A chat with a Young Knife

THE YOUNG KNIVES

Still As Sharp?

Of all the ‘second album’ brigade of the indie class of 2005/2006, The Young Knives make for perhaps the most intriguing of all releases as they prepare to follow up the notable Voices of Animals and Men next month. In fact, to label the Ashby de la Zouch trio as ‘indie’ would be an insult, as it was them alone who decided to create an alternative for those sick of the existing alternative scene.

As Razorlight went all ‘America’ on us, The Young Knives were highlighting the problematic scenario of hitting the girlfriend’s parents (in the face). As every kid in every indie disco the country long decided they were Pete Doherty after securing the identikit uniform in the local Topman, The Young Knives appeared more like geography teachers in their gingham shirts and tweed jackets whilst chanting the loser-friendly ‘anthems’ ‘She’s Attracted To’ or ‘The Decision’ which highlighted some of the oft overlooked aspects of being an unpopular British human being in the naughties.

This anti-attitude paid off rather favourably for brothers Henry and Thomas Dartnell and drummer Oliver Askew nonetheless when they were shortlisted for the Mercury Prize’s best album award last year. However, where many of this country’s popular acts would see this as a landmark achievement, Henry is quick to shun such accolades when we quiz him about the nomination and the sophomore Superabundance.

“I was disheartened by it quite early on by the way it was called the Nationwide prize,” he groans unenthusiastically. “I think it’s an odd way of judging music anyway and I was quite down on it at the time and also at the desperation some people have of winning it. I’m not desperate to win any awards, I just want to maintain being in a rock band that maintain fans.”

Whether the trio achieve this or not with Superabundance is anyone’s guess given the minefield that is the music business of late, with Dartnall caustically remarking: “it might, it might not, we’ll just be objective about it,” before explaining to us that fans of the band’s angular, post punk past as displayed on the previous album and to an extent ‘Terra Firma’ and latest effort ‘Up All Night’ may be surprised by some of the elements they are greeted with on the new long player.

“People will find that there is a fuller sound this time and that we’ve gone for folkier sort of melodies and different approaches to the songs and there’s an orchestra on there too,” Dartnall outlines. “There’s one track called ‘Current of the River’ that’s an epic, sort of narrative song and another called ‘Turn Tale’, which is also quite epic, intricate and proggy in a way it goes off in strange directions without being ten minutes long. Another one I like that’s different is ‘I Hardly See Them’ and is inspired by the Silver Apples, that has this glitchy electronic sound with a dreamy vocal that floats on top of this strange sort of music and is one of the heaviest tracks we’ve ever done.”

Before Young Knives fans begin to panic at the bizarre direction the band may sound like they are heading on, Hartnall quickly adds: “we’re not going to turn into The Verve or something,” promising the string arrangements will “work in an epic, Viking sort of a way rather than sweet and beautiful,” before reassuring that the band still have every intention of maintaining the sound and style many have identified with thus far.

“The orchestra thing is only like the third element to the song and when we’ve performed the track live without it, it still sounds good,” he stresses. “We might rope the orchestra in for special shows, like if we get asked to do Jools Holland or perhaps on one of the bigger shows. We don’t want to get too many musicians in anyway; it’ll cost too much money for a start and probably put our fans off. The three-piece rock & roll band theme is something we haven’t run out of steam on yet.”