The Rachel Harrington Interview (Part 3)

In the third (and concluding) part of our interview with Rachel Harrington and the Knock Outs, we discuss life with a band, small venues and future plans.

My very good friend Kevin Winter with Rachel and the Knock Outs

How is it for you to work with a bigger band than normal?

Oh, it’s horrible! No...I think it actually could be horrible. I’ve only heard nightmares about having bands, I have to say but every songwriter that I’ve talked to – confidentially – has said Don’t do it! Don’t ever have a band. It’s horrible, there’s politics, blah-blah…and, you know, that might be the case, after you’ve played with some folks for however many years – like the Rolling Stones or whatever – but right now we’re just having a great time. It’s been absolutely a great time. We’d been out on the road for about six or seven days and we were in the van somewhere in Holland and it was like, my stomach muscles feel sore; what the heck is…? I mean, I’m not getting any exercise apart from walking and lugging gear and I’m trying to work out what I’ve done that made my stomach muscles sore and it was just that I’d been laughing so much that my stomach muscles were physically sore for two or three days, just because we were having so much fun. And like I said, there are cute and they smell much better.

How is it when you come to a venue this size – very small, just about 30 people – does that affect you at all?

Well, we just did a house concert a couple of weeks ago in the Netherlands; yeah, we do house concerts…

Rocking The Cleveland Bay

Knock Outs: We played a small pub the other night where we just about managed to fit everything in. It’s always the challenge; how are we going to set everything up tonight?

Do you enjoy the variety of big venues and smaller venues?

It’s great! We’ve played in a punk rock kind of venue somewhere in Belgium and we played a 130 seat theatre in Hereford that was sold out. They’re like children; they’re all unique and you love them all.

And finally…what’s next after this tour and the new album? Are you already working on the next album already or does that come between tours?

You know, Alisa put a bug in my ear today. She said, ‘So…what about next Summer? What do you think about another tour?’ Oh, yeah, that sounds good! Because these gals are all super-busy; they play in great bands already so we have to plan well ahead. So I said, yeah! Next Summer sounds great, and Alisa said, well, you need a new record. Gosh, OK, you’re right, we need a new record! OK…err…so as soon as I get home I’ve got to work on the release of this album in the States and then it sounds like I’m going to have to write some new songs…!

So we’ll see the Knock Outs with you again next year?

Well, we hope so.

Well, that’s all for now, unless there’s anything you’d like add.

Knock Outs: Music is awesome!


We agree!

Music - and the Rachel and the Knock Outs - are awesome!

Coming soon...a new interview with Sara Dennis!