George Knight
Fault: What’s the story behind George Knight?
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It all started with an Immaculate Conception and it will end with an immaculate death. Everything in between will be a bit rougher round the edges. Seriously though, I’m a singer-songwriter originally from Wiltshire but now based in Bath. I’ve been in many bands and local acts but have focussed on being a solo artist for the past couple of years. I recently formed a support band nicknamed the +1 band due to it originally being a laptop with backing tracks. It is now myself on guitar and vocals, Rich Hillman on bass and Dave Johnston on drums. And we rock!
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Fault: What’s the creative process when writing new material?
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I spent many years coming up with random titles, letting the words spill onto the page and then putting music to it. However, as my music has evolved, this has changed into creating the music first and then putting lyrics to it after. When we rehearse new songs we try to ensure it has an addictive factor; a song you can listen to over and over again. I listen to my album – The Harlot Cowboy E.P – all the time, that tells me I’ve done it right!
Fault: Do you write from personal experiences?
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Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Songs that have a theme or an idea I’ve not experienced directly have elements of me hidden somewhere within; even if it’s a reference to a film I’ve just watched. I tend to write my personal story in between the lines; hidden but visible. I want people to make their own connections with the lyrics. I was once told if you ever write a song about a girl, never make her name the title, as unless the crowd all have her name then you’ll struggle to capture their imagination. Also, if it goes horribly wrong with the girl it’s about, then you could also end up hating a perfectly good song.
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Fault: What is the most challenging aspect of being a musician?
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The most challenging thing I’ve had is finding the right musicians to play with. I’ve been in god knows how many bands and whether it be musical style or vision, it hasn’t always clicked. This put me off being in a band for quite some time and pushed me to developed my sound and music on my own, trying to replicate similar solo artist methods like Dashboard confessional and City and Colour. I did this through going into the studio and playing every instrument when recording my EPs, and for live performances did acoustic re-interpretations of this. I’m very lucky to say I’ve now found two fantastic guys to support me and we all work very hard to achieve the same goal.
Fault: What are you currently working on?
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I have a few projects underway at the moment. My current goal is increasing our exposure in as many ways possible. To do this we have be unique and stand out from the crowd as there are so many bands trying to increase their fan base and label attention. One of the ideas we’re working on at the moment is making a customizable model of whale boy. He’s on the cover of our cd (The Harlot Cowboy) and kind of our mascot. Whilst we were creating designs for the model I sent out some pictures of whale boy for friends to draw some ideas. The response was phenomenal; they drew everything from whale boy dressed as Captain Picard from Star Trek to a Sperm whale. If it could create the same success as designer toys like Kid Robot’s Dunnys then it would be an incredible marketing tool and a very unique way of promoting my music A few months ago I was lucky enough to work with Styx Productions who made the video for ‘The Scars Are Still Hurting’. It was a fantastic experience and really helped increase our fan base. It was along shoot (and I’ve never seen so much fake blood in all my life!!) but it was really enjoyable and we look forward to working with them again in the future.
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Fault: What was the defining moment of your childhood that made you become a musician?
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I’d always enjoyed singing as a child but never considered it as something I wanted to do as a career. I also loved writing lyrics and filled up books with hundreds of song ideas. I enjoyed listening to my parents’ music like The Eagles and Jackson Brown – they have influenced me greatly and have given me a great appreciation for a well written song. I absolutely love Hotel California. My proper appreciation for music, and my love of playing, all happened at the age of thirteen. I’d been toying with different instruments but up to this point, just couldn’t find anything I could fully love. I eventually decided that the instrument that would complete me was the drum kit. After a successful begging session with my parents, they got me an electronic kit and drum lessons. From there I shot through my musical grades and went to Bath Spa College to do a BTEC in Popular Music. I soon realised that the course was geared very much to the guitarist, so the next instrument I got was a guitar and I taught myself as quickly as I could to get through my course. My talent caught the attention of some local bands and the rest is history.
Fault: What does 2011 hold for George Knight?
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I’m hoping world domination, but for now we’re just looking to increase our territory as far as we can manage. Now is the time of year when we are contacting venues, festivals, bands and promoters for next year. So 2011 will hold fresh ears to join our fan base and be part of this magical journey we’re currently on.
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Fault: What is your fault?
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It’s my fault that you’ve only just discovered my music, and for that I’m truly sorry. But if you don’t tell all your friends what you’ve just discovered, then I’m afraid that’s your fault.
The Harlot Cowboy E.P is available on iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, Napster and many more digital stores
Links:
Website
The Scars Are Still Hurting music video