Bristolian sextet Knives are building a reputation around their live performances. Debut EP Newshounds came out just over a year ago, with follow-up What We See In Their Eyes released last month.
What are the main inspirations for the tracks on this EP?
The EP was inspired by bands like the Byker Grove Fan Club, Ditz, Dog Faced Hermans and the Scott Pilgrim soundtrack. We took inspiration from these artists and combined them into our own sound! The emotions felt in the songs were inspired by personal experiences that we as a band have had to deal with. The lyrics tell stories about people we have met, people that have different ideas that we feel they use to harm others.
How did Knives come together as a band?
The band formed in 2022 with Jay and Erin starting the project through uni and slowly the current line-up joined throughout the past couple of years.
What is your creative process?
Someone in the band will have an idea and we will come together in a practice room and work out how we can better this idea to its fullest potential by combining all of our skills.
Punk first exploded onto the music scene over 40 years ago. What drew you to punk and why do you think it has endured so long?
To be honest I don’t think Knives only fit into the punk genre, collectively we all appreciate what punk has accomplished over the last 40 years, however it’s become this kind of umbrella term that has developed so much that we as a collective don’t totally fit in. I think people are drawn to punk music as it’s a way to speak up about issues you feel need to be spoken about through music. Which we enjoy. Also it’s so accessible for anyone to play as simplicity is seen as something to be admired and praised in punk music.
The EP closes with ‘Sadness‘, a ferocious track full of fire, scuzzy static fuelled guitars and thunderous drums. Can you share a little about this track?
When we wrote this song we had been listening to loads of Loathe the night before and we really just wanted to write something stupidly heavy. Obviously it sounds nothing like a Loathe track but that breakdown was very much a spur of the moment thing inspired by the song ‘Gored’.
You’ve just finished a run of shows in London, Bristol and Manchester to celebrate the EP’s release. How did they go?
It was kind of crazy. It’s the first time as a band we’ve travelled across the country to celebrate the release of our record and the response in every city was insane. It’s also really nice just meeting the people who have been supporting you for so long and playing for them.
Can we expect more live dates from Knives in 2024?
Yes! Far too many. We have a few tours coming up including a little EU run with Death Goals and a UK run of shows with DZ Deathrays. We will also be appearing at a couple festivals such as 2000 Trees, Misery Loves Company and Second Impact Festival in Italy.
If I looked in your fridge right now what would I find?
A slightly smaller fridge.
