The Swedish Knightingales, an Americana Rock band, debuted at The Old Towne Pub in Pasadena in a speakeasy setting in March 2021 after forming in Los Angeles. Witewolf (Vox, Guitar) and Sean โYard Dogโ Smith, the bandโs founding members, started writing and producing music together, and their chemistry was immediately apparent. While playing with Sean and Witewolf in other bands, Kenny Lockwood (bass) was always present when new songs were being written and practiced.
They believe that Never See Her Again would perform well in all American markets, and when they performed in the Philippines, the audiences were incredibly warm. Check out the exclusive interview below:
1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how it all got started?
SWEDISH KNIGHTINGALES: My stage name is Witewolf which is my middle name and I grew up in Atwater Village, CA which is part of North East Los Angeles. The Swedish Knightingales is made up of 5 members: Me (Witewolf) on Vocals and Guitar, Sean โYard Dogโ Smith on Guitars, Kenny Lockwood on Bass, Gannon Wise on Keyboards, and Felipe Restrepo on Drums. Iโve known Yard Dog for about 20 years now. He was born and raised in San Dimas and was born on J4 in 84. He met me in 2002 when I was playing football at Mt. SAC. Around 2016 Yard Dog would bring music ideas to me and I would produce them. We really gelled together and didnโt argue about much. Kenny was playing in a lot of different bands with Sean and he was always available to show up and rehearse and tighten up song ideas. We initially started with a drummer/singer named Jeff Bacurin but he moved away from California to Tennessee. I knew Felipe through the film industry. I talked about music but it wasnโt until we participated in a jam session that we realized we wanted more. I showed him some songs and he was down to come take over on drums. Swedish Knightingales first official show was March 2021 at the Old Towne Pub. There were Covid restrictions in effect and the bar was having a feud with the bar next door so we had to do the show in a speakeasy vibe with no amps or microphones all acoustic. It was Yardog, Gannon on Djembe (because besides playing keyboards he also plays drums/percussion), and Me. The acoustic versions of the songs sounded really good and we booked another show at the Old Towne Pub but this time we did full band. We practiced and solidified the songs and from that point on we used the Old Towne Pub to test our music to new fans and see how our material hit. Itโs one of my favorite places to play.
2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?
SWEDISH KNIGHTINGALES: When I was 11 years old Kurt Cobain died. A friend of mine at school was a big fan and started bringing his guitar to school. I really looked up to him so I asked for a guitar and started taking lessons at Charles Music in Glendale from a guy named Tom Sarracino. Heโs was a wonderful teacher. After Tom I became friends with a USC music teacher named Tim Kobza. He would give me Jazz and Standard Notation to learn from his lessons. He was an all around mentor in my life and is a true family member. Felipe Restrepo studied drum technique and sound engineering at MI in Hollywood but he still doesnโt know what heโs doing (his words not mine). Yard Dog never had a single music lesson. He plays guitar in the same manner he has lived his life โ he grips it and rips it.ย Kenny is also self taught. They seem to be doing great.
3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name โSWEDISH KNIGHTINGALESโ?
SWEDISH KNIGHTINGALES: My influences came in waves. My parents made me fans of 80s rock/metal. My first concert I was 4 years old, it was maybe a day or two after my birthday and I saw Guns N Roses in Irvine back when the Irvine Meadows existed. I believe itโs gone and they have a new venue. The last two concerts I saw there was Alice in Chains (with Duvall) and Heaven and Hell Dio w Black Sabbath (not long before Dio died). I loved Jimi Hendrix, Randy Rhoades, Van Halen, Yngwie, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Van Halen, Eric Johnson, Marty Friedman (Megadeth in General from a songwriting standpoint). I really studied all these guys extensively. The name Swedish Knightingales was coined by Yard Dog and it was probably the biggest point of contention between Yard Dog and I. I really wanted to change it before the first show. But, being the music was more heavily Yard Dog inspired, and I didnโt really put any effort into coming up with a new new name so the band became โThe Swedish Knighitngalesโ and after the first show it really grew on me. Plus when we came up with the logo of the bird with the Knight helmet wearing chucks we felt that was really awesome. Yard Dog was introduced to classic rock at anย early age and haveย been veryย fond of it throughout his life. His all-time favorite bands are Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rolling Stones, Black Corwes, and Allman Bros and he lovesย the 90s, as well; prettyย much like all 90s rock. According to Yard Dog โAs far as the name โSwedish Knightingalesโย โ I was once hanging out at my grandmaโs house โ my grandma is awesome. I was hanging there and watching some tv, just flipping through some channels. Iย came across some random documentary and they were talking about a famous operaย from the 19th century. She was very famous at the time and she was from Sweden. Her name was Jenny Lind and she was referred to as the โSwedish Nightingaleโ. Iย thought that name sounded sick so I changed it to โKnightingaleโ to sound a tad bit more masculine. Iย ran the name by Witewolfย and he said โit sounds terrible, but fuck it.โโย Kenny Lockwood plays in numerous bands. Heโs currently in Edge of Paradise, Trendkill Revolution (Pantera Tribute Band), Relativity (cover band) and the list goes on. He plays so many different styles from 60s-now, heavy metal, classic rock, pop, etc. Felipe has a very diverse background. He is into the classic drummers like Phil Collins and Neil Peart, as well as progressive players like Mike Portnoy. He has studied all styles from Latin to Jazz. His parents were big music fans as well as musicians. His brother, Daniel, who has been working with us doing background vocals and filmed us recording our music. Felipe and his brother were exposed to traditional latin music in Colombia so that is engrained in their DNA.
4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
SWEDISH KNIGHTINGALES: Itโs definitely very Americana. I would say the band is very much Yard Dog ideas and we all insert our parts in. Heโs done a very good job crafting his chord progressions and signature riffs that make the songs identifiable and catchy. Everyone in the band seems to be very different in their own right, as well. We have many influences and each of us kinda has adopted their own style. Something that resonates with our listeners is that they are able to pinpoint our influences whether it be 90โs influence (rhythmic, melodic) or whether it tells a story we think has meaning or weight (enough that we felt like making a song out of it). Our audience relates to what weโre talking about. I feel we all know a train wreck who canโt get it together. We know someone shady that you have fun with but donโt fully trust. Weโve all made poor decisions we can (hopefully) laugh at when we look at our younger selves. Weโve all played in enough bands and dealt with enough bandmates and it seems like weโre all on the same page with this group. We discuss things and itโs all been very civil. Felipe and Kenny work their rhythm parts out and it all blends very well with everything. Yard Dog has his part down and I complement his playing or do harmonies with my singing or his riffs, we write the vocal melodies to make them feel natural and flow with everything. According to Yard Dog: โItโs difficult to answer the first part of this question. I feel music impacts everyone differently. Iโd like people to hear our music and find something positive in it. I take a lot of pride in the music we create as a band. Iโm always super stoked when I come up with a cool idea for a song or we record something thatโs epic. I really just want our listeners to be super stoked when they hear the Swedish Knightingales.ย As far as describing our sound, to me, it is just us. I donโt try to emulate anyone specifically. Of course, we all have our influences. But to me, our sound is the Swedish Knightingales.โ
5. What has been the most difficult thing youโve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
SWEDISH KNIGHTINGALES:
The hardest part of following a dream is trying to take care of everyday business. Making sure I get to my regular job on time, doing my chores, etc. and then finding the time to create quality content. Managing social media (properly) is a full time job. You have to constantly engage to receive views. Marketing seems to be the most important part when my favorite part is creating and playing the music. So business side of music is especially tedious. If you have the privilege/luxury to have any free time and a dream hurry up. Work on your skills and create content because the older you get your schedule gets filled up. Take advantage of all free time and do it now. Recognize your weaknesses and attack them.
6. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
SWEDISH KNIGHTINGALES: What Iโm proud of is that I feel we know our sound and we know the direction we want to go in. I believe that is important for any success. I have been proud to be able to record/engineer within our peers, work with amazing musicians, play great events and venues, and meet great people along the way. Iโm proud to be able to create something that could potentially be content in this world that might last โforever.โ It seems to be inherent in humanity to desire to leave a legacy for future generations.
7. Do you think is it important for fans of your music to understand the real story and message driving each of your songs, or do you think everyone should be free to interpret your songs in their own personal way?
SWEDISH KNIGHTINGALES: Sometimes. We write a lot of music that is based off of true stories and we do this as an homage to Irish story telling songs which is also the foundation to country music. The Irish do an amazing job of passing stories down and embellishing things in a quirky way while keeping information and their history intact. There are certain elements of the story we would love for our fans to understand but there is a lot we leave open to interpretation because we believe that psychologically people tend to take ownership of songs and bands and they do so through that interpretation. Itโs an aspect of art and is par for the course. We donโt give all the information in these stories because if we did it wouldnโt allow people to use their imagination.
8. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as Americana?
SWEDISH KNIGHTINGALES: I was introduced to new music from my mom as well as my friends at school. I would hear something new, there would be amazing sounds in it and elements and I would become obsessed with emulating the tones and effects (whether they be pedal based or practical like feedback). One problem for me was that I didnโt have money but I just worked with what I had which can actually work in your favor and itโs where I learned that tone is very much in the fingers. The way you play (emulate) can be achieved with many set ups. It was something I enjoyed and kept me busy. The sound of Swedish Knightingales very much comes from Yard Dog. He gravitates towards bluegrass and 70โs/90โs rock. When I produce the track it takes its shape pulling from all of our influences and sounds weโve heard that might take the song away slightly from its main genre. There are rules and sometimes those rules make things boring. As long as the idea doesnโt pull you out of the experience of the song then Iโm not afraid to try something a little different to make things interesting. According to Yard Dog: โWe donโt emulate anyone. Again, we all have our influences.โ Simple and to the point
9. With social media having a heavy impact on our lives and the music business in general, how do you handle criticism, haters, and/or naysayers in general? Is it something you pay attention to, or simply ignore?
SWEDISH KNIGHTINGALES: You canโt please everyone. The moment you can understand that is the moment you will feel the most valuable freedom. Everyone is different and people hate things for very dumb reasons. We had someone go off the rails on us because of a photo posted where some of our fans were giving me the middle finger. In person it was actually a moment of endearment and I also thought the picture was funny because me and Yard Dog had some really silly mustaches at the time. We donโt take ourselves too seriously but this one fan started going on all of our pictures and just trying to obliterate us and the first thing that went through my mind was that this guy was so triggered by that picture he was willing to spend time trashing us. What in this world could I possibly say or type that would bring anything good. Iโm not going to engage in that. When I was in Italy I visited an amazing church called โThe Duomoโ in Milan Italy. It took over 1000 years to build and theyโre alway working on it. It would only take a day to destroy it. It takes a lot more effort to try to create something, work out the problems, streamline, distribute, and create a brand and image for yourself and it takes very little brain power to destroy that. I choose to work for whatever good I can than sit around and worry about some guy that obviously isnโt in our demographic.
10. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?
SWEDISH KNIGHTINGALES: Just because of schedules the main process begins with Yard Dog. He comes up with a song idea. Most of the time he will have the full lyrics. A lot of the time the song will start as an iPhone Voice Note where the beginning will have a comical quip or body function and will then be followed by a rough version of a future masterpiece. He comes to the studio and lays the idea down and Iโll tighten the song up. Iโll shorten the intro and maybe introduce a signature lick for the song to make it memorable. Weโll tighten up lyrics to make them fit and feel natural and maybe poeticize them to make them more interesting. After we have a demo weโll have a rehearsal and Kenny and Felipe will work the rhythm section out and then we see if any of the parts fight each other (either rhythmically or sonically). We generally try to make sure that everything blends well. The next step is playing a show live and actually seeing how an audience of strangers reacts. We donโt care what our friends think itโs just not an accurate representation. The best test is someone you donโt know. Your customers will become your friend before your friends become customers so our goal is to organically gain fans with our releases. The music is on all streaming platforms and there are a few sneaky free places to hear them but the best way to support us is to put us on your playlists and let us be in your bbq/sitting in traffic/driving in a road trip rotation.
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Photo credits: Sergio Avalos