Interview with Devin McKnight on Creating His New Anthemic Album
s. Alex is really great at mixing and engineering. PT: The production on this record is just phenomenal. I remember hearing the first few seconds and thinking, oh, this sounds great.DM: Alex is a genius. And he also happens to be a great dude. The first time going down to Asheville, I stayed in the basement bedroom, and there were all these raw photos from their (“they” anymore) beginning. You could just feel the rock and roll emanating out of the room that I was in. And it felt cool to be a part of that. PT: It sounds like it. And how do you feel about the reaction to the album so far?DM: I guess it’s a little weird not being able to go on tour yet, I guess. I mean, we played a couple of shows in the meantime, but it feels a little strange…PT: To have this release that you can’t yet fully celebrate because of the lack of touring options?DM: We’ve been talking about planning a tour, but it’s hard to plan because who knows what’s gonna happen? Just a little bit of fear, paranoia. But in terms of the actual record, everybody I’m close with who has listened to it has been like, oh, damn, this is great. So that’s been nice!PT: The album is so anthemic. I mean, “shallowing” is such a great opener. How do you choose what tracks to put out there first?DM: I guess whoever thinks about it first? I just told Top Shelf, here’s the record, here are the songs I think should go out first, and Tom was like, yeah, cool. “Shallowing” is one of my favorite songs, I think it makes perfect sense, a nice solid opener for the record. PT: It definitely sets the tone. I also really like “gone again.” It’s just so intense and urgent, and the lyrics feel really raw.DM: Thanks. That song was powerful to me. That was the first one Alex and I recorded. And in the drum break, I scream. Not a good scream! I was like, I’ve got a thought I want to express. I could see a version of myself in the studio then when I was performing it, which is not something I’m used to experiencing. In terms of the lyrics, it’s weird that people think I’m a good lyricist. I would say that I’m probably the worst songwriter out of all of my friends that are songwriters. But I try my best, and some songs come through and those are the ones that make it onto the album. PT: That’s interesting. Do you feel like songwriting is a strength for you?DM: It’s become a strength in the past few years, yes. We’ve all been artists for, like, half our lives I guess, and I’m just now starting to feel a little more confident with it. I think progress in art sometimes goes slow, and then it’s really quick, and sometimes you’re rewriting the same song over and over again without even realizing it. The only way around it is to constantly be striving to make progress. PT: That’s deep.DM: I find that if you’re just checking in with yourself, feeling things spiritually, mentally, I think you’re going to write some cool songs. PT: The album is called bathes and listens. What’s the significance of that title?DM: I think you have to let the listener interpret what it means to them. It’s just a title, a lot of people put too much thought into them, but I really like simple titles. I didn’t want to have five-word titles that’s easy to forget. But “bathes and listens” sticks out a little PT: It does! And have you been feeling hopeful about the future?DM: Yeah, I mean, despite what’s going on, I am an optimist by nature. I try to think about compassion, empathy, and how those things can shape the future. We need kindness and empathy. We need to help others creatively. That’s the path forward. PT: I like that. It’s a good note to end on. Thanks for chatting with me.DM: Thank you! Have a great day!
Post-Trash would like to thank Devin McKnight for taking the time to chat. Check out maneka.bandcamp.com to buy or stream bathes and listens now.