Ski Patrol were a British post-punk band formed in London in 1979 by former The Wall and future Folk Devils singer Ian Lowery and Nick Clift of The Debutantes.
[1][2] Inspired by the darkwave and punk-funk sounds and emotions of British post-punk bands like Joy Division, Gang Of Four, and A Certain Ratio,[2] they were also influenced by the Jamaican rhythms and politically charged environment that was their new home.
[2] The band set about writing angular, moody songs that fused Lowery's dark lyrical pre-occupations with Clift's ringing, textured guitar chord phrasing.
[6] More shows followed, and the band came to the attention of Malicious Damage, a label and management operation in West London that had already released music by Killing Joke and Red Beat.
[6] Largely inspired by the film Apocalypse Now, Lowery's lyrics referenced the defoliant used in the Vietnam War and the song itself was built around a pulsing three-note bassline, guitar harmonics and a metronomic beat.