Loading details…
Artist
Olly Knights
12+ albums
acousticenglishindie folkturin brakesOlly Knights
about
Olly Knights is lead singer of Turin Brakes. In 2012 Olly launched his solo album If Not Now When on vinyl & MP3, with the eponymous title track as the first (free) single. This was followed by second single Bitten By The Frost. The album came after a severe bout of writer's block, cured by going back to writing & recording with a 4-track tape machine. Olly's wife Rachel appears on some of the tracks. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.
why this is interesting
This solo work emerges from a distinctly thoughtful place—born from wrestling with creative paralysis and resolved through deliberate simplicity. By returning to analog tape recording, Knights strips away the potential overwhelm of modern production, allowing compositional clarity to surface. The album's framework feels quietly philosophical: its very title poses a temporal question that reflects the period's urgency without demanding answers. The inclusion of his wife Rachel on select tracks adds an intimate, domestic dimension that enriches the listening experience. What distinguishes this project is its refusal of easy solutions—instead, it documents a genuine creative recovery through constraint, making it valuable for anyone interested in how artists genuinely rebuild their relationship with their craft.
