because of how the album track listing flowed. 

“We were so happy with how the album progressed from the opening of chaos of ‘Roots Rock Riot’ to the epic ending of ‘Choices and Decisions’ we didn’t want to crowbar another song in needlessly. It was a hard decision to leave it out but we are so happy it’s being included in the re-release. It was always a band and producer favourite.”
 

Speaking on the inspiration behind the track, vocalist Benji Webbe explains:

“I live in a neighbourhood (Newport, Wales) where back in the day, a lot of people were working hard and getting ripped off in life and then theres other ones that who are just hustling and selling this and selling that and it’s just a crime that hardworking people don’t get what the thieves/criminals get.”

You can check out a lyric video for “It’s a Crime” below and pre-order the Roots Rock Riot reissue here.