“I principally received bullied into it!” teases Jay Schottlander, who ended up because the vocalist of Knives by necessity greater than something. However whenever you hear the impression of his bullish, coarse voice that offers a fixed swagger to their debut album GLITTER – Rage In opposition to The Machine’s Zack de la Rocha and IDLES’ Joe Talbot can be proud – you’ll perceive why he’s the person for the job.
“I’m very a lot into hip-hop, it was the primary style of music I can keep in mind loving,” he displays. “I keep in mind being 13 years previous, writing raps and exhibiting my mum. I’m certain it’s all very embarrassing.”
However the peppering of harsh suggestions, goliath riffs and spirited grooves shortly present that Knives are usually not a hip-hop band. Furthermore, the way in which they incorporate saxophone and sprinklings of melody verify that they’re rather more than one other noisy punk outfit.
Knives fashioned in Bristol in 2022, when drummer Erin Prepare dinner reached out to Jay in a college group chat. “There’s in all probability 200 bands who gig in Bristol constantly,” says Jay, explaining how the town is a breeding floor for folks to satisfy like-minded musicians. Having navigated line-up adjustments, the present-day six-piece has been fixed for a yr.
“Happening tour undoubtedly helps [the chemistry],” provides Erin. “Being that near everybody for a extended time frame, you’ve gotta determine everybody out and discover ways to get on.”
Bonding time peaked when Knives decamped to Llanbadarn Fynydd in rural Wales to file debut album GLITTER, which they rattled by means of in six days.
“It was like a college journey – we had lady and boy dorms!” says Erin.
“It’s essential to how the recording goes down. In case you’re feeling careworn, you possibly can step out and have this view of this breathtaking mountain,” provides Jay, who crammed the wait-time earlier than vocal takes by enjoying Heroes Of Magic And Would possibly 3.
“You wish to be locked into it for the entire week, and never have any exterior distractions,” continues Erin.
GLITTER thrives on its breathless momentum, be it Knives’ takedown of the music business in PHD, the animalistic CHROMA or unsettling jazz-punk opener THE DAGGER, written a couple of time Jay encountered a particular person being Islamophobic on a bus.
“Lyrics are a approach for me to undertaking how these shitty issues have made me really feel, and put it on a web page [so] I can transfer on from them,” he says. “I don’t suppose any of us actually needed to be this open, political band that makes politics our factor. All of us are very political, however we love to do it as an alternative of talk about it… [take] motion after we want to.”
In the meantime, “wildcard” album nearer I SEE THEM FALL echoes the spookiness of Lamb Of God’s Memento Mori or System Of A Down’s Aerials, opening the floodgates for the place Knives may go subsequent.
“I needed a conclusion,” explains Erin. “It’s a stepping stone into future stuff.”
Alongside fellow noise-botherers like Enola Homosexual and Maruja, Knives are primed to win folks over with their bold noise-punk. Nonetheless, their ft stay on the bottom, protecting issues enjoyable however purposeful.
“If we by no means performed a greater stage, I’ve [already] achieved every thing I may have dreamed of,” concludes Jay. “I may in all probability die completely satisfied.”
GLITTER is out now through Marshall
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Posted on Might twelfth 2025, 5:00p.m.
