If you’ve been attending hardcore shows with any regularity over the past couple of years, changes are high that you’ve caught Year of the Knife for a trademark high-energy set. Bassist Madi Watkins is at the center of it, wielding her bass around, headbanging and stomping like there’s no tomorrow. Outside of YOTK, she’s been part of the team behind long-running fest This Is Hardcore and runs the Candy Corpse store. Catch the band on tour this December with THE ACACIA STRAIN or at FYA Fest in Florida at the start of 2019.
Name five songs that you consider “perfect songs” and explain why or what they mean to you.
To me, a perfect song is a song that never feels old or played out no matter how many times you listen to it. It’s a song you could listen to on repeat, regardless of your mood.
Dreams by FLEETWOOD MAC
Army of Me by BJÖRK
Knife Prty by DEFTONES
Simple and Clean by UTADA HIKARU
Just Like Heaven by THE CURE
Honorable Mention: Stigmata by BASEMENT – I realize that this song is very new to include in this list, but I’ve listened to it everyday since it was released and think it is lyrically and musically perfect
Greatest hardcore EP’s of all time?
Les 150 Passions Meurtrières by KICKBACK
Stay Cold by TRAPPED UNDER ICE
S/T by BAD SEED
If God Only Knew The Rest Were Dead by DISEMBODIED
Turncoat by FOUNDATION
S/T by GORILLA BISCUITS
Your five favorite rappers/hip hop artists of all time?
A few of my all time favorites:
NAS
GRAVEDIGGAZ
GHOSTFACE KILLAH
Some of my new favorites:
KENDRICK LAMAR
$UICIDEBOY$
CARDI B (I’m sure I’ll get shit for this, but her songs are fun, and always put me in a good mood)
What’s the album you’ve listened to the most in your life? Do you still listen to it?
Probably Disintegration by THE CURE, Around the Fur by DEFTONES, or The Opposite of December by POISON THE WELL. There was also a period of time after BLACKLISTED released Heavier Than Heaven, Lonelier Than God where I listened to it daily for months. All still on heavy rotation.
What are some of your favorite song lyrics? Lyrics that have been important to you or that had an impact on you?
Choosing favorites when it comes to music is incredibly difficult for me, since I appreciate and love different artists for different reasons and will listen to different music depending on my mood, but when I look at a songwriter’s complete body of music, few lyricists come close to ELLIOTT SMITH.
What are your ten favourite albums of all time? Name a standout track on each of these albums.
Forever War by KICKBACK – Forever War
Everything You’ve Ever Wanted to Know About Silence by GLASSJAW –When One Eight Becomes Two Zeros
White Pony by DEFTONES – Change (In The House of Flies)
Either/Or by ELLIOTT SMITH – Between The Bars
Disintegration by THE CURE – Pictures of You
The Power of Failing by MINERAL – Tie Between Parking Lot and Gloria
Of Malice and the Magnum Heart by MISERY SIGNALS – The Year Summer Ended In June
Bleed American by JIMMY EAT WORLD – A Praise Chorus (or if I want to cry Hear You Me)
I typically only listen to the first half of this record but those songs are so good it makes the list
Satisfaction is the Death of Desire by HATEBREED
I could honestly put any track on this record as the standout, but Betrayed By Life is untouchable
After Laughter by PARAMORE – Fake Happy
What were you listening to in elementary school? Then in high school? How much of that music is still a part of your playlists today? How have your musical tastes evolved since?
In elementary school, mainly because of my Mom, I was listening to THE CURE, THE CLASH, GREEN DAY, and BLACK FLAG. Middle school through high school I found a lot of metalcore and hardcore from a local venue in Delaware and from downloading mixes and comps from Pirate Bay (which makes me feel old, as I’m sure some people reading this won’t know what that is). My favorite bands in middle school were DEFTONES, THE BLED, CONVERGE, and UNDEROATH. I continue to listen to several of those bands regularly, and for the ones I no longer listen to, I still feel a nostalgic attachment to certain records.
What beloved music do you share with your parents? Any specifics memories?
My Mom used to be a punk DJ in college, and I can remember growing up riding around in her Jeep listening to her favorite British punk bands with a few DC bands sprinkled in as well. She really opened the door to heavier music for me, even though I honestly don’t care for most punk music and she’s not a fan of most hardcore, that was the stepping stone from the radio rock the rest of my family listened to into the world of hardcore. Even without bonding over favorite bands aside from THE CURE, it was cool to have a parent that supported my interest in heavy music at such a young age.
Is there any band that you’ve always wanted to see live but never had the chance to catch them? Any classic show that you wish you could have experienced?
I’ve always wanted to see MISERY SIGNALS, and I’m still kicking myself for not seeing them in New York on their anniversary tour. Of Malice and the Magnum Heart was one of my favorite records through high school and still continues to mean a lot to me. The reason The Year Summer Ended in June didn’t make my perfect songs list, is because I can’t listen to that song without feeling a huge wave of sadness wash over me. Which I guess makes it perfect in its own right, but definitely not a song I can listen to on repeat. As far as classic shows, it would’ve been crazy to see the old H8000 bands in their prime, and I would’ve loved to have seen Hardcore Pridefest in Osaka.
What is the most impressive band you’ve toured with? The one that you just had to watch every night? Did you learn anything from them/by watching them?
We’ve been really fortunate as a band to be able to tour with some of the most talented people in hardcore right now, and I personally learn something from every band that we’re around in some way or another. We’ve toured with TERROR twice, which is still crazy to wrap my head around, since they’re one of the main bands that got me into hardcore. The biggest thing I’ve learned from them, especially compared to other bands that have been around for as long, is that if you are down to earth and don’t have your head up your own ass, you can still put out the best records in hardcore over a decade into your catalogue. They’re really great people.
Touring with KNOCKED LOOSE was also incredible; they were definitely a band I watched every night. Their audience is always captivated and engaged and they bring the same energy to a 100 cap venue as a sold out 1500 cap, which was really brilliant to see.
Do you have an artist that you love in a genre that you don’t usually listen to? What makes them stand out?
I actually love classical music, but tend to listen to it infrequently. My favorite classical artist is JOE HISAISHI, who is most notably recognized for his work on scores for Studio Ghibli. One Summer Day from Spirited Away could be added to the perfect song list from the start of this interview.
What albums have been on heavy rotation lately?
Errorzone by VEIN
Don’t Smile at Me by BILLIE EILISH
Beside Myself by BASEMENT
The first singles off of Death Rattle by KING NINE
Sweetener by ARIANA GRANDE
XO by ELLIOTT SMITH
Hope You Die By Overdose by ARKANGEL
Total Retaliation by TERROR
Night Time, My Time by SKY FERREIRA
What are some up and coming artists that you would recommend?
SANCTION, INCLINATION, MH CHAOS, NEVER ENDING GAME, REVOLVE, FOREIGN HANDS, NO OPTION
What are you listening to right now, while answering these questions?
COLD AS LIFE
Final thoughts?
Year of the Knife is currently working on a big physical release that I can’t reveal too much about at this point, but we’re all really excited about it and hope the people that have enjoyed and supported our music will love as well.
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