Formula Indie Sessions _ Interview with Whispering Knees

Photo made by Codie Croasdale

What is your earliest memory connected to music?

My parents introduced me to bands like AC/DC, The Cure and The Cult at a very young age, which got me hooked on guitar-based music from the start.

How did your passion for creating music begin?

My passion for creating music grew directly from my love of listening to it. Around age seven, I started learning guitar and drums by playing along to Nirvana, Green Day and Smashing Pumpkins. That naturally evolved into writing my own songs.

What’s the story behind your current music project?

My current project is a solo venture called Kyori. After my last band, Adjuster, broke up in 2021, I suddenly found myself without a creative outlet. It was also during the pandemic, so live performance wasn’t an option. I decided to teach myself how to record properly and ended up making a 14-track album entirely on my own, which was released in 2023. I’m now working on the follow-up, which I’m hoping to release in 2026.

How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?

It’s a melting pot of genres. My foundations are indie, grunge and alternative rock, but as a teenager I discovered progressive rock, post-rock and post-hardcore. All of that seeps into what I write. I often describe it as “experimental punk” or “progressive indie rock.”

What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?

Learning how to navigate a recording studio and properly use Ableton completely changed my process. Also, working as a music tutor introduced me more deeply to notation and music theory, which has had a big impact on my songwriting.

What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?

Everything starts on guitar. Then I program drums in Ableton, record bass, and layer the guitar parts. My setup is simple — a two-channel interface and one mic — but it delivers great results.

Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?

I’ve been really into heavier shoegaze bands like Just Mustard, October Drift and Teenage Wrist recently. I also discovered a great band called Jools the other day.

How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?

I try to reflect personal experiences and perspectives in both my lyrics and music. In 2021, I published a book of poems and lyrics titled Hard, Salty Climb, which captures where I was emotionally and creatively throughout my 20s and 30s.

What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?

I hope my music evokes a wide spectrum of emotions. I try to channel as many as I can into what I create. Of course, it’s all subjective — what feels joyful to one person might feel angry to another — and I like that openness.

What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?

That music is an expressive language that can reach far beyond words — especially if you’re a slightly repressed British person like myself 🙂

What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?

Reading Festival or Glastonbury would be incredible. That said, there are some amazing smaller festivals too — ArcTanGent in Bristol would be a perfect fit.

If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?

My two favourite bands of all time are Nirvana and Cardiacs. Collaborating with either would be a dream. Sadly, both Kurt Cobain and Tim Smith — the main creative forces behind those bands — have passed away, so it’s not meant to be.

Where can listeners follow and support your music?

All my music, past and present, is available on streaming platforms. I’ve compiled everything into a Spotify playlist — just search for the profile “Mudhut316” and click on the playlist titled “2002 – ∞.”

Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?

I’m slowly writing the second Kyori album, and I’m also trying to convince the other members of Whispering Knees to reunite for a one-off show the next time I’m back in the UK. Since I’m now living in Australia and only recently visited, it may be a few years — but fingers crossed.

What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?

I’m happiest when my music resonates with someone and connects with their life in some way. Even if it only reaches one person and makes a difference to them, I consider that a success.

Representative track:
Kyori – Elbows