Religious Knives Interview for Know Your NYC Bands

BeatCrave is proud to bring you band, Religious Knives, as part of our Know Your NYC Bands series. Although Maya Miller and Mike Bernstein have been making music together for the most of their time in NYC, first in their band Double Leopards which had a more tape and drone/experimental sound, they are now successfully flourishing with psychedilic jams heavy with synths and organs which bring back the good characteristics of honest rock and roll.

After recruiting Mouthus’ Nate Nelson on drums and long time friend Todd Cavallo on bass, the band expanded into what is now Religious Knives. As the epitome of DIY rock, Miller and Bernstein also run their own label, Heavy Tapes (appropriately named when you think about Double Leopards’ sound) and continue to create jaw-dropping music that has been released on everything you could possibly imagine (from vinyl to cassettes to self-made CD-R’s…). Their most recent album was released through Ecstatic Peace!

If there were a prize for haunting, psychedelically, sensual rock out there minus the cliche, Religious Knives would definitely be the winner in my book. I was honored to have a quick chat with their very own Mike Bernstein earlier today. Check out the exclusive interview below!

You guys went from a trio to a quartet a while ago. How did the songwriting process in the band change since Todd started playing with you guys?

The evolution of the band has tended toward more structure over time.  The group started with just Maya and myself alone in a loft in Brooklyn making some “free love noise” but as we’ve gotten closer to pinning down the sounds in our head, things have improved.  When Todd joined, he brought a real twisted pop sensibility that has helped glue a lot of things together.  Basically, there’s more of a process now than there ever was.

How did Todd become part of the group?

Todd is one of my oldest friends and someone who’s musical sense I have always admired.  We were roommates in college around ten years ago, and it took us a while before we had a chance to really connect musically.  When we were a trio and thought we could use some bass guitar to fill things out, he seemed like a natural choice, since he can play every instrument and I can’t play any.

Being in bands before, what were some of the ways Double Leopards and Mouthus meshed well together when you began creating music as Religious Knives?

Being in a band for a long period of time has the dual effect of creating very palpable musical and creative synergies, but it  can also create a lot of frustrations.  I think we all brought a little bit of both of those kinds of energies to the table when RK started playing as a trio.  It was a great opportunity to break out of what we had been doing for so long.

How did you guys choose the band name, Religious Knives?

I found it on the list of things you’re not allowed to bring on an airplane in JFK airport right after September 11, 2001.  It seemed to represent a lot to me, and it’s the kind of name that just works as a band name.  As soon as I read it, I said to Maya, “That’s our name!”

You and Maya are both behind Heavy Tapes. More and more bands continue to create their own label these days. How easy or hard is it to start your own label?

It couldn’t possibly be any easier, especially if you’re in a band.  I suggest everyone do it.

Your music seems to be honest rock and roll, which is a genre many new bands fail to capture. What is your secret to writing classically good music with a refreshing spin?

“Honest rock and roll” is an interesting phrase and also one which hasn’t been applied to us before.  I think we’ve figured out that we did things “backwards,” differently from how most bands do it.  The generation before us were all in rock bands first before they started making weird music.  We made weird music first, before we started making rock music.  This fucked with our sensibilities in a way that has had a lot of positive outcomes.  We waited a long time before we spit out our digested rock knowledge, and we have a lot more to go.

What are some other genres you enjoy which may not be a part of Religious Knives?

Pretty much everything.  There are a lot of genres that we don’t get around to getting into digesting into our music — African Rock Music, Hip Hop, Jazz, etc.

How long have you guys been in Brooklyn now?

We’ve all been living in New York City proper for over ten years now, and in Brooklyn for about seven of those years.

Do you ever think about moving to another music scene such as LA, Chicago or Austin?

We think about moving all of the time.  Everyone who lives here does, I think.  I don’t think any of these cities would necessarily be on the top of our list, but we love them all as cities.  I think food would be a much bigger motivating factor for us if we were ever going to split.  LA: Fish Tacos.  Chicago: Hot Dogs, Mexican Food.  Austin: Tex-Mex, Barbecue.  You follow?

What’s are some benefits that come with being a band in NYC?

A massive potential audience. Hundreds of years of collective culutural history and the ghosts of the sounds of every great rock band ever, more or less.  These are also huge drawbacks.

Quick-Fire Round:
Who are some of your favorite local bands?

Blank Dogs, Woods, Crystal Stilts, Carlos Giffoni’s new “Techno Style,” and a bunch more.  It’s a great time for music here.

Which do you prefer? Vinyl, CDs, or mp3s?

Vinyl; no question.

Are you guys religious at all?

Not really.  Kind of a heavy question for “quickfire,” no?

What was the last good book you read?

Crust and Crumb by Peter Reinhart

Tell us one thing about yourself we probably didn’t already know.

I’m an avid homebrewer, gardener, cook, and amateur philosopher.

Photography courtesy of Bridget Burns and Andrea Mantia