Skinny Living

British indie-soul trio Skinny Living navigated three major-label contracts and a short-lived identity shift before issuing their first full-length record in 2024. The group came together in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, in 2013 after its founders crossed paths at an open-mike night. Its original lineup featured Belfast-born lead singer Ryan Johnston alongside guitarists Danny Hepworth and Will Booth and drummer Rhys Anderton, though the quartet never included a bassist. Built around acoustic guitar textures and layered vocal harmonies, their sound drew from influences such as Bill Withers and the Isley Brothers. The band’s name served as a nod to their low-income, working-class circumstances, while their lyrics frequently emphasized hope amid adversity. They joined RCA Records in 2017, then shifted to Polydor two years later after issuing only a handful of singles; that second deal likewise yielded just a few tracks. Even with limited output, they maintained a busy touring schedule, performing more than 250 concerts in 2019 alone and topping the bill at the Live at Leeds festival. Following their exit from Polydor in 2020, the band entered a hiatus during which Anderton departed. The remaining members launched a fresh endeavor under the Parlophone imprint, adopting the name New Familiar and releasing the EP Textures, whose indie-folk leanings echoed the style of José González. By 2022 they had revived the Skinny Living moniker and returned to independent status, self-releasing a series of singles that began with “Who Likes” and continued through the next two years, ending with the September 2024 arrival of the album Day by Day.