I was afforded the opportunity to see them again this past summer; this time in my friend Estovan Hawley’s living room. We all sprawled across Estovan’s bed, and floor, passing around bottles of red wine, trying on Estovan’s collections of bizarre hats. People would laze their way onto the balcony holding cigarettes limply, as if their wrists were about to break. I wondered how half of these people were going to be able to play instruments in one hour, or more so, why none of them seemed nervous in the slightest. My friends in Julie don't drink at all before shows, they do vocal warmups. Alex has some funny motivational post-ironic aphorisms that she says to the boys. The aphorisms work. There are the rituals one must take to be good, to be tight.
The members of Her New Knife fascinated me with how lax they were. Edgar practically sat on my shoulders while we watched the openers on a crowded staircase, all peaking behind the banister but to little avail. The house was vibrating from how loud it was and how many people occupied it. He’d lean down to tell me a joke, or ask to see a photo I took with our mutual friend only a week prior. He seemed oblivious to the fact that he was going to play a show in 20 minutes, much less that a good chunk of these people were here to see the band. I wanted to ask if he was nervous, but it seemed obvious that he wasn't at all.
They all played an hour or so later. I remember the way it smelt; sweaty. But the kind of sweat your body emits in the summer. The kind of sweat that can only be born from humidity rather than dry, boring heat. I then smelt blood; it was all anybody could talk about for the rest of the night. There were murmurs that a girl fell into the window and that she left to the hospital after Her New Knife finished their set, that a younger kid broke it. People even theorized that the set was so loud that the frequency shattered the window. It just smelt like blood, whatever it was.
Whenever they are playing, I can't look away; I don't really want to.
How is the tour with Cowgirl Clue going so far? How does this tour differ from past tours?
Ben: It’s really good.
Elijah: We went out to bars more and played with our toys less...
Carolina: We are growing up.
You guys strike a perfect balance between aesthetic integrity / instrumental integrity. How do you manage that in this day and age, when having a refined aesthetic is just as, if not more, important than the actual quality of music? (especially in scenes like Los Angeles and New York)
Elijah: We just find a cool photo for an Insta post, put exposure to 200%
Carolina: We don't be on our phones like other people
Ben: Less iPhone... chill as fuck.
Edgar: Image and style are just as important as being good at your instrument, but I think it only matters to us on stage
The new remix EP is superb. I find that alternative remix EPs are always difficult and never really land. What motivated you guys to do this, and how did that process look? (The kittyriff remix by they're gutting a body of water rips, the video is also so beautiful!!)
Elijah: Angel (Angel Proust of Frost Children) made the purepurepure remix while we were on tour last year
Edgar: Angel’s remix was the inspiration. We just wanted to ask our friends who make our favorite music to do the rest of them...the kittyriff remix video was shot in my apartment, I'm really happy with it. Doug filmed it as 1 continuous shot, and my friend Grace Drzymala was the dancer.
I read that you guys all met in Florida? How the fuck did you guys end up in Philly?
Edgar: The Philadelphia music scene had a lot of great artists that we listened to and didn't even know they were from there until we moved. Regardless of genre, it all felt very inspiring to be around. We wanted to work on our sound, play more cities, and be serious about it...moving felt like the next step
How do you think the florida diy scene shaped you as a band?
Edgar: taught me to enjoy sleeping on the floor and to always pay the touring band first.
We have only gotten EPs from y'all so far. Are there any plans for a full-length album soon?
All four: yes!
This last one is for Elijah and Edgar (who I hear my roommate playing Counter-Strike with via Discord). Between Elijah and Edgar, who ranked up to silver elite first? And what map? And if not, what is your highest rank?
Elijah: Silver elite? That's a noob ass rank. im 25k premier
Edgar: AND he has a knife, skin, and gloves