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Pepa Knight the co-frontman of aussie based duo Jinja Safari has been on the grind, writing and recording songs based on his travels to India.
He just released his solo debut single “Rahh!” and his full-length is expected to drop soon!
GroundSounds recently caught up with Pepa for an exclusive interview to chat about his upcoming album and more, check it out below.
For those just discovering Pepa Knight can you tell us a little bit about your background and upbringing with music?
Well, I live on the east coast of Australia, in a small surf town called Long Jetty. I started writing and recording music when I was around 12 with an old 4 track recorder and slowly got more obsessed with production and spent all my pocket money on better studio gear. I have been dabbling in world music in the last few years and started a band called Jinja Safari which has been keeping me busy. I’ve always wanted to get this solo project happening though so it feels nice to be finally releasing these new songs.
Your music has been heavily influenced by your travels in India. What do you find so inspiring about India and it’s people/culture?
Yeah I do have a big love for India. I have been back and forth since my first trip there in 2011. I have stayed with some really lovely families over there and I really admire the way they live. Materialism doesn’t seem to be a distraction over there like it is in the west. The music in India is next level! The time signatures and rhythms are so complex and it is, traditionally, more improvised with minimal chords and structure. I think I am so attracted to it because it is the complete opposite to how my mind understood music.
You’ve taken a unique approach to working “in the studio,” so to speak: What are some of the challenges of recording music in a tipi in your own backyard?
Well the reason I started recording in the tipi was because it was getting too hot in my home studio and all my gear was overheating. But, because I never set the tipi up properly in the first place, there was this huge hole at the top that would let the rain in. So when I put my studio in there I was constantly checking the weather because as soon as I could see a storm coming, I had to quickly move all the expensive electrical gear out to a dry area or throw a tarp over the top. I am currently fixing the hole and putting in a wooden floor so hopefully I won’t have that problem anymore.
Your upbeat single “Rahh!” is bright, infectious, and has garnered some pretty substantial listens. Can fans expect a full-length solo album anytime soon?
Yes! I am not sure in what form and when exactly at this stage, but there is an album-worth of songs that will be released as a collection called ‘Hypnotized’.
What is one thing everyone should see and do in Australia?
If you go for a swim at Bondi Beach and pretend you are drowning, you will instantly be a star on the national TV show ‘Bondi Rescue’. That is what most people do I think.
What music are you currently listening to?
I just got some new vinyls from ‘Kishi Bashi’, ‘Bombay Bicycle Club’ and Aussie friends ‘Big Scary’.
The video for “Rahh!” has an iconic scene in which you’re showered with popcorn on the floor of the tipi. How much fun was that video to make?
Haha! It was really fun! We shot it in one day in my backyard with friends and didn’t put too much thought into it. Just used what we had lying around. I’ve been obsessed with popcorn lately and it’s one of the only things I can cook confidently so I am glad we got to use that in the clip. Popcorn was everywhere by the end of the day and I am still finding little bits of it in my clothes and in the tipi.
What do you feel when you’re performing live? What do you enjoy most about being on stage?
Nervous. Excited. Confused. All those feelings mixed together. I think it is such a cool thing to be able to transform your own songs into the live realm. It kinda makes the songs feel more alive. And it always blows my mind when other people know the songs and are singing along.
Both your band Jinja Safari and your solo recordings exhibit a very worldly feel that sets it apart from some of the more mainstream alternative music. How important is that message of unity and togetherness to you as an artist and musician?
Yeah I guess that world sound is what I am digging at the moment and is what feels fresh and exciting in my head, so that influence comes naturally. If I wanted my music to be hugely successful to the masses, I would stick with a more accessible genre haha. But I think it is important for any artist to create what they are passionate about rather than what they think others want to hear.
What are you currently working on? What is next for Pepa Knight?
I have been focusing on the next single so I am hoping to release it in the near future as well as putting the debut live shows together.
