The Knob

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Music
Interview : Tapani from The Knob

When and how was your band created?
The band was formed in Summer 2001, I (Tapani, LEad singer and guitar player) heard that Jami (The bass player) was thinking about forming a FinnishPunk band, so i called Jami and said that i want to be in that band! Since i had some history with my "older" band in this kind of music style. Then we called Jonne (the drummer) who Jami knew and he also joined the band. Them i knew Tuomo (the backing vocals singer and Guitar) and called him. I knew Tuomo from my childhood, and i knew he played guitar. So then we went to our rehearsalplace and started playing, then we decided to sing in english! it seemed easier, actually in the first rehearsals we made this song RUBBERDUCK which is actually included as re-make in our first full lenght album that came last year called "Something for nobody" So that is where the journey began!

Where is the name of the band coming from?
The name of the band was called LOWERCASE at first, but then we knew that there was already bands called that. (There was like 10000000 bands called LOWERCASE already :D ) so we just picked up a English-Finnish Dictionary, and started to put our finger to it and then we found this word KNOB so we decided to use that. It means like DoorKNOB or in some cases you can use it as word Head=KNOB...but then after few years we actually heard that in England´s England it is sometimes used word for a mans...krhm...well you know...KNOB...lets say private parts :D. But we just thought that Whattahell! it doesnt matter, the main reason we thought it means like a doorKNOB and...WE ARE A PUNK BAND! but when you see us play or hear our music, it is like someone hits you in the head with THE KNOB!

What musicians or artists did have a major influence in your life / work?
Well personally i like all kinds of music from ABBA to ZEPPELIN but major influences for The Knob would probably be The Offspring (i have always been a huge fan) then bands like, Nofx, Pulley, Blink182, Green Day, LAgwagon, Millencolin...punk bands from the "nineties" that are still going on strong! but of course there is influences from the new punk wawe also! We like to use lots of different punk styles and combine them to a one THE KNOB sound.

What are the positive and negative aspects of being a musician in Finland?
Well positive things...hmm...well it is always cool to play Shows here! it is nice to hear that people like your music. It is always nice to have honest feedback about your work. And Live situations are usually the cool ways to get it, the people are jumping and singing and having fun! But the negative aspects would be that Finland is pretty small country, so there is not so much places to play shows, and it is harder to find a record label and contacts to foreign countries. But overall the underground scene is so intense that this kind of music goes from hand to hand. But hopefully we can someday tour all over Europe! and maybe other countries also.

How could you define your style of music?
I would say it is like Melodic Pop Punk with some Skatepunk angles. Sounds pretty long, so lets say Melodic Punk. Bands like Nofx, Lagwagon, Blink182, Green Day, Offspring combined to one!

During the years how has your musical style changed?
At first we thought to sing in FINNISH as i mentioned earlier, but then we decided in the first rehearsals to start to sing in English...but the style, well not that much, we have gotten better players, and better in writing music. But there is still songs from the early years we play live, like for example POOPYPANTS is song that people like, it is very silly song with silly words but there is a message hidden to it. Well people like this song, and it is one of the FIRST songs we have made. But i`D say that we have got better during the years and we have chabged the song style from happyPopPunk to MelodicPopPunk so the older songs were more like "happier tunes" and new ones are faster and more "minor chord" songs. But of course there is always the Roots to the older stuff, and in the next album there will be also the happier songs, but also the more serious and sadder songs.

How do explain these changes?
I`d say that we have developed during the years, and the songs we made have gotten harder and harder...we just pushed ourselves to the limit and then over it and got better as singers and players...just natural evolution :D

What are topics you treat in your songs?
I usually write the lyrics, they are not a part of my personal life or anything, they are more like a part of other peoples personal lives. The lyrics are usually "little stories" of different people. There is positive songs of growing up, meeting the world, having fun with your friends, but then there is also some serious stories of the world situation, anti-war songs, anti-racist songs, and also stories of normal people struggling with their personal lives, maybe you can find yourself in some song and hopefully the music helps you struglling trough your problems and thinking the possible ways to make it better. The album is full of everything, it is like a full scale of stories from pure hate to plain happiness!

What is your favorite song in your repertoire and why?
Each song is a favorite. And people also like all of our stuff. But if i have to recommend our style to someone who hasnt herad us yet, id say he should listen these 3 songs. FOOL it is like a pop/punk styled song with nice groove, then there is NEMESIS it is like Offspring styled more FASTER and INTENSE song, and then there is BORN TO LOSE, BOUND TO NOOSE, which is more serious lyrics and kind of a sad song of one`s life story...

Do you actually prefer performing your music live or in a studio?
Both ways! the studio is cool because you can record nes stuff to play live! when you have released your new songs then it is always nice to play them live. It is cool to look at people when they jump around and have fun and like the music! We have nice amount of shows all over the finland, and even though it is hard to get them here, we have managed to create an underground fan base and every place we play seems to have few that know the music and they recommend it to their friends etc...that brings more people to the show and it is always nice to pley to people!

During the process of making a songs, what is the moment that you prefer?
hmm.this is a tough one...i would have to say that there is two moments, the one is when the songs are "ready" and you have the lyrics ready and you start to påractice them and play them more as SONGS not just practicing the playing, but practicing the FULL SONG. And start to work with different ideas for vocals and drumlines etc...the other bets part is when you get that CD from the pressing and it is FINALLY READY! and you put it to your cd player and listen it for the first time! Of course after that there comes the part when you get to hear what the people think of it.

A stupid question but... what is among all the songs you've been listening in your life the BEST song?
Oh My God! That`s not stupid, it is just SO HARD! THERE IS SO MANY! as i mentioned before i like all music...but i am kind of a METAL HEAD myself and i have another band also,called CELESTY (it is Fantasy Power Metal http://www.celesty.net ) so i would have to say that one of the most important songs in my life is Ace`s High from IRON MAIDEN that is the main reason i started to play guitar, i hear that song first time when i was like 4 years old and i started to play guitar when i was 12. But other songs that have meant a lot to me are OFFSPRING songs...ALL OF THEM...and then there is a very beautiful metal ballad from MANOWAR called Heart of steel. That is the song that will play in my funeral.

What is your opinion, as a musician, regarding internet?
well it is a dificult situation. I kind of support the music download for little bands like us, the internet has meant a lot to us and lots of people have found us there, and there is internet succes stories like Arctic Monkeys whose music was on internet at first and now they sell MILLIONS, so it is a huge help for smaller bands to come bigger. And i personally think that if you are a FAN of the band, you will buy the album. That is what i do! For example i got the latest Lagwagon album from my friend some time ago, and i didn`t know it at first, but when he brought it to me i noticed that it was a burned cd. So i listened to it for few days, but after i got my paycheck at the end of the month i bought the album! because if i like the band i will buy the record, also my friend bought the album and threw the burned cd away!

So how should i put this...the internet listening and downloading is ok, just to find out that DO YOU LIKE THE BAND, BUT if you like the band and want to support them in the future, YOU SHOULD BUY THE ALBUM! but then there is of course the illegal printings of CD`S and the mass production piracy which SUCKS because it is just a way to make money for criminal purposes like drug sales etc.

What are your projects?
Well music is my project, hahahaha!! but Jami (our bass player) has a band that plays Finnish Melancoly Rock, Jonne (the drummer) and Tuomo (the 2:nd guitar/singer) have sometimes some projects. And i have another band called CELESTY, as i mentioned before, it is a Fantasy Metal band, and we have also made 2 full lenght albums. And we are going to record the third one this summer. So i have 2 active bands. But it is always nice to play in different projects, but i`d say that Knob takes some time, so there is not always time for everything :D

What "image" do you have of French music?
Well i dont know so much french bands afterall, so correct me if im wrong, But lets see...hmm..bands...WAIT A MINUTE i know few, i saw AIR few years ago here at festival , it was very cool show and good music. Then from the metal scene i know this band ELEGY which is progressive metal i think. Gipsy Kings, Daft Punk...actually there is lots of french bands when you start to think of it!

And then OF COURSE! there is the king of all electronic music! one of my huge favourites during the years! JEAN MICHEL JARRE! that guy invented the electronic music or at least took it to a direction where it is nowadays!

I dont know but i think France has cool underground scene of music and it would be nice to meet bands from there and maybe tour with them in there and in here! I think France is a beautiful country with beautiful language and it would be SO COOL to visit there someday!

Is there one French song that you prefer? If so, what song is it?
One of the bands i have always liked also is PLACEBO they are not french, i know, but the song "Protege moi" is very beatuiful song that is sung in french.

Something to say to everybody!

It would be also nice if some French record/distribution label would like to release our albums there also, or take us a part of compilations etc.. If someone finds us interensting they should contact us, or for tours/shows etc. the contact info can be found from the homepage.

SO that is all for now...for everyone i recommend to listen to our music, go to our official homepage in http://www.theknobband.net and listen to the music there, or then go to http://www.mikseri.net/theknob where the lots of older and new songs for FREE download (the page is in english/finnish, but it is very easy to navigate, the songs are there and you just click the "Download" button to listen to it)

Interview by Vincent Lefrançois - 2006