Meet the band: The Jack Knives
Meet the Jack Knives, your new favorite, culturally diverse punk rock band from California.
Where are you from, what is your background, and what brought you all together?
“The band claims Orange County as our home because that's where most of us live, or have lived, for a long time. We do take pride in the diversity of our band, though. Not just musically but culturally, we each have unique upbringings and stories and come from different parts of the world, including Mexico, Palestine, Japan/Korea, and the United Kingdom. It's funny how we can all descend from different worlds, but all have this common link through rock music that brought us together as friends and bandmates.”
How would you best describe the music you make?
“I always find this question hard to answer. We get labeled as a punk rock band quite often. However, I don't mind it since many of the bands that inspire us are punk rock bands. Most would find that we are a subgenre of punk rock. Some call it melodic punk; I call it punk rock for adults. Our albums have some faster songs, but they have some slower melodic and acoustic songs too. When we write songs, we focus on melody and lyrics more than genre. Our songs are authentic and catchy for the most part. We try to write about our true experiences, about optimism in the darkness of life. We take inspiration from all over the musical universe, and this is the sound that comes out. Luckily, many people seem to relate to our lyrics and enjoy the music.”
What is the story behind the name "The Jack Knives"? How did you come up with your band name?
“There is always one person now and then who knows where our name came from. You would have to be a fan of a band called The Gaslight Anthem from New Jersey to know that. They have a song with a great line that goes, "And the steam heat pours from the bodies on the floor, down in the basement where The Jack Knives play." I had been singing along to that line for years, and one day, I thought The Jack Knives sounded like a cool band, so we took the name.”
How would you best describe your creative process when creating music?
“ We are not the most technical musicians; we are all self-taught and thrive in the DIY style of writing and creating. That's what drew most of us to punk rock: the do it yourself element and the acceptance of melody over technical skill. With that said, we pride ourselves on our songwriting ability. As the primary songwriter in the band, I have a little digital notepad on my phone. Whenever I find some inspiration for a lyric, I write it down. This could come from anywhere, like driving down the freeway and seeing something that sparks a cool lyric idea, having a conversation with my girlfriend, thinking back on memories, or reading a book. Whatever it is, I'll write it down. I don't have a song in mind when writing these lyrics; I just end up with random lines on a notepad. The next phase is when a melody hits me; it'll just be random. I'll start humming a tune, and the seed of a song is planted. Then, I'll start with the melody and theme and find a cool lyric to start the song. I always write with an acoustic guitar. Once these steps are completed, I'll finish it off in my mini home studio and send it to the lads. Finally, we meet up at rehearsals, and each band member will contribute as we layer the song with whatever parts it might need. That's a standard way of writing for most bands, but it works for us.“
Let's discuss your latest release, "The Time We Had." What was your main inspiration behind this track?
“Well, it's the most personal song we have ever put out. It's a song about a fractured relationship between a parent and a child and how much time has passed where nothing was ever done about it. Suddenly, decades passed, and nothing was ever expressed or repaired. All that time was wasted. It's a sad song, but it's also a song of resolution and forgiveness. We debated whether to put this out as a single for a while, but it eventually got released and has ended up being one of our most popular songs. I hope it is relatable and cathartic for some people to listen to. That's what I love about music, those songs that get inside you and make you feel something.“
What is the story behind your most popular song, "Are You Listening?" What was the main inspiration behind this track?
“ ‘Are You Listening?’ was the first single from our upcoming record. It was also the first song we ever professionally recorded. For this song, we worked with producer Raul "Riff" Cuellar up in Burbank, California. It was such a great experience, and Riff is not only one of the most talented people I have ever met, but he is also the nicest guy. He pushed us hard to make a song that stretched our abilities and sound to somewhere we didn't know it could go. It's a great song about accountability and letting someone know you won't fall for their lies. It's aimed at those narcissistic type folk among us, a reminder that those people can't get away with their manipulative ways forever. It was a really fun song to write and record.“
In the years your band has been together, what has been your favorite song to work on?
“I would have to say, ‘Are You Listening.’ Not only for the recording experience with Riff but because we also shot an awesome music video with director Nick Riggs in Los Angeles for the song. Watching creative people like Nick interpret our art and make something so visually stunning and accurate was so much fun. It was a great transitional period for us as a band, where we realized we were gaining a following, and people enjoyed the songs. Due to this, we pushed ourselves creatively and got exposed to so many other creative people, which made us a much better band. That was the first step that led us to where we are today and the record we will release, ‘Ghost Radio.’ ”
What's the most memorable show you've ever played?
“We toured this past summer with Rudy Nuno and Danny Attack, and one of the dates was in our hometown in Orange County. That show was incredible. We played to a great crowd full of friends, fans, and people who had never heard of us before. It was one of those shows where the energy in the room and from the crowd came right up onto the stage and pushed us to play at our best. We ended the night playing a song from our last record called "Kill Me First" with Rudy Nuno on vocals. It was a great night.”
What is your favorite project from The Jack Knives, and what does it mean to you?
“Without a doubt, it has to be our new record, "Ghost Radio." We've been working on it for a year or so already, and it will be finally released in February 2024. Every song on the record is great. We took our time purposefully and put everything we had into it emotionally and physically. Half of the record was produced by hardcore punk producers Riff Cuellar and Nick Riggs. For us, it worked out great because we are a softer, more melodic type of punk rock, so those guys maxed out of punk rock credibility by making those songs bang hard! For the more mid-level rock and acoustic songs on the album, we recorded with Gabe at Amplified Studios in San Diego. He's another creative monster who understood our sound completely and pushed us to make our best music. We are all so proud of this record. I like to have a theme for the individual albums we put out, and this one is about the power of music. The songs that remind us of good times and bad, the ghost radios that play in our minds all our lives. I think our friends, fans, and anyone who enjoys meaningful rock music will enjoy this record. It's a throwback to when we listened to records from start to finish.”
Who are your biggest musical influences, and how have they shaped your style?
“As I mentioned, we are such a diverse group of music fans. We draw inspiration from everywhere. The obvious comparisons and the comments we see most regarding similar bands to The Jack Knives are Social Distortion and The Gaslight Anthem. We won't argue that, and are humbled to be even mentioned next to bands like that. But all the members of this band have their favorite types of music, everything from metal to Motown. As long as it's got some authenticity, soul, and meaning, we are all in. Yes, that includes Taylor Swift, who, in my opinion, is one of the best songwriters in decades. “
