The Church - Of Skins And Heart

Of Skins And Heart is the is the debut studio album by Australian rock band The Church, originally released in April 1981 via Parlophone Records.

The Church were founded in 1980 in Sydney, Australia and were initially associated with new wave, neo-psychedelia, and indie rock. Their music later came to feature slower tempos and surreal soundscapes reminiscent of dream pop, post-rock and elements of progressive rock. The founding members were Steve Kilbey (from Canberra) on lead vocals and bass guitar, Peter Koppes and Marty Willson-Piper on guitars, and Nick Ward on drums. Ward played only on their debut album, and the band's drummer for the rest of the 1980s was Richard Ploog.

Loaded with classic tracks like "The Unguarded Moment", the album helped launch the band locally and internationally.

The album was co-produced by Chris Gilbey and Bob Clearmountain (Bryan Adams). Seven of the nine tracks were written solely by Kilbey. The first single, "She Never Said", was released in November, but did not chart.

 The second single, "The Unguarded Moment", co-written with Kilbey's girlfriend Michelle Parker, was issued alongside the album in March 1981, initially only in Australia. "The Unguarded Moment" reached #22 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart while Of Skins And Heart achieved the same position on the related Albums Chart. To promote their releases, the band undertook their first national tour.

The album was re-sequenced and released internationally as The Church in 1982 with new cover artwork.

To celebrate the album’s first repress on vinyl in over 30 years, it arrives on a limited edition white 180g vinyl.

This album is a limited edition 2024 reissue on 180 gram white vinyl housed in a single pocket sleeve with a printed inner sleeve, pressed in New Zealand via EMI Records.