Skunk Anansie announce first album in nine years and unleash 'Cheers' single

They've also announced an album launch show

Skunk Anansie
Author: Scott ColothanPublished 26th Feb 2025
Last updated 26th Feb 2025

British rock icons Skunk Anansie will release their first studio album in nine years, ‘The Painful Truth’, on Friday 23rd May 2025 via FLG Records.

The band’s seventh studio record is produced by David Sitek of TV On The Radio, and, according to inimitable vocalist Skin, it’s very much a musical reset.

“I don’t care that we were big in the 90s,” says Skin. “Creatively it’s irrelevant because in my rock bible the first commandment states, “If thy rest on them laurels thy shall wither up and die artistically, musically, mentally. And then financially.’”

Skunk Anansie's 'The Painful Truth' artwork

Reflecting on the recording process at a farmhouse in Devon, Skin adds: “When we write it’s just the four of us in a room with no outside distractions or interference, getting to know each other again.

“We’d done the Greatest Hits tour and we realised that things needed to change. If we didn’t do something fresh and forward thinking, we couldn’t really be a band anymore. We’d just be doing Skunk karaoke.”

Following on from the Absolute Radio playlisted new-wave track ‘An Artist Is An Artist’, Skunk Anansie have unleashed the second single ‘Cheers’ and its lyric video created by bassist Cass’ godson, Miles Liverpool.

Watch Skunk Anansie’s ‘Cheers’ video:

‘The Painful Truth’ is billed as ‘a truly mesmerising, provocative, powerful and emotional album demonstrating a band at the absolute peak of their powers, yet with everything to prove.’

Revealing the inspiration for the album’s title, Skin says: “When I really think about it, yes, we have made some good records in our time, but it’s been a long time since we have made a great album. And that is the painful truth.

“Understanding that, led us to making what I genuinely think is our greatest record yet.”

To celebrate the release of ‘The Painful Truth’, Skunk Anansie will play a very special outdoor gig at Good Times at The Ridings in Chipping Sodbury, near Bristol on Friday 23rd May.

Featuring support from Republica, tickets are on sale now.

The album launch concert follows Skunk Anansie’s largely sold-out March/April headline UK tour, and precedes their special guest slots with The Smashing Pumpkins in the summer.

Skunk Anansie

Skunk Anansie’s ‘The Painful Truth’ track-listing:

An Artist Is An Artist

This Is Not Your Life

Shame

Lost And Found

Cheers

Shoulda Been You

Animal

Fell In Love With A Girl

My Greatest Moment

Meltdown

The real names of famous rock stars, including Skin:

Cozy Powell’s real name: Colin Trevor Flooks


Alex Lifeson’s real name: Alexandar Živojinović

'Lifeson' is a semi-literal English translation of the Yugoslavian surname Živojinović, which means 'son of life'

Ginger Baker's real name: Peter Edward Baker


John 5’s real name: John William Lowery


Yngwie Malmsteen’s real name: Lars Johann Yngwie Lannerback


Rudy Sarzo’s real name: Rodolfo Maximiliano Sarzo Lavieille Grande Ruiz Payret y Chaumont


Eric Carr's real name: Paul Charles Caravello


Vinnie Vincent’s real name: Vincent John Cusano


Tina Turner’s real name: Anna Mae Bullock


King Diamond’s real name: Kim Bendix Petersen


Joey Tempest's real name: Rolf Magnus Joakim Larsson


Michael Monroe’s real name: Matti Antero Kristian Fagerholm


Mikkey Dee’s real name: Micael Kiriakos Delaoglou


Jonathan Cain’s real name: Jonathan Leonard Friga


Nikki Sixx's real name: Frank Ferrano


Steven Adler’s real name: Michael Coletti


Axl Rose's real name: William Bruce Rose


Bon Scott's real name: Ronald Belford Scott


Fish’s real name: Derek William Dick


Eddie Vedder's real name: Edward Louis Severson III


Peter Criss’ real name: George Peter John Criscuola


Freddie Mercury's real name: Farrokh Bulsara


Flea's real name: Michael Peter Balzary


Perry Farrell's real name: Perry Bernstein


Geddy Lee’s real name: Gary Lee Weinrib


Mick Mars' real name: Robert Deal


Tré Cool's real name: Frank Edwin Wright III


Courtney Love's real name: Courtney Michelle Harrison


Pat Smear's real name: Georg Albert Ruthenberg


Gene Simmons' real name: Chaim Klein Witz


Spike’s real name: Jonathan Gray


Iggy Pop's real name: James Newell Osterberg, JR.


Alice Cooper's real name: Vincent Damon Furnier


Slash's real name: Saul Hudson


Mike Dirnt's real name: Michael Ryan Pritchard


Ronnie James Dio's real name: Ronald James Padavona


Brody Dalle's real name: Bree Joanna Alice Robinson


Skin's real name: Deborah Anne Dyer


Nicky Wire's real name: Nicholas Jones


Amy Lee's real name: Amy Lynn Hartzler


Bill Wyman's real name: William Perks


Izzy Stradlin's real name: Jeffrey Isbell


Paul Stanley's real name: Stanley Eisen


Vince Neil's real name: Vincent Neil Wharton


Duff McKagan's real name: Michael McKagan


Jack Black’s real name: Thomas Jacob Black


Lemmy's real name: Ian Fraser Kilmister


John Paul Jones' real name: John Baldwin


Joan Jett's real name: Joan Larkin


Eric Clapton's real name: Eric Patrick Clapp


Siouxsie Sioux's real name: Susan Janet Ballion


Rachel Bolan’s real name: James Richard Southworth


David Bowie's real name: David Robert Hayward Stenton Jones


Little Richard's real name: Richard Wayne Penniman


Sid Vicious' real name: John Simon Ritchie


Ace Frehley's real name: Paul Daniel Frehley


Lou Reed's real name: Louis Firbank


Joe Strummer's real name: John Graham Mellor


Marc Bolan's real name: Mark Feld


The Edge's real name: David Howell Evans


Meat Loaf's real name: Marvin Lee Aday


Steven Tyler's real name: Steven Victor Tallarico


Ozzy Osbourne's real name: John Michael Osbourne


Jon Bon Jovi's real name: John Francis Bongiovi


Joey Belladonna’s real name: Joseph Bellardini


Jack White's real name: John Anthony Gillis


Bono's real name: Paul David Hewson


Sting's real name: Gordon Sumner


Billy Idol’s real name: William Michael Albert Broad


Geezer Butler’s real name: Terence Butler


Pat Benatar’s real name: Patricia Mae Giraldo


Bo Diddley’s real name: Ellas McDaniel


Muddy Waters’ real name: McKinley Morganfield


Stevie Nicks’ real name: Stephanie Lynn Nicks


Doro’s real name: Dorothee Pesch


Sebastian Bach’s real name: Sebastian Philip Bierk


Joe Perry’s real name: Joseph Pereira


Jimi Hendrix’s real name: James Marshall Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix)


Zakk Wylde’s real name: Jeffrey Phillip Wielandt


Maynard James Keenan’s real name: James Herbert Keenan


Blaze Bayley’s real name: Bayley Alexander Cooke


Biff Byford's real name: Peter Rodney Byford


M. Shadows' real name: Matthew Charles Sanders


Syd Barrett's real name: Roger Keith Barrett


Chris Jericho's real name: Christopher Keith Irvine


Ginger Wildheart's real name: David Leslie Walls


Paul Di'Anno's real name: Paul Andrews


Phil X’s real name: Theofilos Xenidis


Peter Green’s real name: Peter Allen Greenbaum


Nicko McBrain’s real name: Michael Henry McBrain


Noddy Holder’s real name: Neville John Holder


Steel Panther’s real names

Michael Starr: Ralph Michael Saenz, Satchel: Russell John Parrish, Stix Zadinia: Darren Leader, Spyder: Joe Lester.

Lexxi Foxx’s real name: Travis Haley


Jet Black’s real name: Brian John Duffy


Buddy Holly’s real name: Charles Hardin Holley


Elvis Costello’s real name: Declan Patrick McManus


Rikki Rockett’s real name: Richard Allan Ream


Blackie Lawless' real name: Steven Edward Duren


Maxim's real name: Keith Andrew Palmer


Rat Scabies' real name: Christopher John Millar


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