We Are Knuckle Dragger
On recording their upcoming album "Tit For Tat" How did the band form?
Pete and I (Aran) were friends back in Northern Ireland, where we originate from. We both moved to Newcastle to study music were we met our good friend Shaun. Our bands shared a practise space, played local shows together and partied the days away! From the very start we knew the three of us had a connection, so when our various bands seemed to unravel, at conveniently close times, we were compelled to start a new project together. So December 2008 Knuckle Dragger was born ("We Are" got added on to our name later). In three practises we had three songs, and after one more rehearsal we recorded the tracks in our practise room. These tunes were intended to be just a demo, but ended up featuring on our first release Doors To Rooms EP (Tracks - Massive When Flaccid, Explanations With Connotations, I Was A Teenaged Mr Bean).
How was the recording of your upcoming album "Tit For Tat"?
It was a very special time that none of us will forget. We all have been fans of Steve Albini's work for years now, so for us to get to fly to Chicago, stay with him at his studio,and have him engineer our debut album, was no less than a truly a magical experience. We fully immersed ourselves in Chicago life as well. Saw sights like the Willis (Sears) Tower, took in a ball game at Wrigley Field, went to a Converge gig, got tattoo's, and ate some fine, albeit unhealthy, American cuisine!
What's the concept behind the album?
We stick to a very live ethic when recording. We try to as closely as possible replicate a live gig with this album, which also goes for the two previous EPs. All the music is played live, with no multi-tracking and only vocals being overdubbed. For us this is the only way to do it. A true honest expression of your music, with nothing to hide behind. On top of that the overall production is natural and warm (Albini's forte), as opposed to overproduced and lifeless. As for the concept of the album itself our goal is ultimately the same as it was in the beginning, which is to create music we find interesting, challenging, original, but overall fun.
If your music were to be adapted into film, what story would it tell?
It would have to be some sort of brutal comedy. Like Ace Ventura, except instead of Jim Carrey, Ace is played by Bas Rutten! Don't know who he is? Get on YouTube now and check him out. Then search for some Knuckle Dragger videos while you're at it! We like to make our own little films. We recordas much footage as we can, gigs, tours, recording, all of which become (or will eventually become) episodes we post on our YouTube account and other social networking sites.
Would you like to come to Portugal?
We would LOVE to visit Portugal!! Hopefully making our first It has felt like a very natural progression for us. "Doors To trip to Europe at some point next year and if there is anyway Rooms" was all about us just jumping in and finding our feet, we can get to your country we will be there. Stay tuned, and thanks so much for the interest! what we wanted to express, and how we wanted to go about it. With that foundation in place we were able to get comfortable with our dynamic and style of writing, and soon Design & Interview: Rick after that tracks from ABCDEP ( our second EP) were Words: Aran Glover formed. Now onto the album and we feel like a finely tuned Photos courtesy of We Are Knuckle Dragger engine firing all cylinders. We have matured as a unit, and the result is an album pushing our boundaries, both creatively and technically, whilst still retaining our punk diy ethic. I think that our current fans will be very happy with what we've created, and new fans will find it a valuable stepping stone to our previous releases.
How does it differ from previous releases?
"Tit For Tat" is due Easter 2012. In the meantime, you can purchase their discography at: http://www.weareknuckledragger.com/ Also, the song "-20% For Being A Loser" is now available for Rock Band 3 on Xbox360 and coming soon on PS3.