Aidan Knight

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For my first interview, I am very pleased to receive Aidan Knight, a talented singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist based in Victoria BC (CA).
Aidan Knight already released four EPs, ‘First Takes’, ‘Hi There’, ‘Awktober’ and ‘Friendly Fires’, plus a full-length called ‘Versicolour’.
If you haven’t heard his music yet, I suggest you go straight to his bandcamp. His haunting and beautiful songs will be on constant rotation on your player. One more thing to know about Aidan is that he looooooves his cat Zucchini.

Which ice cream flavor(s) do you like the most?

Truth be told, I’m not an ice cream kind of guy. My favourite flavour is Pink Grapefruit Gelato. That feels manly to say out loud.

What is your last or upcoming project about?

Friendly Fires is only two songs, but they are both about pretty opposite things, lyrically and musically. Side A is about childhood friends who drift apart as their lives take different paths, and some memories of pizza parties with a close group of 3 or 4 families. We would put on dorky little plays for our parents and everyone would make their own pizza.
Side B is about alcoholism and faith and feels much more like a television movie. Pretty heavy, I guess? I like the balance of the two.

How do you make music? Any specific workflow or methods?

I love feeling inspired and interested and creative, so if I’m not in that mindset.. generally the results are pretty middling. In the sense that I’m always wanting to challenge myself, I like to try to write differently: From different narrative perspectives, starting with verses, starting with choruses. The technical side is always changing, but I always want to write music that I care about.

How do you make a living?

Not through music yet. I work for myself at home under the guise of “Interface Designer” or sometimes, simply “Graphic Designer” depending on the project. I’m pretty open to opportunities though.

How do you feel about people sharing your music?

Humbled. I completely support open copyright and music sharing.

Who was your musical hero[in]s when you were a kid?

I mostly idolized sports figures, but I listened to my parents music when I grew up: Penguin Cafe Orchestra, The Beatles, Counting Crows, Thelonious Monk, Tori Amos, Robin Nolan Trio, Steve Forbert, Supertramp, and tonnes more.
My parents owned a second hand store in Chinatown and I grew up with music playing all day, just quietly in the background during the daytime, but we’d dance a lot when we closed the shop at night.

What musical genre do you love but would never make yourself?

I would love to make every kind of music, but I probably won’t ever play Rocksteady/Reggae/Ska. I love Desmond Dekker, but I just don’t gravitate towards that kind of recording or writing.
Who knows though? I’d love to get into making Hip Hop beats, Olivier’s been pushing J Dilla on me and I definitely don’t hate it.

Which artists are you following at the moment?

My friends. I follow Said The Whale and We Are The City because we’re best friends and really care about what each other is up to.
Outside that? I really love Deerhoof and would love to see them live this year. I am excited about Dawes and Why? right now, but also loving Land Of Talk and Bahamas just as much.
I don’t really get deep into too many bands every year, I’m a luddite when it comes to discovering new things. It takes me a long time to find out about new music. I do follow along on CBC Radio 3. That helps!

download track Knitting Something Nice For You (Live on Southern Souls)

*Knitting Something Nice For You*

I push the needle through
Knitting something nice for you
And I guess I always should
Measure twice with eyes and wood

I push the needle through
In hopes of finding something beautiful
Felt the lines go through the wool
Felt them give and push and pull

Money, money absolute
How can you run with nothing new?
All you got was knitted goods
All you got was knitted goods

download track Land’s End

*Land’s End*

I have felt unuseful
Or morbidly awake
Snacking on the ends of youth
Biting into something new
Chewed the fat
And kept an eye on you

The stillness that we left behind
The stillness when I saw your eyes
I’m not sure just how I feel
The lyric gets too personal
The lyric is autobiographical
A definite time

For the time
For the time being
I am honestly
Smiling now
Hearing what you’re singing
In earnesty

At Lands End
I know you felt the distance
But planned ahead
For these tearful kisses

At Lands End
Through the cedar clearing
You drove instead
Of offering your feelings