Five Eight has been an on-again/off-again institution in Athens, Ga., for almost 35 years. And while commercial viability has never been the band’s strong suit, its mind-bending pop-punk intensity and surprising resilience has made Five Eight a dark-horse scene favorite of everyone from R.E.M. to Drive-By Truckers. Fronted by acknowledged manic depressive Mike Mantione, Five Eight feeds off the nervous energy of its fearless leader’s struggles with mental illness, which has led the band down some dark avenues over the years.
On the surface, “Take Me To The Skatepark” appears to be pretty lighthearted—until you realize its narrative is about the toll alcoholism can take on relationships. The hooky mini-anthem is based on a real-life argument between Mantione and his son.
“It’s a dad mocking his kid about going skating—the tension of love wrapped in sarcasm,” says Mantione. “Underneath that, there’s the dream you know will never happen—a kid dreaming of L.A., of skating in Venice Beach, of driving as far from Athens as possible. It’s two minutes and 10 seconds of melody, fury and something like understanding.”
“Skatepark” is the first single from the band’s 10th album, Help A Sinner. Produced by David Barbe (Drive-By Truckers, Sugar), it’s due out sometime next year. The video was filmed at the Skate Park Of Athens and features a surprise drop-in performance from Five Eight. Fun fact: Mantione’s daughter plays the 12-year-old skateboarder dead set on dragging her alcoholic father to the park.
Next month, Five Eight is heading to SXSW in Austin for a string of live shows and a screening of a documentary on the band, Weirdo: The Story Of Five Eight. For now, we’re proud to premiere the “Take Me To The Skate Park” video.
—Hobart Rowland
