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Young Knives

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Young Knives

The Young Knives is an English indie rock and post-punk revival band from Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire. The name is based on a misunderstanding of "young knaves", which was found by the band by rummaging through a book.

The band is known for it's energetic live performances and their taste in tweed outfits. They broke into the music industry in 2002 with the critical success of their debut mini-album The Young Knives... Are Dead, but began to garner national coverage upon the release of their single "The Decision" in late 2005 (partially due to the acclaim of its dark humoured, League of Gentlemen-esque video). They played their biggest live gig in June 2006 and recently completed a UK tour in support of their first proper album Voices of Animals and Men, which entered at #2 in the UK Album Charts. In July 2007 they were nominated for the ÓMercury Prize.

Band members

  • Henry Dartnall - vocals, guitar
  • Thomas "House of Lords" Dartnall - vocals, bass guitar
  • Oliver Askew - drums, backing vocals

Career

Formed under the name 'Simple Pastoral Existence', the Young Knives began their career "playing bad funk and Ned's Atomic Dustbin covers",[1] but it was their subsequent move to Oxford that saw their career begin to take off. After changing their name from 'Pony Club' their 'big break' came in 2002 with a successful set at the popular Truck Festival, which was followed by the release of ... Are Dead on local label Shifty Disco.

The band also won "Road to V", a competition for bands to open the second stage at Virgin Music Festival, beating a large number of bands to win. However, they were only originally asked to take part because another band had dropped out of the competition.

After some years playing successful support slots to bands such as The Futureheads and Hot Hot Heat in Oxford and surrounding areas, the band were signed to Transgressive Records, and a limited EP, Junky Music Make My Heart Beat Faster, was a sell-out success. Their debut single "The Decision", produced by Andy Gill of Gang of Four (a noted influence on the band[2]), was released in December 2005, and was followed in February 2006 by "Here Comes The Rumour Mill" - the latter their first chart success, reaching #36 in the UK and receiving significant airplay on MTV2 among others. They have continued to work with Gill ever since.

The band completed a lengthy UK tour in early 2006, and supported Dirty Pretty Things and The Rakes later in the same year, fitting in an appearance at SXSW in Texas and a terrestrial television debut on Later with Jools Holland in June. In July that year, the band made their second appearance at Truck, and two more top 40 singles, "She's Attracted To" and "Weekends and Bleak Days (Hot Summer)" (originally the lead track of the Junky... EP) followed, just before the release of Voices of Animals and Men in August. A re-issue of "The Decision" was released on 30th October, the same day the band played what Henry described onstage as their "biggest gig ever", at the London Astoria.

The band have recently started their smaller UK tour on March 26, 2007, after several shows in the US. Regarding plans for after this tour, Henry stated that "...we will bring out a second album of shit songs like every other band...".

The Young Knives are currnetly recording their new album in Scotland. Their next single will be "Terra Firma" released on Transgressive Records. In an interview with Planet Sound, the band said they plan to release a song called 'Up All Night', despite Razorlight having an album and song of the same title.

Discography

Albums

EPs

  • 2003 Rollerskater EP
  • 2004 Split EP (a collaboration with Smilex)
  • 2005 Junky Music Make My Heart Beat Faster

Singles

Notes

  1. ^ Channel 4 "T4 Stars - The Young Knives"
  2. ^ "Drowned in Sound meets The Young Knives"
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