THE KNOW (USA): A mesmerizing new Lo-fi Dream Pop feel
THE KNOW is a new alternative band based in Los Angeles. The line-up is Husband and wife Jennifer Farmer and Daniel Knowles. You may know Daniel as a former member of Amusement Park On Fire (see our article).
Their music is a beauty of dream pop, sparkled with catchy melodies and clever sound.
Their music work to date is:
2019: 143, single
2020: Hold me like you know me, single (with a superb Music Video)
They are working on their first album and we can not as the first 2 singles are amazing. Discover the band and their music in this interview full of photos and music links to enter their musical realm.
Who are the group members?
JENNIFER: We are a husband and wife duo, Daniel Knowles and Jennifer Farmer. Dan does all of the recording, production, mixing/mastering and plays everything on the recordings. I sing and write lyrics.
How did you meet?
JENNIFER: We actually met when Dan’s old band, Amusement Parks on Fire was recording “Road Eyes” in Los Angeles. We had a lot of mutual friends and my friend Dave, who was in Film School at the time and now in a band called Nightmare Air, introduced me to APOF! Dan had broken his arm during the recording process and I had recently quit my job so we ended up having quite a bit of time for each other it turns out!
How did you come up with your name?
JENNIFER: I came up with it, Dan says he doesn’t remember this being the case but It’s just our last name “Knowles” minus the “LES.” I wanted it to just be KNOW and not “THE Know” but there was someone else using that at the time. We considered changing it last minute because it’s a very un-google-able and generic band name, but we couldn’t come up with anything else and I couldn’t bear to spell it “The Knovv” so we just kept it. If you want to find us, the best way is to google “wearetheknow” :) Probably would have been better off calling it "Japanese Beach Wavves"
What is your music about?
JENNIFER: A lot of our songs are personal. Stories about our relationship or our lives. There are a lot of specific details in the lyrics that are meaningful to us. For instance, in "143" the line "Emmy's broke but Gram's in town" - Emmy and Gram are our dogs (named after Emmylou Harris and Gram Parsons.)
What are your goals as an artist artistically/commercially?
JENNIFER: Obviously, it would be great to do this as a full-time career but we are nowhere near that point yet. I’d love to just really hone in on my vocal and songwriting skills and enjoy the process. Telling stories through lyrics and visuals are really important to me. Maybe David Lynch having us on Twin Peaks?!
What are you trying to avoid as a band?
JENNIFER: Boring Ourselves
Why do you make the music you make? Is it in you? Is it your environment?
JENNIFER: I’m pretty private about my personal life so it’s therapeutic to let some of that inner monologue out. I happen to have an amazing collaborator & husband by my side that makes it fun and easy.
What inspire you for the music or for the Lyrics?
JENNIFER: PERSONAL LIFE EXPERIENCES, CRATE DIGGING.
Tell us what you are looking when trying to achieve your sounds. Do you experiment a lot or have a clear idea of what you want?
DAN: A little of both, I know what I like and don't like, I certainly appreciate sounds that register as something a little out there to me. It generally starts with experimenting. I've had people comment about the keyboard sounds on 143 to me which is funny because 90% of the sounds on that song are guitars that have been heavily processed.
In general I just chain together and (mis)use effects or recording techniques until I hear something that interests me, once I do that becomes a part of the "sound" of the song. The way I have to play the guitar is also often informed by the sound itself and once I have one thing in place that interests me the rest tends to follow fairly logically. I used to layer a lot more sounds together to get a kind of smudged nondescript dense wall but these days I'm favoring finding just a few sounds that interest me, letting them lead the way and keeping the layering to a minimum.
Explain your songwriting process.
DAN: There's been no one way, we just start somewhere and keep working until, for better or worse, it seems like we're done. The starting point is usually a chord change or sound I find interesting or a few lines and basic melody line Jennifer has sketched out. We then record pieces of it, see what we have and get on with it. If all else fails turn to Bran Eno's oblique strategies cards
Describe your palette of sound.
DAN: Guitars that sound like keyboards, keyboards that sound like guitars, open tunings, lots of effects chaining, reverb and distortion both play a part obviously, tuning and timing errors are welcome, I own some beaten up toms and a crappy snare so we usually play basic beats with them then heavily process them for a kind of Moe Tucker in the 80's sound! In general I like messy sounds, nothing too carved out and cleanly placed, things that overlap and smudge, contrasts between Hi Fi and Lo Fi etc
Who would you want as a dream producer, and why?
JENNIFER: Already have mine and he’s in the band!!
DAN: David Lynch or Tom Waits
What musical skills would you like to acquire or get better at?
JENNIFER: I actually CANNOT for the life of me play the tambourine. It makes NO sense to me so I’d like to learn how to do that.
DAN: I'm always impressed by a good Marimbist
Which other musician/artist would you date?
JENNIFER: The guy in my band who is the dreamiest and most talented of them all! :)
Is there a band that if they didn’t exist you wouldn’t be making the music you make?
JENNIFER: Giant Drag. I think I mostly learned to sing by listening to Hearts & Unicorns on repeat for like 2 years. Annie later became a good friend and is the one who encouraged me to start singing for real.
If you could guest on someone else’s album, who would it be and why? What would you play?
JENNIFER: We love The National and they have a lot of female singers they collaborate with so that'd be kind of cool! It'd be cool to do something with Jesus & Mary Chain too. Giant Drag opened for them once and Annie got to sing Just Like Honey with them!
DAN: David Lynch or Tom Waits. I'd play whatever they told me to.
You are from US/UK what are the advantages and inconvenient?
JENNIFER: We’re based in LA and Dan is from the UK. I think there are definitely more advantages than disadvantages to being in a major music city. The music industry is pretty much based in LA.
What are some places around the world that you hope to play with your band?
JENNIFER : It would be cool to play in my hometown, in Houston Texas since all of my family is there. Also, would love to tour Europe - they have some of the best festivals. I’d love to go back to Tokyo some day too.
When is the next album/EP due?
JENNIFER: We don’t have an exact date yet but SOON! March/April.
Some artists you recommend.
JENNIFER: Cults have a new record coming out and I’m really excited, huge fan of theirs! Also, been into Agnes Obel lately who has a record out soon. New FKA Twigs is great. Someone recently sent me Orville Peck and said he sounded like us with Roy Orbison on vocals. Fairly accurate and I dig it.
Anything else you want your fans to know?
We have a limited edition vinyl pre-sale our EP up on our website: www.wearetheknow.com and will have a limited edition CD available through Shoredive Records soon!
MORE ON THE BAND
You can listen to them there:
Their social media:
