Interview: Jonah Knight

Jonah Knight @ DC Comics Conspiracy

I met Jonah originally at a small convention, Madicon, in Harrisonburg, VA.  The concert, like the convention, was only sparsely populated.  Yet when Jonah got up on stage he poured his all in his performance.  I had not heard of Jonah Knight before this and I was just wandering around wasting time until some friends were ready to go to lunch.  I became enraptured in the music that he played.  So much so I missed the group of friends leaving for lunch that I was originally waiting for (Oh 5 Guys, why are you so tasty?). His stylings spoke to me.  They took me to a world of fantasy.  They made me laugh.  They touched me in a way that I'm not normally touched when wandering through conventions (wait... what?  no I meant musically.  wth.).

I had an opportunity to discuss what's new with his music, and I tossed out the idea of doing an interview for the DC Geeks blog.  Here's a look into the mind of Jonah Knight (please wipe your feet first, no eating or drinking).


How long have you been performing / creating music? 

If you want to go way back, I was a member of The Singing Boys of Pennsylvania, a touring boys choir, when I was in 3rd/4th grade. When I left them I didn’t do any music for years until high school. I was totally in love with late 80’s / early 90’s rap, so I started a short-lived rap group when I was in 9th grade. We did one show. There are no recordings. That’s how it should be.

What originally inspired you to begin recording and performing in public? 

Because of the boys’ choir, performing always seemed to be an option. It was something I did before I knew any better, so as I got older I never had stage fright or anything like that. As far as recording goes, I had musician friends in high school who were much more advanced than I was. They had analog 4-track recorders and piles of demos, so I jumped on board that.

What artists do you consider your greatest inspirations? 

The first rock band I was in back in high school was fronted by a guy named Pat Beary. He was and still is an excellent guitar player and songwriter. I loved everything he wrote, and he made it seem so easy. Watching his process was a huge influence. My top 5 bands of all time would probably be Public Enemy, Ani DeFranco, Great Big Sea, The Cure, and Counting Crows. All for different reasons.

Where do you find the inspiration for your music (especially the lyrics)? 

Often I’ll start with setting. Once I see the place the song exists, I find mood, character, and story. Settings can come from anywhere. Novels, film, comics, and travel.

What geeky hobbies do you enjoy? 

Mostly video games. I mostly play single-player western RPGs. Not too much online. I did a bunch of table top gaming in college but haven’t had a real group in years. I also have a too-big comic collection that I don’t know what to do with. I had to stop collecting a while back because I didn't have anywhere to put more boxes.

There are a lot of references to old ones and such in your music, are you a H.P. Lovecraft fan? 

I adore Lovecraft. I've read most of his stories and have written a handful of songs inspired by his mythos. There is an awesome Lovecraft podcast that I always recommend, the H.P. Lovecraft Literary Podcast.

What is your favorite band / performer to casually listen to when in the KnightCave? 

I have a 3-year-old, so I’ve got a Pandora station based on Justin Roberts. He writes for children but he does it so well with an indie 90’s vibe and smart lyrics. When my son isn't around I still listen to it.

You've performed at a variety of geeky conventions.  Do you go to other events when attending conventions?  If so, what sorts of events do you enjoy the most? 

When I’m playing at a Con I feel like I need to be available, so I never get to the gaming room, which is a little sad. I’d love to get into some of those deeper games, but I can’t block out 3-8 hours. I go to panels, other concerts, and walk through the dealer room. My favorite is walking through the author tables. I like meeting writers.

Do you have a "day job"?  If so, would you like to eventually leave it to just perform? 

I've been a stay-at-home dad for about 3 years now. Back when he would take naps, I had time to write a little but not so much now that he’s almost four. My hope is that over the next 2-4 years I will be able to build and build so that once my son is solidly in school I can do a mini-tour, a long weekend, each month, or so. Then use him as a roadie in the summer.

Pirates or Ninjas? 

Pirates are cooler. Ninjas would win.




How has your experience been with the Funny Music project? 

Those guys are great. Very welcoming and accepting. I don’t write a lot of funny, but I had my two kind-of-funny songs on the FUMP sideshow a while back, and since then they treat me like an adjunct member and have included me at Cons.

Are there any other musical acts that you consider yourself associated to? 

Not really. I’ve always wanted to form a sort-of acoustic Wu-Tang Clan where we would get together and make a huge album and then spend 2 years on solo projects before the follow-up.

Some of your albums / projects have been funded by Kickstarter.  What was your experience using Kickstarter like? 

It was a good experience. The two times I’ve done crowd funding (once with Kickstarter and once with Rockethub), I pretty much had the money for the album so I asked for help with extras. On Ghosts Don’t Disappear it was to pay for eco-wallets instead of jewel cases, and on The Exploration of Dangerous Places it was to afford two extra songs. I didn't want to ask for thousands of dollars for a whole project, just a few hundred to make it a cooler project.

How can your fans best show love for you? 

Let me know that you’re out there. If you let me know where you are, I’ll try to play a show nearby. Sign up for my email list and just let me know what you’re thinking. Buying my stuff is cool, but becoming a real person is cooler.