Knotfal

Hard Rockin’ and Sweet Talkin’
Written by Gerry Ulicny / January 2010

When you hear Knotfal play, it’s like peering into a man’s soul. They have a way with music and words that can really ‘hit home.’ And that’s just where Knotfal is going to hit you. What this band does is take the roots of hard rock and expose the fact that you could just as easily call it the music of hard knocks.

R-L: Sam (guitars), Dan (drums), Marty (lead vocals), Joe (bass, backup vocals) & Mark (guitars, backup vocals).

You can feel the pulse of the music with this band. Heavy groove, pulsing rhythm, and engaging lyrics make each song a hard rock story. The fact that their songs are born of personal experiences makes them even more real. Those stories could come straight from your own memory. The soulful and touching song, “Fathers Cry,” for example, is a plea from a
non-custodial father for time with his children. There are several versions of the song, but each is so raw and poignant that no one could help but to grasp the point, which is the pain of being separated from them. Another touching song, “Coming Home” became what band members say was their first “big” song. “Coming Home” is so precisely the thoughts of a soldier coming home after a tour. Several band members are veterans. The way the lyrics are set to the music is so amazing, haunting, almost, that you just do, as the band says, ‘feel it.’

“They are very personal songs,” says guitarist Mark. “We are saying what we have to say without explaining it or getting involved in the politics of the situation. It’s just about the reality of the situation.” These guys are really putting themselves out there. They even bill their album, This Thing as an “EP with music for the troops, fathers and to those that have relationship problems.” The album, released earlier this year, is available at shows and on the web.

Though they admittedly started out as a covers band, this band has always produced original music. It’s just been part of the plan to get people jamming first and THEN to get them jamming to their original stuff. “Well a lot of bands have to start that way, by giving them (the audience) what they are wanting and then hitting them with what they didn’t even know they wanted, sneak in your originals and then blow them away.” From a covers band to an opening band, to albums and radio play, through many years and many changes in composition, the band believes they have finally reached the combination that will keep.

They will also be keeping the name, which has gone through a few spelling changes, as it is now. So, what’s with the name, anyway? Knotfal sounds like it could be German, but there’s no exact translation. Band members each have their own thoughts on the matter, Mark says. “What the Knotfal name means to me is like the music and family (connection) is a tree and the knots are where something has fallen away but it leaves a scar. But now, the band says, “there will be no more ‘knot falls’ for a while.” Michael Stewart Martin (lead vocals), Mark William Perry (guitars, back up vocals), Daniel Grabski (drums), Joseph Andrews (bass, back up vocals), and Samuel Grim (guitars) are a solid team. They sound, act, and even look like they go together. They also have something they believe is almost as important as their musical vibe: a similar sense of humor and tragedy. A fine example of this is the new album cover, seen at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/Knotfal.

Though they certainly have their own groove, there have obviously been a lot of influences at play in the formation of the Knotfal style. Each band member has his own history but one thing they have in common is that they have all had a steady diet of great music for many years. From Chuck Berry to Chris Daltry, the band credits everyone who ever wrote a great song with inspiration. But when pressed, they will confess to several bands they have mentioned, studied, or even sometimes covered repeatedly. Breaking Benjamin has to be the most-mentioned inspiration for the much-interviewed band. They are cited mainly because they too, have their roots in Pennsylvania and the Harrisburg-area music scene. All of the members are either Pennsylvania natives or long-term transplants and they have definitely shared the stage with some of Pennsylvania’s best! Others artists who get top billing in Knotfal member’s minds and whose songs often appear in their repertoire, include local favorite Emily’s Toolbox. They have also opened for Blind Melon, FLAW, Halestorm, Jealousy Curve, Pop Evil, Trust Company, Vs. The Earth, Saving Jane, and Kate Voegele and more. Naturally, Knotfal has plenty of ‘props’ to offer these bands as well. From their start as a basement band, these guys have worked hard to get themselves noticed.

Entering contests (and winning them), putting the songs online, getting the album out to the radio stations and even some local TV, has just come naturally – all a matter of enjoyment and excitement for these band members. And as times have changed, Knotfal has stepped it up to include all of the more modern ways to get their music heard. They have pages on Myspace, ReverbNation, Facebook, You Tube, and more. They sell their self-produced album through a myriad of web sites and stores like www.getacd.com and www.CDBaby.com They are on Tunecrypt. Well, you get it: if you’d like to see more you can just “google” them. (The “official” Knotfal website is: http://www.wix.com/Knotfal/knotfalweb)

Bottom line, though, is that it’s all about the same thing. No matter where they have gone or how they have changed one thing has stayed the same… they want people to hear their music because they really feel like they have something to say and … they say it well!

　

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