“I principally bought bullied into it!” teases Jay Schottlander, who ended up because the vocalist of Knives by necessity greater than something. However if you hear the affect 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 could 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 bear in mind loving,” he displays. “I bear in mind being 13 years previous, writing raps and exhibiting my mum. I’m positive 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 most likely 200 bands who gig in Bristol persistently,” says Jay, explaining how the town is a breeding floor for individuals to fulfill like-minded musicians. Having navigated line-up modifications, the present-day six-piece has been fixed for a yr.
“Occurring tour undoubtedly helps [the chemistry],” provides Erin. “Being that near everybody for a extended time period, you’ve gotta determine everybody out and learn to get on.”
Bonding time peaked when Knives decamped to Llanbadarn Fynydd in rural Wales to report debut album GLITTER, which they rattled by in six days.
“It was like a faculty journey – we had lady and boy dorms!” says Erin.
“It’s necessary to how the recording goes down. If you happen to’re feeling pressured, you may step out and have this view of this breathtaking mountain,” provides Jay, who stuffed the wait-time earlier than vocal takes by enjoying Heroes Of Magic And Would possibly 3.
“You need 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 few time Jay encountered a particular person being Islamophobic on a bus.
“Lyrics are a manner for me to challenge 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 wished 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 discuss 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 wished 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 individuals over with their formidable noise-punk. However, their ft stay on the bottom, holding issues enjoyable however purposeful.
“If we by no means performed a greater stage, I’ve [already] achieved all the things I may have dreamed of,” concludes Jay. “I may most likely die pleased.”
GLITTER is out now through Marshall
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Posted on Could twelfth 2025, 5:00p.m.
