TRENDИG BANDWIDTH: Skattabox and the Rise of Derby’s Groove-Punk Chaos

Derby’s grassroots music scene thrives on bands that refuse to sit still. In a city where venues like Dubrek Studios and The Victoria Inn regularly showcase emerging talent, one band has been steadily carving out its own strange, energetic lane. That band is Skattabox.

If you have seen them live in the past year, you will know exactly what kind of chaos they bring to the stage. Loud, groove-driven, theatrical and packed with multi-layered textures, Skattabox feel less like a traditional band and more like a sonic experiment that somehow holds together through sheer energy and attitude.

I have seen them a few times now, including one stripped-back performance that proved something important about the group: even when the volume drops, the energy does not. The groove is still there. The attitude is still there. And the crowd still ends up locked into their strange, infectious rhythm.

At the heart of the band is a six-piece lineup that brings together wildly different musical backgrounds.

Skattabox is made up of Backbone on bass, composition and production, Buttons on synths and samples, Nippy on drums, King Kang and Em The Kid on guitars, and TrendT handling vocals, lyrics and production. Each member contributes to the band’s sprawling sound, which can swing between punk-like aggression, funk grooves, experimental textures and metallic weight within the space of a single track.

The band describe themselves as a concept act with its own world and mythology. That sense of narrative and theatre feeds directly into the music and stage presence.

“Skattabox is a concept band with a rich lore, hailing from Derby,” they explain. “While the local scene has not defined our sound, it has definitely shaped our community.”

Although their sound sits slightly outside the typical boundaries of the local indie or punk circuit, the Derby music community has played a huge role in helping them grow.

Through the connections they have made in the scene, Skattabox now host their own free entry open mic night at Dubrek Studios on the first Monday of every month. The event has quickly become a gathering place for underground bands, solo artists and curious musicians looking to experiment on stage.

It is exactly the kind of grassroots platform that keeps a local scene alive.

From University Jam Session to Full-Scale Groove-Punk Band

The origins of Skattabox can be traced back to the University of Derby, where two members of the band first crossed paths.

TrendT and Backbone met shortly after starting university and initially planned to create something very different from what Skattabox eventually became.

Their early idea was to combine live instrumentation with drum and bass production, blending TrendT’s interest in electronic music with Backbone’s experimental approach to bass guitar and pedals.

But that plan changed almost immediately.

“During our first session at TrendT’s house, Backbone showed TrendT a song by Viagra Boys,” they recall.

That moment shifted the direction entirely.

“Soon after, the plan to make drum and bass was scrapped, and the duo quickly made three songs in a week inspired by Viagra Boys, one of which was our debut single, Milk Man.”

The duo soon realised their music demanded a bigger stage presence than a laptop-backed performance could provide. What started as a two-person studio project quickly expanded into a full live band.

Once friends heard the tracks, it became clear there was an appetite to see them performed live.

TrendT and Backbone initially attempted to perform the songs as a duo using backing tracks, but it became obvious that the music needed something bigger.

“The music demanded theatre and a real stage show,” they explain. “The hunt for a band began.”

The Sound of Skattabox: Funk, Grunge, Metal and Punk Energy

Trying to categorise Skattabox is not easy.

Ask them to define their sound and the band admit they still struggle to pin it down.

They have settled on a phrase that feels close enough: groove-punk.

“We’ve always found it hard to describe our sound, so we’ve settled on ‘groove-punk’. To be honest, it’s whatever it means to you.”

If you need something more specific, imagine funk rhythms colliding with grunge riffs, metal weight and punk attitude.

“If we had to describe it,” they say, “it would be a mix of funk, grunge and metal with a punk attitude and never-ending energy.”

That description feels accurate after watching them live. The bass grooves often sit somewhere between funk and punk, while guitars veer from sharp, angular riffs to thick distorted walls of sound. Synth textures and samples add unexpected layers, giving the music a strange, unpredictable feel.

Despite the chaos, the band follow a simple philosophy when writing.

Their music should always be at least two of three things.

Danceable.

Unpredictable.

Catchy.

A Band Built From Every Corner of Music

Part of what makes Skattabox sound so unusual is the wide range of musical backgrounds within the band.

Their influences stretch across genres that rarely meet in the same rehearsal room.

“Skattabox is bursting with musicians from all sorts of musical worlds, from jazz and acoustic pop to funk, metal and drum and bass, indie and prog.”

Those influences surface in unexpected ways.

One moment a track might lean into the rhythmic looseness of funk, the next it crashes into heavy guitar territory or strange experimental passages.

The band are also obsessive music fans.

They describe group chats filled with late-night messages about new tracks, live performances and obscure influences.

“Whether it’s sending way too late messages urging everyone to watch Angine De Poitrene’s KEXP set, or downing tools for an hour simply to watch Portishead live from the Rosemont Ballroom in 1997 on YouTube.”

The list of influences reads like a musical collage.

Artists such as Viagra Boys, Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart and Talking Heads all sit alongside modern metal bands like Make Them Suffer and funk-driven artists such as Corey Wong and Vulfpeck.

Even K-pop production techniques have influenced how they approach recording.

It is a strange combination, but somehow it works.

Writing Fast, Recording Faster

Despite the complexity of their sound, Skattabox’s writing process is surprisingly spontaneous.

Many songs begin as improvised ideas captured quickly in the studio.

“The instrumental parts are usually put together and recorded by Backbone at TrendT’s studio,” the band explain.

Often a simple riff or groove is enough to kick things off.

That initial idea grows into a more structured arrangement before TrendT writes lyrics and records vocals.

TrendT and Backbone have been writing together since October 2024, and much of the band’s existing catalogue was created by the duo before the full lineup came together.

Even so, the rest of the band shape the songs dramatically in a live setting.

“When we perform live, the band members make the parts their own, sometimes changing entire phrases or passages to keep the show exciting.”

A Huge Catalogue Already Waiting

One of the most surprising things about Skattabox is just how much material they already have.

Because they record at home without time pressure, the duo can move quickly.

Working in their own space allows them to record multiple songs in a single night.

That freedom has resulted in a massive backlog of material.

“So far, Skattabox has recorded nearly forty songs that are ready to mix, and a demo folder with over one hundred projects ready to become a living, breathing chaos.”

That creative output means fans can likely expect a steady stream of releases over the next year.

Big Moments in a Rapid First Year

Despite being a relatively new band, Skattabox have already had a strong run of highlights.

They have headlined several key events and venues around Derby, including shows at the Victoria Inn and Dubrek.

They also headlined Bridgefest, a significant milestone for a band still in its early stages.

Their debut single “Milk Man” helped introduce the band to wider audiences, and their upcoming release “Mice and Men” continues to expand the project’s story and sonic direction.

Both tracks have also received airtime through BBC Introducing, giving the band national exposure.

But one of their proudest achievements is the community they have built around their open mic night.

The event at Dubrek Studios gives emerging musicians a space to perform, experiment and meet other artists.

It is exactly the kind of grassroots initiative that keeps a city’s creative scene moving forward.

Live Shows Built on Chaos and Precision

Watching Skattabox live is a strange mix of tight musicianship and unpredictable performance.

Their shows can involve multiple instruments, complex setups, costumes and an ever-growing collection of pedals, laptops and effects.

Logistics alone can become a challenge.

“Putting together a six-piece concept act with costumes, equipment, multiple guitars and basses for the many tunings we use live can be a real challenge.”

But when everything locks together, the result is powerful.

The band have also developed a close relationship with venues like the Victoria Inn, where the sound team understands how to handle their complex live setup.

“John is one of the few sound engineers who actually knows how to handle our massive, complex sound.”

What Comes Next for Skattabox

Although the band remain secretive about some of their future plans, they have hinted at a series of upcoming releases.

The current plan involves releasing five singles over five weeks, alongside live studio video performances and expanded storytelling connected to their band lore.

Fans can also expect new gigs and visual content as the band continues to build its strange fictional world.

As they put it themselves, the story of Skattabox is only just beginning.

“More lore, more teasers and more excitement. The story will unfold, and you just need to use your imagination and see beyond the surface.”

For a band that already sounds unlike anything else currently happening in Derby’s grassroots music scene, that promise of chaos feels very believable.

And if their live shows are anything to go by, Skattabox are only just getting started.

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