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Every Monday we will be bringing you interviews with UK or Ireland artists for Independent Music Monday. Recently we caught up with Michael from Edinburgh band Bad Knees to find out more…

Who is in the band, how did you meet, where are you from and how did you come up with the name?
We formed at the beginning of 2024, initially as a trio. Our drummer left in autumn 2024, which led us to recruit a new drummer and bring in an extra guitarist.

The band now consists of four members: Michael Jewitt (vocals and guitar), Matthew McGarry (bass), Rodrigo Fernandez (lead guitar), and Seb Cherry (drums). Since then, we’ve become a really tight-knit group, which I think is reflected in our music.

My dad fell off scaffolding at work – several stories high – and basically crushed both of his ankles. He spent ages recovering, and due to the imbalance in his walk, he developed pretty bad knees.

I was always talking to him about it at the time, and when it came to naming the band, the idea just popped into my head.

Who were your musical influences when you were growing up and who are your influences now?
We all grew up on punk rock, thanks to Kerrang! and the Tony Hawk video game franchise. Within the group, we listen to a lot of rock, punk, pop punk, hip-hop – anything really. Being in Edinburgh, it’s hard to overlook folk music too.

I think we all have an appreciation for any kind of music – which I believe (perhaps mistakenly) most musicians do. Every genre has its merits.

I’ve also been really inspired by bands we’ve seen locally – Versaints, OILER, LIVID, Palejoy, and Low Level Monk. We’ve played with them and I’ve been blown away by how good they are. Honestly, I find it more inspiring to see other small bands like us putting on shows worthy of much bigger stages.

How would you describe your sound?
I usually describe it as indie rock – it can be quite melodic and poppy, but it also features heavy breakdowns and instrumental sections.

What our genre actually is might be best left for someone else to decide – it’s been a subject of great debate within the band, but I think we’ve settled on indie rock. There are definitely elements of grunge, punk rock, and pop punk in there too.

What is your latest release called and what was the influence behind it?
Our new single is called ‘Wallace’. It’s about a stray dog I found wandering near where I live. I managed to coax it into my garden and keep it safe while I looked for its owner. In the meantime, the dog dug up and chewed through my garden – the place was a pit. Eventually, we got him to a dog home, who later told us his name was Wallace and that his owner had collected him. The song imagines that Wallace wandered off because he was bored and lonely – and how I often feel like doing the same.

What’s your local music scene like?
The local scene in Edinburgh, and Scotland more broadly, is really good. The standard of musicians is very high and there are some excellent bands making very good original music. The scene in Scotland is very friendly, and I’ve found bands generally try to help each other – it’s a supportive scene.

What do you have planned for the next 12 months?
We plan on putting out at least another single, but maybe another couple. With the nice weather we want to make hay while the sun shines and get out busking as much as possible. Over the winter we’ll look at finally finishing our debut album and drop that as soon as we can.

Is there anyone you’d love to collaborate with?
In a dream world, I’d love to do something with Viagra Boys. They’re so surreal and completely different from anything else – almost like the perfect band for the insane world we live in right now.

Any funny stories surrounding your live performances?
Playing on the streets of Edinburgh has given us some of our more bizarre experiences. Our audience is normally a blend of tourists, locals and reprobates, it’s a really strange mixture you wouldn’t get at a normal gig. Alongside money for performing, we’ve been gifted beer, chocolate, biscuits, song lyrics written on rubbish, all sorts. We had a father recently trying to drag his toddler away from us playing but he kept running back to dance.

What is the one thing that you want readers to know about you?
We try to bring a DIY ethos and make our music as accessible as possible. We’ve taken to busking on the streets of Edinburgh, which is a great way for people to engage with the music whether they can afford to pay or not.

We also put on quarterly donation-based gigs at Banshee Labyrinth – mainly to cover venue hire and pay the support bands.

There’s a big appetite for alternative music, but people might not want to buy a ticket for bands they’ve never heard of. We’re flipping that – here are some great bands, and if you enjoyed yourself, please chuck us some coin. These nights, and the busking, have been really positive for us.

You can find out more about Bad Knees via Apple Music, Bandcamp, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify or YouTube Music.