Interview: Getting to Know Knocked For Six
UK heavy hitters Knocked for Six return with their most personal release to date, unleashing the brand-new single and video, Faithbreaker, on Friday 6th March. In this interview, we get to know them a little better.
1. Hello! Thank you for taking the time to chat to us. First things first, tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started.
Hello there! Thanks for having us. Yeah so we’ve all been playing, writing, recording music for the past god knows how long…probably 15 years now. We studied music together and had separate bands for a while, then this band slowly came together until about 6/7 months ago, when the band as we know it today took its final form. That’s when we really found our own sound and style etc. it’s been a long ol rollercoaster but now we’re here it’s 1000% worth it.
2. Someone comes to you and asks you to sum up what kind of music you play – what do you tell them?
Everything you love about modern metal core and hardcore all mashed into one band with a sprinkling of electronic elements. That pretty much sums us up. We take a lot of inspiration from the bands we grew up listening to, like Meshuggah, Slipknot, Alpha wolf, Brutality will prevail. So that should start to build a picture.
3. What’s currently keeping you busy? A new album/EP/single release? A new video? Playing live, or planning ahead?
At the moment, we’ve got a lot of singles in the works, a lot of them with videos as well so that’s a lot to plan out. Plus we’re really focusing on gigs right now. Booking as many as we can, in as many places as possible.
4. What is about this current period that is particularly exciting for you?
Well since our vocalist Will joined and this band really took form. We honed our sound and really got the ball is rolling. So now, it all feels very positive and exciting, we’re having a lot of fun just hanging out, gigging and writing. Just doing what we love doing.
5. Tell me about the work that has gone into making it a reality and what it means to you.
This band is our life, which sounds probably a bit cliche but it is. We have always loved writing music, hanging out together, gigging, recording, making our own music videos etc. We love the art and that alone is what’s important to us. We’re in an age now as well, where its so easy to just generate fucking slop and be lazy or whatever, but the art and process is what makes it fun for us. If it was about fame or fortune we probably would’ve given up a long time ago but it’s so much more than that. Obviously that would be great and all but It’s our bond as mates, it’s playing shows and just going mental, letting off all that steam from everyday life and I think I can speak for all of us when I say, we wouldn’t give that up for nothing. May have got carried away with this answer but hopefully that explains it somewhat.
6. Making music and being creative can be a very positive experience and can be very good for the mind. In what way has making music had a positive impact on your mental health?
Well following on from the last answer. Having that outlet, a way to express ourselves and blow off steam. That’s so important. If we’re being very raw here, each member has suffered from mental health issues, and of course that’s unique to each of us but as a whole, having this band does help us all. The music and playing and writing is a huge part of that but also just us getting together and hanging out, checking in on each other is honestly..a really beautiful thing that I’m so grateful for it. These lads have my back and I got theirs. It’s as simple as that. And the music is something we can focus on and push all our energy into. I definitely urge more people to start bands or just jam with their friends etc. Humans are meant to have these connections.
7. It can also be incredibly challenging, more so in the modern times. What have been some challenging aspects of making music and how have you overcome them?
It’s always a challenge juggling a full time job, family, relationships and the band, but it’s something that you just make work, because you love it. I think the real issue right now is this AI slop being churned out, completely flooding and over saturating an industry that was already pretty difficult to begin with. Stealing artists’ work, destroying our planet… it’s bullshit and needs to be dealt with. But that’s a whole other can of worms…
8. How do you handle the online aspects of being in a band? Having to put out content constantly, promoting across several different social media platforms, and having your success measured in likes and follows?
Honestly for us, we just try to have fun with it. Should we post more regularly or do this or that…probably but that would burn us out, so we make our fun little videos, make the more serious music videos and snippets then post anything interesting we’re doing or gig announcements/live photos etc between that. So yeah just try to keep it simple really. We also find it far too funny the fact our music and music videos are so serious then you see our behind the scenes stuff and we’re just pissing about. Just gotta have a laugh and do what you can.
9. How do you make this part of things enjoyable, and fulfilling, for yourself?
Just have a laugh and make sure we’re creating things we enjoy creating!
10. Speaking directly to listeners – what would you ask they do to help support you?
Definitely come to shows. Not even just to support us but just for the metal community in general. Come to a show, get out the house, head bang, mosh, have a chat with us or the other like minded people that’ll be there. If you’re all there for a metal show then you know you’ve already got one thing in common…They want you to sit at home not talking to anyone, not sharing experiences or living your life. Generating some shitty slop to consume and rotting our minds. So come hang with us and throw down to some fat riffs.
11. Outside of music, what do you like to do to relax?
We’re big movie fans, we’ve been known to game a fair amount too, so the usual suspects! Other than that, camping is always a nice getaway from everyday life. And you might also call one or two of us gym rats.
12. Where can people find you?
Instagram is our main base but we are on TikTok, Facebook etc. And please go listen to our music wherever it is you like to listen to music. Thanks for having us! Hopefully see you at one of our shows!
