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This week on In Defense of Ska, The Planet Smashers’ Matt Collyer chats with the crew about the history and impact of the Canadian ska scene, as well as launching Stomp Records. Listen above, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Ska has had a strong presence in Canada since the 1980s thanks to bands like Me Mom and Morgentaler, and King Apparatus. By the ’90s, the two-tone-inspired work of such acts would give way to a new crop of artists, many of whom called Stomp Records, perhaps Canada’s biggest ska label, their home.
As the founder of Stomp Records, Collyer chats about the development of the scene, as well as the success of his own ska band The Planet Smashers. He touches on the act’s 1999 breakthrough Life of the Party, their intense touring regimen, and the bands that were doing it alongside them (like Bedouin Soundclash and The Flatliners). Ultimately, Collyer explains why he never took a major label offer and how that might have helped The Planet Smashers weather ska music’s waning popularity.
Listen to Matt Collyer talk about The Planet Smashers, Stomp Records, and more above, and make sure to like, review, and follow the series wherever you get your podcast. Fellow ska lovers can also get early and ad-free episodes of the show by joining the IDOS Patreon, and don’t forget to check out all the Consequence Podcast Network series here.
Additionally, you can support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition will be released in October 2024. Co-host Adam Davis also has a band called Omnigone, whose latest record, Against the Rest, was released earlier this year.
