KNOX “Here”

Boston/New York based brother-and-sister duo, Nic & Eliza Coolidge, are KNOX, an electro-acoustic project with Eliza on lead vocals/synth and Nic on guitar/production. ‘We agree that “electro-acoustic” isn’t much of a genre tag, more of a gargantuan umbrella. We live in a truly unique time in that we can access the past, far and obscure through the click of a mouse. We are inspired by so much, from the consequential sound events of walking down the street to 20th century innovators to vintage pop to 80s industrial underground to what are friends are playing. We try to absorb as much as we can and emit what feels natural.’

Nic & Eliza grew up in a small apple town in central Massachusetts and both studied music in NYC, they stayed on living in Brooklyn thereafter, forming KNOX as they both finished their college education in New York. ‘Brooklyn is a creative frontier. There is an inimitable freedom here, being able to throw a show in a friend’s basement and have 70 people show up after just one Facebook blast. Your listeners are more than an audience; they’re your community supporting you because they love you and the music you stand for.’

Coming from a creative background the band and its image is fully stylised by themselves with a little help from their photographer father Jeff Coolidge. Their sound is placed in the post dubstep category and is a welcome alternative to the current abrasive electronic music coming out of the states. ‘Our interests and sounds span both the electronic and acoustic worlds. We have an affinity for melody and affection for abnormality.’

‘We tend to have a lot of layers in our music, things that can’t necessarily be “played” in the conventional sense, say on a guitar or drums. For many audience members the sight of electronic devices or a laptop is estranging. We use many midi devices and triggers in our live performances so we try to also include acoustic elements whether it is a mandolin, vocal harmonies, kazoo, percussion or PVC piping that we picked up from home depot! The aural and visual are so inextricably linked. In many ways we try to mimic the moment of composition, that utterly private and devoted moment. That’s what we aim to invoke in our live audiences.’

KNOX have been playing small New York clubs for the past year and are currently writing and recording in the suburbs of Boston. Their debut EP is signed to Sasha’s record label Last Night on Earth and the duo will feature on the forthcoming Neue Romantik compilation on Berlin based imprint Bpitch Control(founder Ellen Allien) alongside Apparat, Maya Jane Coles and Dillon. 

2013 will be an exciting year for KNOX with Eliza joining forces with selective creative’s at the Red Bull Music Academy in New York in April.

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