The keen reader might remember San Francisco-based sonic explorer Davia Schendel from an interview we published back in 2023, on the occasion of ‘Poison/Antidote’. While that now feels like a lifetime ago, it’s fair to say that Schendel has not been resting on her laurels, instead further advancing a musical journey that feels more exciting than ever. ‘Skee Ball’ is the latest stage of such a journey, with Davia also gearing up for the upcoming album ‘The Fairground’.
Listening to ‘Skee Ball’ is an interesting endeavour. Schendel appears quite drawn to retro elements, be it the track’s eclectic and cryptic production or the song’s leftfield, hypnotic vocals. It’s all rather underground-coded, and we get the sense that she does enjoy bathing in obscure musical discoveries and cultural nostalgia. ‘Skee Ball’ has been co-produced with Spencer Martin of the psych rock band Dark Dazey and singer-songwriter Max Havas.
From a lyrical standpoint, ‘Skee Ball’ is a brilliant exercise in reframing heartbreak. Shifting the focus from drama to bold anger, Schendel does, in fact, reclaim the narrative for herself, all the while getting lost in a rewarding aural panorama that touches upon psychedelia, industrial chaos and 8-bit quirkiness. That’s exactly what we would expect from Davia: an unconventional, peculiar record that doesn’t follow any proven formula or mainstream trend, instead uncovering a personal artistic path drenched in authenticity and nostalgic influences. What more could you wish for?
Recommended! Discover ‘Skee Ball’ now: