Skunk Anansie have disclosed that their bassist, Cass, was diagnosed with stage four cancer, a development that has had a profound impact on the creation of their forthcoming album.
The band, consisting of Skin, Cass, Ace, and Mark Richardson, is preparing for the release of their sixth studio album, The Painful Truth, scheduled for this summer.
During a Q&A session held at Dolby Atmos in London on Monday, Cass shared that he underwent chemotherapy throughout the album’s recording process.
Cass elaborated, stating, “I just thought, I’m on this long road of chemo. That took a year. Then one morning, Skin’s daughter woke up and said, ‘Uncle Cass is not sick anymore.’ And that’s the truth.”
Skin responded, “She didn’t know. She didn’t know you were sick. She just woke up one morning and said, ‘Uncle Cass isn’t sick anymore.’ So, I called him.”
Cass affirmed, “About two weeks later, I went for tests to see how the chemo was affecting me, and they couldn’t find any cancer. From stage four, it disappeared. So her little angel is my little angel. As soon as I knew I wasn’t going anywhere, I thought, ‘Just get back on the record. There’s nothing better to work for!’”
Skin explained, “That’s where the album title came from. I called Cass and said, ‘Cass, if you were to describe the making of this album, this year, what would you call it?’ He said, ‘Give me a minute, I’ll call you back.’ I told him, ‘No, no, no, just right now, the first thing that comes to your head.’ He said, ‘The Painful Truth.’ And I said, ‘That’s it!’”
She continued, “That’s what all the songs are about. It connects everything we’ve been through these last few years. It’s about the connection with these guys. I love them to bits, you know, they’re my brothers. What we’ve gone through, everything—it’s quite emotional. It’s the painful truth. It’s what you’re here for, what’s important in your life, and what you’re going to do about it. That’s the painful truth!”#newsafro_
