Interview de Knuckledust

Can you give us a quick presentation of the bands history and discography ?

WE'VE BEEN AROUND SINCE 1996 AS THE SAME LINE UP AND RELEASED MINI CD'S, 7" RECORDS AND 3 FULL LENGTH ALBUMS ON LOADS OF DIFFERENT LABELS.

Why do you call the band "Knuckledust" ?

IT IS A POSITIVE THING THAT PIERRE CAME UP WITH AT THE START MEANING DUST ON HIS KNUCKLES. STOP FIGHTING AND ALL THAT STUFF.

How would you define the music of "Knuckledust"

HARDCORE! SIMPLE!

You've been going on for a long time with your band, what exactly got you started in hardcore?

GOING TO EARLY METAL SHOWS AND SEEING HARDCORE BANDS LIKE SICK OF IT ALL, MADBALL, BIOHAZARD ETC. THOSE BANDS OPENED A WINDOW INTO MORE UNDERGROUND SHIT AND CHANGED MY LIFE.

Do you think about the whole "hardcore" thing? Has it changed? What does it mean to you?

IT CHANGES ALL OF THE TIME BUT I STILL LOVE IT AS MUCH AS I DID AT THE START. THERE IS A LOT MORE SEGREGATION OF STYLES NOW WHICH IS A SHAME BUT SO LONG AS WE STILL GOT A HARDCORE SCENE TO CALL OUR OWN, ITS ALL GOOD!

With your new album that came out, how do you see the evolution of the band?

I JUST THINK WE ARE GETTING BETTER AT THE STUDIO THING NOW BUT MUSICALLY WE HAVN'T CHANGED THAT MUCH OVER THE YEARS. I THINK ITS SAFE TO BUY A KNUCKLEDUST ALBUM KNOWING THAT THERE ISNT GOING TO BE ANY BOLLOCKS ON IT.

"Unbreakable", why this title?

BECAUSE THATS WHAT WE ARE AS A BAND...UNBREAKABLE ! THE SONG SAYS A MASSIIVE 'FUCK YOU' TO EVERYONE THAT TRIED THEIR HARDEST TO MAKE US STOP AND TRY TO GET IN OUR WAY. THIS IS FOUR DETERMINED PEOPLE WHO WILL NEVER STOP... FUCK YOU!

What's the feedback like about the new album?

ITS ALL BEEN GOOD BUT I DONT GET TOO INTO WHAT PEOPLE THINK BECAUSE I KNOW THAT ITS NOT ALL GOOD SOMETIMES. THE MAIN THING IS THAT WE ARE HAPPY WITH IT AND ACHIEVED WHAT WE SET OUT TO ACHIEVE WHICH WAS A HARD HITTING HARDCORE ALBUM. I THINK WE DID THAT!

You've played in lots of different countries, and even over in the states. What are the main differences in between the different countries? Is the audience different? The reactions?

SOMETHING I'VE LEARNT IS THAT HARDCORE IS HARDCORE, WORLDWIDE. SOME COUNTRIES ARE MORE SPOILT THAN OTHERS SO THEY ARE NOT SO EXITED BUT COUNTRIES WHO DONT HAVE LOTS OF SHOWS ARE ALWAYS BETTER TO PLAY BECAUSE THE EXITEMENT LEVEL IS RIGHT UP THERE!

What about the scene in the UK, i've heard lots and lots of great bands from there (sfd, injury time, 50 caliber, bdf, Taking names, ninebar, diction and the list goes on) How come there's so many bands ? Where do you think motivates the kids in the UK

ITS A BROTHERHOOD! ALL THE BANDS YOU MENTIONED GO TO SHOWS AND HANG OUT. NO ROCKSTAR BULLSHIT. WE JUST HANG AND HAPPEN TO BE IN A BAND. THE UK HAS ALWAYS BEEN ON THE RISE BUT MORE SO NOW THAN EVER. CHECK WWW.RUCKTION.COM

Describe the scene over there for us

CRAZY!

About the music in KD, how do you work ? Got a special trick to find all of these "in your face" songs ?

HE'S CALLED WEMA! NO SERIOUSLY, WE WRITE THE SONGS PIERRE USUALLY COMES UP WITH THE LYRICS AND THEN WE ALL ARGUE ABOUT CHANGES WE WANT TO MAKE TO IT, THEN, FINALLY, IT COMES OUT AS IT IS. NO SECRET!

The lyrics are mostly about day to day life, it's pains and it's joys, what inspires you for writing ?

PIERRE WRITES MOST OF THE LYRICS AND THEY ARE VERY THOUGHTFUL. THEY START NEGATIVE BUT WITH A POSITIVE OUTLOOK. I THINK HE GETS INSPIRED BY THE TRUTH AND THINGS THAT HAPPEN AROUND HIM AND HIS LIFE. ME AND NIC WRITE THE 'FUCK YOU' NEGATIVE SHIT!

You guys played at this years IEPERFEST, I found the show amazing, probably one of the best of the whole fest. How did it go for you? Got good feedback?

THAT WAS OUR FIRST IEPER FEST AND I THINK IT WENT OK. I DIDNT THINK WE WOULD GO DOWN TOO WELL AT THAT FEST BECAUSE MOST OF THE BANDS ARE DIFFERENT STYLE OF HARDCORE TO US BUT WHEN I WATCHED THE SHOW ALL OF THE BANDS WERE TOTALLY DIFFERENT STYLES TO EACH OTHER AND I THINK THATS WHAT IS GREAT ABOUT THAT FEST.

How would you "sell" a Knuckledust show?

2 BLACKS, 2 WHITES, IN YOUR FUCKING FACE!

What's the future for you guys? And the band?

WHO KNOWS? WE DONT SET BIG GOALS BECAUSE WE WILL DEFINATELY NOT ACHIEVE THEM AND PROBABLY BREAK UP. I THINK WE ARE HITTING THE ROAD WITH SHATTERED REALM IN JANUARY. GONNA DO A GSR RECORDS SHOWCASE TOUR IN DECEMBER WITH ALL OF THE GSR BANDS AND A UK TOUR IN JANUARY. THEN TURN UP AT YOUR TOWN AND GET DRUNK...PROBABLY???

And at last, if you have any shout outs to give, people to thank, to piss off, please do so.

YOU GUYS FOR DOING THIS. CHECK OUT WWW.KNUCKLEDUST.COM AND WWW.RUCKTION.COM AND WWW.GSRMUSIC.COM THANK YOU!

Par : mathew

le 17/10/2005