Everything You Need To Know This Week On New York's Art Scene

NYC Music Scene - SKATERS

“Oh my God. OH MY GOD! HOLY SHIT!” said singer Michael Ian Cummings within the first two minutes of a recent phone interview. “Sorry, our van just got into an accident.” With a name like SKATERS, it’s not surprising that this NYC based band seems to live life in the fast lane. The bicoastal beginnings of these certified garage rockers can be traced back to a 2011 house party in LA, where Boston-born Cummings (who had already been jamming with drummer Noah Rubin) met English guitarist Joshua Hubbard. Things quickly fell into place after that —as it appears they so often do for these guys. Everyone moved to New York, they hooked up with bassist Dan Burke, and SKATERS was finally born, sustaining itself on the grit and grime of the city’s rebellious youth. In 2012, they released Schemers, an EP whose fuzzy combination of Bowery punk and Brooklyn indie lends a sound that even the most mosh-happy fans could also just sing along to. After being buzz-band branded due to singles, “I Wanna Dance (But I Don’t Know How)” and “Armed,” and making their rounds on tour, SKATERS wasted no time in putting together their debut LP, Manhattan, set to be released in February 2014. The process was “superfast,” according to Cummings, who is also the main songwriter, “We went right to the studio for a month and wrote a bunch of songs, thinking ‘Well, what if one’s not good enough? There has to be enough [to choose from].’” While Cummings admits the new album could be considered “more involved, more mature, and a little more focused,” fans of the hooligan quartet need not worry. He also insists that new tracks “have the same energy” that SKATERS are known and loved for. Recently named one of MTV's "Artists to Watch," SKATERS will be performing some of their new material this Monday, September 21, as the show streams live from Webster Hall on MTVHive.com.