We honestly wish our day had 48 hours. We could post more, review all the singles that are coming out and are absolutely brilliant. Or interview all the kick ass female artists that normally do not get enough attention from the music press. We could also start publishing zines or putting out gigs again. Yet, we can’t complain. We just had a great opportunity to sit down with one of the bands we really like, and respect – Skint Knees. This Sheffield based group recently lost a member and now operate as a trio, but they have great plans for the future. We discussed moving forward without Bella, new music, new dynamics and a bit of politics, cause why not!
It’s been a while. We reviewed your “Bite Back” EP in October 2024. That’s ages! How have you been? Please introduce yourselves to the readers of Indieterria.
Skunk: Heya! Seems like a long time ago now thinking about it, but time has gone by so fast. We’re Skint Knees! Do you like music that’s unashamed and in your face? That’s us. We’re from Sheffield and consist of myself (they/ them) as the bassist, Rachel (she/they) on drums and Jinx (she/they) on guitar with all of us taking on vocals.
Rachel: We play a mishmash of riot grrl-inspired punk and grunge rock, with our lyrics heavily focused on social justice, mental health and smashing the patriarchy. Standard stuff really.
Jinx: Hello!! We’ve been good! Lots of exciting stuff has happened within that space of time wow. It’s kinda crazy to think about. But, for anyone out there that hasn’t heard of us, we’re just a group of best friends that make loud shouty music together and express ourselves through what we create!
There was a change in your line up recently. After five years you parted ways with your guitarist Bella. Was it hard to find your feet again as a trio? How did it affect your sound and your stage presence?
Rachel: We did indeed, it was a big deal for the band not only because of the musical influence and talent Bella brought but also for our two-guitar live sound. Some of the songs we were in the middle of writing needed remodelling to make sure we could keep up with singing and playing. I might be biased, but I’m happy to be able to interact with the crowd more directly now there isn’t a guitarist front and centre, and I get to shut down the microphone!!
Jinx: It was a struggle initially for me. I had lost my right hand woman that I would feed riffs off of but with time and work we’ve got to a level that I couldn’t be happier with! Our dynamic is definitely taking shape and I feel like we’ve really found ourselves!
Skunk: I love getting to hear Rachel shout down the microphone now!
And while we are on the topic. Are you in touch with Bella? Is she still involved in music? Feel free to give her new project a shout out. We are very curious in what direction she decided to go.
Jinx: Yes we are! She has in fact got a new band that were also very excited to hear. We’ve heard a few snippets from her social media and I’m very excited. Her band is called Doe and is very much 60’s inspired but still has that raw and femme focus which we adore.
In the meantime Skint Knees are reaching new heights. You have played Manchester Punk Festival, Tramlines and Shambala. In August, you will debut at the Rebellion Festival. Your songs reached over 70K streams on Spotify, you received support from Christian Carlisle from BBC Introducing. The band is building an impressive CV – and all that without a booker or a management. It must take a gigantic effort though to get all of this to happen. Tell us, how many hours does the band admin usually take?
Rachel: Just reading all of that gets me all excited about how things are going and proud of how far we have come since I joined the band a couple of years ago! It’s great that we all have our strengths when it comes to band admin – I can rattle off a good email, Jinx is a weapon when it comes to promo and bookings and Skunk, as a graphic designer, gets our posters, merch and social media looking perfect. It takes a toll – We all work full time, and it can be really tough to keep grinding after a long day. Right now, as we are gearing up to release new music, I’m clocking in a couple of hours a week.
Skunk: Like Rachel said, it’s so insane to hear all of that and realise all the nights spent chasing this dream is paying off. It’s hard working full time on top of music, since I’m a graphic designer both in band and in my job, it feels a bit overwhelming sometimes not having a break from using the same programs. I’d say a good couple hours goes into the big stuff every week!
Jinx: Gosh, I don’t even know where to start! I spend an upsetting amount of time nerding out about trends, social media and all that bollocks that I have basically no interest in but know it’s unfortunately crucial in this industry now. I reckon I also clock in a good few hours a week… unless I’m in pure hyper focus and I can spend a whole day on it sometimes! Whether that’s drawing up covers, merch ideas, promo etc!
We wanted to ask you about your “Grrrl Germs” (Analog Version) extended single. It has three demos on it (“About A RiotGirl”, “Eat The Rich” and “Cheerleader”), sounding completely different from their official versions. Are they live recordings or songs recorded on an old fashioned tape in a studio?
Jinx: So, that was all Bella’s doing! She has a good friend who has a studio which allowed us to record analogue (straight to tape) to try it out, see how the OG’s did it in the day! It makes complete sense why Bella has gone in her new direction as it was so up her street!
Rachel: It was pretty nerve wracking doing a single take, all instruments with no click, but the result is a spot-on example of the raw live sound we bring.
Your new single “Diagnonsense” is written about medical malpractices when it comes to the health of women and minorities. It is a very angry song, speaking about having one`s pain and lived experience dismissed by doctors. Can you tell us more about how this track came about?
Rachel: Sure! This is the first ever song that I have written lyrics for. As a late-diagnosed autistic person, I went through the stages of grief of mourning the life I could have had with enough support, one of which was anger towards medical professionals who would prescribe pills instead of getting to the bottom of why I felt so “wrong” in the world. I think many people, especially womxn, have felt the helpless rage of not feeling listened to by someone that is there to help. Skunk’s fun facts about ‘hysteria’ helped me figure out the chorus…
Skunk: I love a fun fact. The root of this song came from a rhythm section jam after we said we wanted a “stompy” song. I feel so insanely proud of Rachel writing it; it was a wicked thing to see happen!
Jinx: Seeing Rachel bring this song to the table brought me pure joy! I feel like our musicianship really shines on this song and I may be biased but I think this track may have some of the best guitar playing I’ve ever recorded!
Rachel: That solo blows my MIND!!!
Something very cool happened when we first listened to “Diagnonsense”. We sat in an A&E while waiting for a CT scan and were killing some time by catching up on reviews. A nurse came around, stopped and listened with us. And then she said that the song gets NHS approval. It really gets the point across. It`s maybe less of a question,and more of a statement, but you should be proud of yourselves for creating something that resonates even with medical professionals.
Rachel: STOP IT RIGHT NOW THAT IS AMAZING!!! Recently we played in Leeds for a collective called Dirt Dykes, and after the show a pharmacist came up to the merch table to apologise! I’m delighted that it’s resonating with so many people, thank you for sharing.
Jinx: HOLY SHIT! That’s so fucking cool wow. I don’t really have words for how cool that is. It’s so great to see the reception to the new song.
The new single announces changes to your sound. It is more classic rock oriented. It marries bubble gum punk a la Shampoo and Patti Rothberg`s lyrical observations, with melodies that sound like early Manics, straight off Slash and Burn. It is still right in your face, but we can`t pass on the fact, how much you have grown as artists and musicians.
Rachel: Thank you so much. As someone who was brought up on classic rock, I’m so happy that those influences are coming through as we become more experienced musicians and songwriters. All of the lucky people who have listened to the music we are releasing throughout the Summer have been really impressed at how our craft has developed since we released Bite Back.
Skunk: I think this and the next few songs we’re releasing really show where each of us come from musically yet somehow managed to all blend together.
Jinx: This new era of Skint Knees I think is some of our best work yet. I feel like we’ve finally clicked and gone oh fuck, this is us, we can make this work pulling from all of our influences from classic rock as Rachel said, emo, punk, grunge, hardcore. Our taste is quite extensive! I’m still also fighting for us to become a ska punk band. Does anyone play brass instruments? Ha!
“Diagnonsense” is not the only new song that you have prepared. Would you like to disclose anything about upcoming tracks? What can we expect from the band in the coming months?
Skunk: So many exciting things are happening at the minute! Like I said earlier each new track we’re releasing really shows off where each of us have come from music wise but also a lot of personality. We’ve done quite a few things that we’ve never done before that we’re all really excited to show off in the next couple months!
Jinx: They’re all utter BANGERS.
Rachel: One of them might even include a music video, which the videographer said was one of their favourite things they have ever shot…
Last questions on Indieterria are a bit of fun. Imagine you were asked to play a gig at the Capitol, the seat of US Congress in Washington DC. What songs are you playing for both chambers using your 1st Amendment rights to say absolutely anything or maybe you are boycotting the event?
Rachel: We got a whole setlist for the bastards! Without a doubt we would play “Eat The Rich” (from Catcall) and “Modern Prometheus” (from Bite Back). Or we would show up, take the fee money and donate it to charities supporting the disadvantaged minorities struggling to survive and be heard in the hellscape across the pond.
Jinx: God, I couldn’t agree with Rachel more ahahaah. However, I’ve got to say, I think it would be pretty funny to throw a cover in there along with “Eat The Rich”. Something like “American Idiot” by Green Day. Trump actually went to see “American Idiot” the musical and I think that’s one of the funniest things yet perfectly captures how oblivious and moronic the orange wotsit is!
You can follow the band on socials:
https://www.facebook.com/SkintKneesBand
https://x.com/_SkintKnees_
https://www.instagram.com/skint.knees/
https://www.tiktok.com/@skint.knees
https://skintknees.bandcamp.com/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1DiTW0FLDbCSqhlSZGwrwr?si=vNHMHiwWSJKEVBTkvrPmqA
Malicia Dabrowicz
Indieterria 