An Evening With Knives
"We always want to tell a Story"
The new An Evening With Knives album "FNR Sessions" is a very special one: the band recorded it in their hometown of Eindhoven—in a place of music, community, and gathering. The result is a wonderful, energetic interplay of complex song structures full of feeling, drive, and moments of magic.
To celebrate its release, I had a long phone call with songwriter, singer, guitarist, and band founder Marco Gelissen. I interviewed him about the record, the creative process around it and the band's development. Not only did I learn a lot about the planned An Evening With Knives tour—Marco also shared some big top-secret band news with me!
Anne: Hi Marco! Thanks for taking the time for this interview! It's good to talk to you!
Marco: It's good to talk to you, too!
Anne: Congrats on your new live album, "FNR Sessions"! You must be pretty satisfied with the outcome of your work, are you? It's wonderful!
Marco: Thanks for the compliments! We're actually quite happy with it! In my opinion, the live videos especially look so great! We played a pretty nice show—it was mind-blowing, to be honest—for a band of our size and level! So, we are beyond happy to see how it turned out and how good the quality is.
Anne: Can you tell me about the process of recording it?
"We recorded the album at the Effenaar in Eindhoven"
Marco: There is this main concert venue here in Eindhoven called Effenaar. They offered the option to select a few artists for a project to make video events. Luckily, we were one of the selected projects. They provided their small hall plus a video and a sound team, and we were able to record an entire concert. They recorded us with several cameras from all angles and picked up every sound detail. That was a great experience for us!
Anne: Can you share any details about the upcoming tour in support of your live album? It starts with your release show in your hometown Eindhoven, does it? I'm sure you have many fans there, do you?
Marco: Yes, Eindhoven is like our central hub with lots of friends. This combination makes it always fun to play!
We have posted a lot of shows on our website1. Actually, there are also a few shows in Germany to come. For example, at the Dietrich-Keuning-Haus in Dortmund, with Earthship and Scorched Oak on Saturday, February 4th, and May 12th with Weedpecker in Cologne. On October 7th, we will play in Bonn. We mainly played in the Netherlands and Belgium, but we are working on playing more shows in Germany.
Anne: Your music is quite versatile—no one can put it into any boxes, and I think that's what I like most about it. You can hear influences from all those styles I love so much, from Post-Whatever to doom and Sludge to Stoner. How would you describe it?
"We like many different music genres"
Marco: There really is no concrete answer to this question. With Jarno on the drums nowadays, we got more of a post-metal vibe, I guess. Also, there is a lot of stoner rock and even a little grunge here and there. And psychedelic rock. I think you can tick plenty of boxes (laughs).
Anne: Sounds great! So, would you say everything you love to listen to reflects in your music somehow? Who are your biggest influences when it comes to bands or artists?
Marco: I guess it's the same here. The three of us started up in the new metal/metal field one day. One of our mutual influences is Tool, for example. I currently listen to Slift and Lowrider. Weedpecker is actually one of my favourites. It's funny because Weedpecker is really guitar-orientated. When I look into my Spotify-Plays of the last year or so, I can see a lot of '70s projects like The Allman Brothers Band. When I saw Weedpecker live last year for the first time, I knew why I liked these guys so much: It's because a lot is coming from this corner. There's so much guitar sound! So yes, 70ies rock really is a significant influence for me.
Moreover, you might be surprised that I listen to funk a lot. I really like the Meters and all these bands. So, we like countless different bands and artists, which might be the reason our music turned out to be as it is—we can't just put it into one genre.
Anne: But that's quite an advantage, is it? I mean, you're not like all those other bands who always need to do the same thing all over again, and if they don't, their fans become grumpy.
Marco: Yea, it definitely is. But it can also be challenging. You have to find this really selected group of people who like this type of music. They need to relate to all the styles that our music radiates.
Anne: How do you feel about the band's evolution and growth over the years?
"It feels like a new era"
Marco: I think we made quite a step when Jarno joined us on drums. If you compare our music, you can hear a big difference in the vibe. We're playing the same songs, and the groove works better. You can also see it at our live shows. It feels like there is more emotion and response in the crowd nowadays.
We have these ten new demo songs or so, and if we listen to them, we always think it's a different era now. It's more energetic. We gained some tempo, I guess. Moreover, if you compare our recordings from back in the day with the new ones from our "FNR Sessions", it's kind of like we lifted them up.
Anne: Besides your music on the live album, are there any other big surprises you plan to share with your audience on your tour?
Marco: We play two new songs in our live shows! We haven't recorded them yet, but the response is good so far, so I think we will do it!
Anne: How do you and the band decide on the set list for your live shows?
Marco: It's a lot about the mood. If we feel like playing a song, we put it on the list. For example, we were so happy with the two new pieces because of the new drive, tempo, and spirit, so we decided to play them on stage.
Furthermore, we try to tell a story with a certain combination of songs. There needs to be some kind of thread people can follow. That puts them in the mood, and they enjoy the show. For example, when we go from uptempo to slow and from heavy to calm. Also, if we think a song doesn't fit in, we toss it. We also want to keep it interesting for ourselves and the audience! If you visit two or three shows in a row, they need to be different for you and us to enjoy. Many people come and see us play a lot of times, and we want them to have a good time!
Anne: Your lyrics are pretty emotional, and I am sure you put a lot of feelings in them when you wrote them down. How is it to present them live in front of an audience?
"Our lyrics are quite personal"
Marco: You're right. They're quite personal. For me, it's a possibility to process what is going on in my life. So if I have some sort of pain in my daily life, I sometimes feel the urge to pick a different song and tell a different story on stage. I like to feel what I am playing, and of course—like I said—depending on your mood, you choose what to play.
Anne: You said it's a lot of personal stuff that you process with your lyrics—do you want to tell me a bit more about the creative process behind writing your music?
Marco: A lot of our material comes from jamming. So, I come up with one riff, for example, and we start jamming and recording it. After that, I listen to the jam, pick up the best parts, and cut it into a song. I often come home after our rehearsal, listen to our recording, and in a way, the song is already there from our jam. I just need to cut it into pieces, switch the order, and add some new riffs. Then, in our next rehearsal, I show it to the guys, and if we like it, we keep working on it.
Anne: So, it's really what you call a creative process. When writing, you don't start with an overall concept or structure but with a blank page. How does this affect your recording process when you're ready to go to the studio?
Marco: When we go to the studio, our songs are quite well-prepared. Although our demos still sound different from the final recordings, it helps us see the big picture. We can hear where we need to add something or change a part.
That's why I wouldn't say I like to share new songs at an early stage. Once we put them on a record, there will always be a better version of them.
Anne: So, you have to find the right moment within this evolution to record it and put it out?
Marco: Exactly! I guess "Blackout" is the perfect example of that. It is on our "Fade Out" EP, and it is also on Spotify. If you listen to the EP-Version, and the new live version on "FNR Sessions", you can hear the difference. It's the same song with the same lyrics, but the groove and the tempo are entirely different. I like the EP version of "Blackout", but I love the live version of that song on the "FNR Sessions". If you compare them, you will notice that they are the same but still entirely different.
An Evening With Knives – "Blackout" EP version (2018) vs. "FNR Sessions" live version (2023)
Anne: You told me there is a special add-on for people who buy "FNR Sessions" on CD. Can you tell me more about it?
"We're already working on new songs"
Marco: Yes! They get a special code and have access to more than 80 photos of the recordings, all the "FNR Sessions" live videos, and free MP3/WAV downloads.
Anne: Besides your release and the upcoming tour: What are your future plans?
Marco: We're actually in the writing process now! We didn't plan any studio sessions so far, but it really feels like our sound is an evolution. Like I mentioned before, we already have about ten new songs—that makes almost two full-length albums. Maybe we are still waiting to find out what our version two of them will sound like, and then we will start recording! So, our future plans are writing, writing, writing, and as soon as we feel like it, we will head to the studio!
Anne: Cool! So, I am looking forward to new An Evening With Knives songs! Thanks for answering my questions! All the best for your tour!
Marco: It's been a pleasure!
An Evening With Knives released their eagerly awaited live album "Sense of Gravity" yesterday. You can find it on all streaming platforms!
An Evening With Knives - "Levitate" (FNR Sessions)
Read my review of "Sense of Gravity" by An Evening With Knives now.