Whistle Past the Grave follows a similar raw, rocking tone as his previous album, Wreckage From The Fire. “I do think that this record is a logical follow-up to my last record,” Skiles acknowledges. “I consulted with Patton on some of the record sequencing details and he told me that Whistle Past The Grave is ‘pretty rocking, still raw’ which is exactly what I was going for.”

Co-produced with the Bay Area’s Ben Bernstein (who also engineered), it again features the incredible lead guitar work of Taylor Hollingsworth (Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, Dead Fingers), along with an assortment of other talented musicians. 

Whistle Past the Grave is a prime example of the song-writing style, Skiles has been leaning into recently —short, sweet and packed with emotion.  The album is a cohesive group of songs that fit well together.  It’s a fast-paced tour of introspective songs taking on themes of justice, or the lack thereof, in the way that one lives their life.  “When I set out to make this record, I kept thinking back to my experience releasing my previous album.  It received way more critical acclaim than anything I’d previously done , and so I was a bit nervous about how Whistle Past the Grave would be received.  While I’m always striving for growth, and my goal is to outdo my last work, it’s hard to know when I’ve succeeded—it takes time to know really.  But I will say that I poured my heart and soul into this work.  I was quite proud of what I did with the Wreckage record, and I think Whistle Past the Grave stands up to it and provides the same sort of high-energy, rocking vibe that will hopefully be accessible to those who give it a listen.”