(This interview was originally published in October 2018)
What is the meaning behind your band name?
When we were driving back from the last gig of the last tour for the band I was in before this I heard JAMC "Psychocandy" for the first time and listened to it on repeat for almost the entire 20 hour trip. During that time the band name came to me, the style, what we were going to do and how we were going to do it, the whole plan. It relates to my love of horror films and also the idea that we were trying to assault the audience in a way instead of trying to please people.
What is everyone’s name and position in the band?
Preston Maddox-Vocals/Bass/Samples/Synths
Jake McCown-Drums/Synths/Samples
Jack O'Hara Harris-guitars
Where are you guys from?
Jake and I live in Austin, Jack lives in Ft. Worth
What music influences do each of you have?
We all have really diverse tastes and will listen to anything that is good. I tend to lean towards more synth based music, dance music, shoegaze and goth. Jack really likes punk, noise rock, blues and rock. Jake listens to a lot of rap and hip hop, metal, and rap metal.
What has been the bands biggest challenge?
We don't fit anywhere. Never have, never will. Always a little too much of this or too little of that or whatever. It's the best and worst thing about us.
What is band practice like?
We only practice before tour or when recording. I absolutely hate practicing.
How long has “Bloody knives” been around?
Since october of 2009
What genre/genres would you put the band in?
That changes with every cycle of popularity of a genre. We started out being labeled as a shoegaze band mixed with punk, now we are being called a post-punk band. I pay zero attention to any of it really. Maybe we can be the first post-goth band, I could roll with that. We have been called noise, synth-rock, experimental punk, proto-gaze, industrial ambient. I have no real idea how to describe us and it seems that other people dont eiither, and I'm good with that, its more fun that way.
Who writes the music? And who writes the lyrics?
Jake and I will usually write the beginnings of the songs, then Jack will write his guitar parts. I write the lyrics and then arrange the song to fit them.
Your stage presence is pretty great! All of you are pretty stellar musicians. So tell us your secret! Are you guys magical unicorns playing music?
We have been compared to unicorns a few times, its probably my favorite comparison. We are like the Unicorns in the movie Legend, where the troll cuts off the horn and we've been trying to grow them back ever since. This is the true source of the melancholy coupled is abrasive noise.
What is “disappear” about? Many people think it is about depression, and that song has helped a few people get through theirs.
Disappear is about drug addiction and depression. Every so often I see someone after a show or I get a certain kind of message from someone about how much they like a a particular song or two which I can tell is actually a coded message that really says "I was going to hurt myself but your music helped me through it." I've fought that demon myself my whole life and its good to know I've been able to help other people too.
https://youtu.be/HIJNjZ_SBG0
Do you guys have anything new coming out?
Working on a follow up to "White Light Black Moon" but It’s going to be quite a while before we are done with that. We are releasing the Part Time Punks session we did to all the people who bought the last record, and an extra secret surprise for the ones who bought the deluxe edition.
Will you be touring anytime soon?
We are wrapping up our UK tour this week, then it is time for a well deserved break. I just adopted a lovely smush face kitty and she needs some extra love, that's gonna be the focus for as minute. We will be back to playing shows soon enough.
Any advice you would like to give people that are forming bands?
Be anything, just don't be typical and boring. Nothing is worse than being boring.
Don't be a dick. Everyone knows everyone in music, there is no secret club where the "real" musicians are, there is only reality and everyone is there already.
Make friends based on love and mutual interests, don't be a networker. This ain’t fucking IBM or Star Search or whatever, that "making it" shit is so transparent and vomit-inducing. Every fake compliment just makes me hate that person even more.
Anything you would like to leave us with?
Love the people and things you love as much as you can, never skip a chance because there may not be another.
Listen to DJ SCREW
Be excellent to each other.
And thank you for the interview.
Links to “Bloody Knives:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebloodyknives/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bloodyknivesmusic/?hl=en
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thebloodyknives?lang=en
Bandcamp: https://bloodyknives.bandcamp.com/