Impressed with their latest single 'Boys Like You', Green Banana managed to have a quick chat with the colourful characters from Skint Knees, here's what they had to say:
Please tell us about yourselves?
Were a riot grrrl punk band based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire and we want to spread a message of empowerment in any and every way we can. For all the people who never felt like they had a place to be comfortable, we're a little safe haven for everyone to express themselves.
How would you describe your music?
I'd say our music has a similarity to bands such as X-Ray Spex, Bikini Kill and L7 but with a modern outlook on the world. Our music's often fast and punk but we do have our few reserved songs which have a bit more of a grungier tone.
Why are you called Skint Knees?
Weirdly enough we're called Skint Knees because of Jinx's dad. They were sat on the sofa one day discussing band names because jinx couldn't stand their original name which will never be revealed and he shot up in his chair and just went "skint knees." And that's been out name since.
Can you give us an insight into the creative process for your recordings?
So for our most recent recording of our single 'Boys Like You' it was recorded by a good friend, Ross, in a band called Air Drawn Dagger. We spent the day recording all the tracks we needed and he came back at us with a song we're extremely happy with and it was as simple as that however recording our EP Catcall wasn't as straight forwards... It was good fun and some of our best memories are from that 48 hours. Within the time in a freezing cold community centre, we recorded our entire EP. We even slept on the floor and our drummer Friday used a drum stool as a pillow! The whole experience couldn't of been better however our backs did not thank us afterwards!
Which track has received the most positive reaction so far?
So far 'Eat The Rich' from Catcall has the most engagement however our new single Boys Like You is not too far behind and to say it's our most recent release it's doing pretty damn well to catch up already with eat the rich!
You talk about the negative treatment you've received from some males in the music scene, can you tell us more about that?
In terms of negative treatment in the scene, it's something we like to reflect in our music so we dont let ourselves boil up over it, it's probably one of the only healthy coping mechanisms there is to deal with negativity by turning it into writing. From guys hating on us simply for being a queer punk band and they don't agree with our message or being creeps trying to hit on us making us uncomfortable, we face quite a few issues but we don't let it stop us and we don't want it to stop anyone else, that's why we do what we do.
Is hair colour an essential element to your image or is it something you do just to scare old ladies at the bus stop?
Haha! Well I think hair colours just a thing we all enjoy, the more vibrant the better! Plus it looks sick in the lighting on stage, that's why you'll usually see skunk and jinx with neon green hair because it physically glows under stage lighting!
Do you play live shows, if so, what are they like?
Yes we play live shows! There's nothing else we love to do more! Our shows feel and are entirely inclusive, you'll see a range of different people at a skint knees show. Singing, dancing, letting our anger out, we just love to use our time to project our feelings and hope everyone likes it! Speaking of, we have out last gig of the year coming up on the 17th of December at record junkee in Sheffield supporting a band called Perfect Parachute Picture.
Please tell us about your latest work?
Our most recent song, 'Boys Like You' perfectly encapsulates what we are about as a band. A collective of riot grrrl punks, angry at how we've been treated in the music scene and throughout our lives predominantly by males. Written by our guitarist, Bella, we want to encourage people just like us to not be defeated and to do what they want and not be put down by a few people who may belittle them on the way.
What can we expect from you next?
Well we don't quite know exactly, but we have lots of exciting gigs to be announced for the new year and there will definitely be new music coming out so keep your eyes peeled for it!
Please tell us your all-time favourite albums?
Ooooh okay, so fridays would be Issues by Korn, skunks would be Germ Free Adolescents by X-Ray Spex, Bella's is Bleach by Nirvana and jinx's is probably Nimrod by Green Day.
Which song would you like to nominate for the Green Banana jukebox and why?
We'd have to say Rebel Girl by Bikini Kill. It's such an empowering and amazing song that we all love dearly. It could possibly even be out mantra at this point, we've played it live as a cover many times and it's one that we always love to pull out and have a dance and shout to. It's just a banger.
Green Banana would like to thank Skint Knees for taking time out to answer these questions.
Discover more about the band here.
Interview by Skreen B