I had the chance to chat with Jessica Kion and Ben Levin from the group Bent Knee as their 2016 tour stops include Madison’s Mickey’s Tavern on Saturday, September 10th. Bringing an array of musical worlds into one well behaved monster, Bent Knee is out in support of their debut release on Cuneiform Records, “Say So”. Per the band: “It’s rock for the thinking person. The group’s lyrics are dark and infused with themes focusing on the emergence of personal demons, unwanted situations and the difficulty of conquering them. Its mercurial sound matches its subject matter. It’s a thrilling aural roller-coaster ride with arrangements designed to make listeners throw their arms up in wild abandon as they engage with them.”
We discussed what the stage at Mickey’s will look like when they take it, introducing us to their members. This naturally led us into the album making process between this 2016 release and their 2014 album, “Shiny Eyed Babies”. Eating and sleeping IS IMPORTANT!!! How they balance working in the studio and working it out on the stage reveals an interesting insight into the make-up of this group, that speaks volumes to how true teams take an idea and see it through. We wrapped it up by relishing toGether over the facts behind what makes a record label, such as Cuneiform an integral part of the many moving pieces behind the faces we see on stage or hear on the album.
I am so thankful to the local venues here in Madison for bringing artists like this to our backyard.
