the RED BANANA: FEATURED ARTIST 6/1/08: WILL KNOX

THE WILL KNOX EXPERIENCE

Lindsay Van Osten

Let me first start out by saying that one of the main reasons I even created the RED BANANA was so I could expose more of the world to the greatness of Will Knox, and others like him. I am someone who ravenously hunts for music, as a starving lioness does a buffalo. While this may not be the most glamourous of analogies, it certainly is an accurate one. If any of you are friends with me on MySpace (and you all should be, so if you aren’t, add me!), you know that I have over 1,000 friends; more than half of which are musicians. I make a point of listening to every band that sends me a friend request before I will add them back. Even though I have a slew of pending requests, it never seems right to add something without even giving it a listen- not only is it unfair to the band, you could also be missing out on something amazing. Like the British superstar that is Will Knox.

In preparation for writing this feature, I retraced my steps and found that Knox had added me on September 30, 2007. At the time I must have enjoyed him, because I commented on his page and put his profile in the random artists section of my top. A few months and a break-up later, I was going through my MySpace and there it was: Will Knox. Was it fate that brought his music back into my life? Anyone who believes in the concept would undoubtedly say yes, as the first song I listened to during this Will Knox revival was “Never Letting Go,” from his Buckled Knees EP (featuring his band: Jeni Magana on bass, Clayton Mathews on fiddle, Timur Yusef on drums, and Kyle Hauser on banjo). As soon as it started playing I broke down into tears. This was what I needed. This song expressed perfectly all of the pain and suffering I was struggling so desperately to purge myself of. The connection was immediate. I’m sure you will have a similar experience once you listen.

Here is an interview Knox did for “Ears Wide Open,” at his alma mater, Berklee College of Music, in Boston, MA. At the end he speaks of the writing process for “Never Letting Go.”

Here is the official music video for “Never Letting Go.” Absorb everything, and listen to the lyrics.

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Will Knox is one of the songwriting geniuses of our time. A comment like this is not something I would casually throw around about anyone; this is music I sincerely believe in. Every element of his music is absolutely brilliant. It is practically impossible to speak of strengths when there are no weaknesses to be found. Often times, bands hide behind what they do best. For Bob Dylan, it certainly wasn’t musical complexities or sparkling vocal lines that made people love his music; it was his poetry. Did we all grow to love Miles Davis for his relatable lyrics? No, it was his playing and creative instrumental expression. But here I sit, trying to explain to you what it is I love most about Will Knox, and I am at a loss for words. Every person I have exposed to his music has enjoyed it; no matter what style line they typically travel. Some people find joy in the flawless wit of the lyrics, others in his exquisite musicality. There is something for everyone, because EVERYTHING is there.

I’ve experienced Knox in every medium. I’ve been to live shows, watched videos online, and listened to recordings. (Once you’ve caught this bug, you are always wanting more.) One thing that never waivers is the intimate connection between Will and his instrument. He seems to use his voice and guitar as an outpouring of his soul, and this is so overwhelming that it forces the audience to do the same. You cannot simply listen to the music of Will Knox, but are instead forced to experience it.

While Will’s emotional connection to his audience is strong, his music is not all tear jerking. During lighter tunes, he never sacrifices his lyrical perfection. We are still taken on a visual journey with each one. Here is a video of one of my favorites, “Cog in the Machine.” The performance was filmed by Jenna at a show in New York City at 55 Underground. I absolutely love the way the instrumentation helps illustrate the lyrical analogy of being a worker bee cog in the machine of life.

At that same show, Will talked about Jimi Hendrix and credited him as the inspiration for picking up a guitar. (Thank you, Jimi.) As a tribute to Hendrix, he played his own rendition of “Voodoo Child.” I too am a major fan of Hendrix, and this is one of my favorite tunes. Of course the result was slightly different than the original, as it was acoustic, but the passion is what shined through. It was a great performance, and I’m sure Hendrix would be proud.

Take a gander:

You can watch the rest of the show by visiting Jenna’s YouTube collection.

Knox is not a one-genre man. He understands music, and truly appreciates the magnitude of its power. This comes out in both his songwriting and his performing. Another video I want to share, to demonstrate this, is a collaboration with Abstrakt. While it is obviously not the kind of track you will find on Knox’s Buckled Knees EP, I still really love it, and I hope you do too.

As I’ve said to many, the tunes of Knox are ones that can be left on repeat in your iTunes for months, and you would never be sick of them. This is something that rarely happens, as even our favorite artists can begin to grate on our nerves. If you do nothing else after reading this review, please visit his MySpace and take a longer listen. Share these musical gems with everyone you know, and everyone you’ve yet to meet.

Here are some dates and places you can try to catch Will performing live:

June, 5 2008 08:00 PM - Moomia
157 Lafayette Street, New York, New York 10013

June, 13 2008 08:00 PM - The Parish Center for The Arts
Westford, Massachusetts
A hootenanny up in Westford.. more details to come!

June, 26 2008 02:00 PM - SummerFest (Chevy Stage)
200 N. Harbor Drive, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

June, 26 2008 04:00 PM - SummerFest (Chipotle Stage)
200 N. Harbor Drive, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

June, 27 2008 12:00 PM - SummerFest (Chipotle Stage)
200 N. Harbor Drive, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

June, 27 2008 04:30 PM - Summerfest (Chevy Stage)
200 N. Harbor Drive, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

June, 28 2008 02:00 PM - Summerfest (Chevy Stage)
200 N. Harbor Drive, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

June, 29 2008 02:00 PM - SummerFest (Chevy Stage)
200 N. Harbor Drive, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

June, 30 2008 03:00 PM - Summerfest (Chevy Stage)200 N. Harbor Drive, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

July, 8 2008 08:30 PM - The Red Lion (Cooper Boone at 10pm)
151 Bleecker Street, New York, New York 10012

August, 1 2008 08:00 PM - Coffee Works
910 Berlin Road, Voorhees, New Jersey 08043
http://www.coffee-works.com/music.html

August, 6 2008 08:00 PM - Rockwood Music Hall - Rebel Spirit Music Series
196 Allen Street, New York City, New York 10002

August, 23 2008 07:00 PM - MilkBoy Coffee
824 W. Lancaster Av. Bryn Mawr, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
http://www.milkboycoffee.com

August, 30 2008 12:00 PM - Nashua Folk Festival
Nashua, New Hampshire

September, 18 2008 08:00 PM - Club Passim (w. Cooper Boone)
47 Palmer St., Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138

October, 11 2008 12:00 PM - PumpkinFest
Springhouse Commons, Route 97, Barryville, New York 12719