About

knives of spain is 21st-century trobairitz Gwen Young, a NC-based solo artist whose sonic terrain spans delicate songcraft to opaque experimentation. Her sound "braids aspects of folk and the psychedelic avant-garde, minimalism, electronic experimentation and sonic mood painting”, and has been described as a "specially warped version of pop music...baked in a kiln fired by ghostly spirits.”

Live, her sets merge voice with eclectic instrumentation, such as sitar, flute, analog synths, guitar, accordion, percussion, original audio, and electronics. She has shared bills with a range of artists, including Cate Le Bon, Clang Quartet, and Eugene Chadbourne.

knives of spain has been featured on Tiny Mix Tapes, WGXC WaveFarm, Free Form Freakout KMSU, WFMU, Tome to Weather Machine, Psychic Glands (Auckland), and The Crooked Button (Dublin). She records and produces her own work, and her second full-length release, Telluric (Hairy Spider Legs), was featured in "Top 200 Tapes of 2016" by Tabs Out.

“Foghorn sounds, deep-breathing accordion, insect hissing, music-box tinklings, and clouds of shivering synth oscillations all contribute to a vibe that can either lull or put you on edge. Fans of music that braids aspects of folk and the psychedelic avant-garde, minimalism, electronic experimentation and sonic mood painting will find things to like in Knives of Spain. There are subtle connections to be made with artists like the Silver Apples, Linda Perhacs, Colleen, early Pink Floyd, Can, the Latin Playboys, Tom Waits, Laurie Anderson, Vashti Bunyan and Portishead.” Yes!

"Performing under the name knives of spain, Gwen Young’s sophomore EP Telluric is transcendental. The record utilizes everything from analog synths to flutes to create a captivating, almost mystical sound. Knives’ sound calls forth comparisons to goth-rock goddesses like Kate Bush or Liz Fraser of Cocteau Twins; bestowing these comparisons feels like a rarity, but I am unable to think of someone else more deserving to coexist in this gossamer world." Hooligan Magazine

“The diversity throughout (Telluric) is completely amazing. Knives of Spain delivers a specially warped version of pop music, achieved from being baked in a kiln fired by ghostly spirits...Gwen Young's voice seems to slip through these fissures of a decomposing world." Lost in a Sea of Sound