Interview with ‘The Knutz’
http://www.myspace.com/theknutz
Nattsol: You began to exist in 2005. The band’s evolution for these three years really impresses. In your opinion, what has changed and what has stayed in the band since that time? Did you have previous music experience?
The Knutz: At the beginning, we didn’t know exactly what kind of sound our band would play. Despite the brothers Tiago (bass) and Daniel Abud (vocal/guitar) had already done the lyrics and the main melody of most of the songs before the band starts, each members had different ideas to compose, based on different music influences. Until the end of 2007, there was almost nothing defined about the way our work would be developed.
However, during 2008, we finally discovered who we were and we created an original identity. The new album shows clearly our proposal, considering all the artistic conception of the band, and the directions it will lead us to. And I think these were the most important changes since we started.
What remains is the relationship the members have with one another. And as the time passes, I realize that we become even more closers as friends and musicians.
Yes, we had previous music experience. Actually, the members met one another by studying at the same music school.
Nattsol: Your music combines plenty of styles, and stays original as well. So what did you want to express in the music when you began to play? Can you say that you managed to express all that you wanted to? And how can you describe your style?
The Knutz: As I said, when the band started, each member had distinct ideas in relation to the other ones. On account of this, our Demo CD became a bit mixed and it didn’t correspond to our expectations as we thought it would.
However, with the new album, it was totally different. Everything was defined and everyone enjoyed the result. We did express all we wanted to.
Our style is something among post-punk, punk, death-rock, electronic music and Gothic rock.
Nattsol: Tell me about Brazilian post punk / goth scene. What’s the public there? Are there some bands with a sound related to yours?
The Knutz: The scene here is very small and underground. The WoodGothic Festival, which reunited 13 bands from all over the country including us, was watched by just three hundred people in each day, being two days of performing.
Yes, there are great goth bands in Brazil as Elegia, Plastique Noir, Scarlet Leaves, Escarlatina Obsessiva, Zigurate, Luiza Fria and many others.
Nattsol: The next question is about your first Demo CD, released in 2006. Tell me about it.
The Knutz: This CD has 17 songs, including 2 live tracks. Despite it didn’t correspond to all our expectations, it is still a good album. As Mick Mercer said in the review he wrote about our Demo: ‘The majority of the record is great but there’s a few tracks they could have dropped, which weren’t sharp enough towards the finish. They do slip on a couple of live bonuses though, ‘Where Are You Now’ politely controlled and gracefully contrite, ‘The Hanging Man’ wonderfully moody with guitar trickles and inflamed drum pushes, the vocals gloomy and desperate and very touching.
A very cool band, with masses of character and potential.’
With this CD, we started to be recognized in the Brazilian Gothic scene, something really important to us.
During our current shows, we still play some songs from the Demo.
For more information about our Demo CD, read the review Mick Mercer wrote:
http://mickmercer.livejournal.com/825283.html
Nattsol: Were your songs released somewhere else?
The Knutz: No. But fortunately, we could sell a lot of copies at our shows as well as by mail.
Nattsol: Now I’d like to ask the question, which is the most exciting for me. Tell me about your future first ‘official’ album, which is suspected to be released at the end of 2008.
The Knutz: This is a concept album. The art and the order of the songs are related to “Ghost Dance Party”, the theme song and the name of the album. Listening to it is like listening to someone entering in a party, dancing to some songs and arriving home in the early hours of a rainy morning. It still counts on a Brazilian cover as bonus track
Nattsol: Who is the song writer in the band? Do you have a common idea of your texts?
The Knutz: Daniel Abud (vocal/guitar) is the lyricist and all the members are composers. There isn’t a pattern, but most of songs are about feelings and situations lived by the lyricist.
Nattsol: So you shot the video clip on your “Ghost Dance Party”. I know “The Knutz” as the band which will work with the stuff until it’ll be perfect. And I was a bit surprised when I saw this video, because it doesn’t seem finished, so I thought that I missed something important in it, may be, the main idea….
The Knutz: Actually, this video was made in a hurry because we didn’t have an official video and we needed one to include in a Crawling Tunes compilation. And unfortunately, we didn’t have money to make a brilliant video, so we did it by ourselves, in a very independent way and without costs. Even so, I think it’s a nice clip.
However, during the last months we recorded two more videos (“Where are you now” and “The Hanging Man”) and, in spite of being independent ones too, we did it in a very professional way as we had a team of cinema students who supported us. They are almost finished, we are just concluding the edition.
Nattsol: You had many shows. Which of them were the most important? Did you have an experience of playing abroad?
The Knutz: The most important show was the WoodGothic Festival, which reunited 13 important Brazilian Gothic bands in two days of performing. It was probably the biggest Brazilian Gothic event ever.
We haven’t played abroad yet.
But an invitation is always welcome =)
Nattsol: Can you call me the bands you’d like to share the stage with?
The Knutz: The Cure, Cinema Strange, Deepeche Mode, Los Carniceiros Del Norte, Bauhaus, Duran Duran, Echo and The Bunnymen, Siouxsie and The Banshees, Alien Sex Fiend, Specimen…
Nattsol: And your final words to all our readers.
The Knutz: We would like to thank you for reading this interview ^^
Hope you have enjoyed it!
For more informations about the band, access:
Our e-mail:
Greetings from Brazil!!
Questions: Pall ‘Nattsol’ Zarutskiy
“Grave Jibes Fanzine”
