Hi Louis, welcome to VENTS! How have you been?
Hi! Thank you! I’ve been doing well thanks, really happy since the release of Just Kiss Me! It’s my first release since a little project I put out in high school; which only my family and friends got to hear. I’ve been getting a great response so far, so I’m really excited to see how my upcoming EP resonates with people.

Can you talk to us more about your latest single “Just Kiss Me”?
I wrote Just Kiss Me the summer going into my senior year of high school. I had just got out of a long relationship, and went down to the Jersey Shore with friends I hadn’t hung out with in a long long time. We had such a legendary weekend and I really just wanted to capture that moment.

How was the filming process and experience behind the video?
The filming process was awesome! Danny Gervitz, who directed, filmed, and edited the music video; has been a great friend and supporter of my music since he filmed a video for me during high school. It’s always a blast getting together with him. We shot the beach scenes down in Ocean city. For the performance scenes I invited a bunch of my friends to be a part of the audience which was a great time haha!

The single comes off your new album Small Victories – what’s the story behind the title?
The phrase, Small Victories, has meant a great deal to me in the last year and a half. One of my first and best friends here in America committed suicide in January of 2018 and none of us really knew why. It was a phrase he had been using to overcome his struggles as motivation to accomplish a few small things a day and keep moving forward. I’ve been using the term ever since in accordance with my own life. I got it tattooed on my arm on my 18th birthday, six months to the day he passed. And as all the songs on this EP are based on my experiences over this last year and a half, it felt like the perfect title.

How was the recording and writing process?
I spent 6 months, from last September to the start of 2019 writing nonstop. It was an incredible time of self reflection and growth for my songwriting, and as an overall musician. In March of this year, I started working with producer/engineer/session musician Matt Weber at Gradwell House recording studio in Haddon Heights, NJ at the suggestion of Matt Fell, my other co-producer and bandmate. The three of us have become an incredible team and amazing friends as well. We just love creating music together.

What role does Philly play in your music?
Moving to Philadelphia from England has given me the opportunity to become a recognized singer-songwriter. It’s where I found my immense love of songwriting. It’s a little bit of the American Dream. The people I’ve met here – from my friend Ori who I wrote and co-produced my first demos with freshman year of high school, to my co-producer and bandmate Matt Fell, to Juj who I wrote songs and filmed covers with — they’ve all helped shape me as a musician and songwriter.

How does your traveling and getting to meet different cultures has influence your writing?
Growing up in England till I was about 11 was a gift because in Europe it can be very easy/affordable to travel. I think it’s so important to try to open yourself to as many different cultures as you can. My grandparents live in a small village outside of Málaga, Spain where I’ve spent most summers. That’s actually where I wrote the second verse of “Just Kiss Me”.

I had just begun learning to play on a Spanish classical guitar and only knew two chords.
What were some of the victories you get to explore on this record?
I think the biggest victory would be writing my next single, “Change” which plan to release during suicide prevention month. I wrote it about working through the tragedy and trauma of my friends passing and also to let other people suffering mentally know that no matter what is going on, you can get through it and see the other side. Another victory would be writing, co-producing, and performing the set of songs on this EP. It has been incredible experiencing them grow to their final recordings.

Where else did you find the inspiration for the songs and lyrics?
All of these songs have been inspired and written through my experiences this last year and a half. It has been such a rollercoaster.

Any plans to hit the road?
I’m in the process of rehearsing with a band and am really looking forward to supporting my upcoming EP by playing both locally and nationally. We’re working on our touring plan and we should be announcing dates in the near future!

What else is happening next in Louis Knight’s world?
The EP will be released in September!