The Holy Knives have released “Killer,” the second single from their forthcoming album, I Don’t Wanna Win, produced by Jamie Hince (The Kills), the track is accompanied with a video from director Meeno Peluce. I Don’t Wanna Win is set to arrive December 13. The Holy Knives will be previewing the record in Los Angeles, November 6 at Hotel Ziggy. The weekly We Found New Music showcase is free with a RSVP. Doors at 7pm, The Holy Knives are set to perform at 9pm.

“The concept of ‘Killer’ ties in with the entire theme of the EP,” notes Kyle. “It begins ‘I Don’t Wanna Win’, and the verse explores the desire to not be a part of the normal game of life that makes everyone into winners and losers. It’s about wishing to exist outside of the forced participation in the combative nature of society and even the natural world. Although it’s an ideal thought, you can’t actually escape the reality of the world. So if you have to play the world’s game, you might as well be a killer, you might as well give it your all to come out on top.”

Regarding the inspiration for the video, Peluce states, “There was something in the timbre of Kody’s voice I could instantly ‘see’. As the song spooled out I could feel the elements of the story growing. The hunter in the crowd, the internal conflict of a monster brimming just below the surface, the Killer in his element. The Knives’ music is so cinematic that all I had to do was let my guts follow through the lens.”

“Working with Meeno was incredibly inspiring,” adds Kody, “He had such a strong vision for the video which made everything feel really easy and smooth. Even though there
was a pretty strong initial idea, there were a lot of moments of free inspiration that just kind of came together as we went. Half the video was shot on a set and the other half was shot roaming through downtown LA during a festival. In both locations, it just felt like things were going right and that we were making magic happen. I think we captured the spirit of ‘Killer’—it’s dark, it’s brooding, it’s campy, and cinematic.”

Under the guidance of Jamie Hince, the brothers Valentine worked to string together the sounds of each piece of their journey, weaving in a bit of the dark swagger of New Orleans, with a few nods to desert psychedelia and the chopped and screwed of Texas, to create their most definitive work to date: music that is rock and roll at its core with a modern touch, bolstered by the expansive inspirations of the band such as western film scores, both hip hop and 90’s trip hop, and the idea of Vegas crooners.

Discussing the record’s title, Kody states, “’I Don’t Wanna Win’ represents a response to a feeling that the world around us, and human nature itself by extension, forces us sometimes to act in combative and self-serving ways even when we don’t want to. It’s about a desire to remove ourselves from the constant cycle of winners and losers, the constant pressure to vie for our own space or be run over or left behind. Ultimately, it’s a simple phrase that represents the ecstasy of accepting yourself for who you are without the need to measure-up against outward markers.”

order “Killer” HERE