Bent Knee
Date Signed: Jan. 17, 2017
Label: InsideOutMusic/Sony
Band Members: Ben Levin, guitar; Chris Baum, violin; Courtney Swain, vocals, keys; Gavin Wallace-Ailsworth, drums; Jessica Kion, bass; Vince Welch, production, sound design.
Type of Music: Rock/Experimental
Management: [email protected]
Booking: Andy Leff - [email protected]
Legal: Ronald S. Bienstock - Sarinci Hollenbeck
Publicity: Stephanie Williams, Stephanie@ pressherepublicity.com
Web: bentknee.com
A&R: Thomas Waber
What we love about eclectic indie outfit Bent Knee is how smart they are about the business and how they’ve protected their artistic integrity––and how, well, highly evolved they are.
Previously signed to Cuneiform Records, Bent Knee gained the Maryland label’s attention through brute force touring. “It opened up doors,” states lead singer Courtney Swain. When the InsideOut label became convinced that Bent Knee’s artistic vision stretches well beyond prog, they become seriously interested in signing them. First, however, label head Thomas Waber offered constructive criticism, impressing Swain. “I found it refreshing that this person was down to give it to us straight.” She also appreciated InsideOut’s alignment with out-of-the-box performers. “We definitely fit that profile.”
The two-option deal, which took months to complete, granted them their top priority: a licensing deal. “Our music is really important and we wanted it to belong to us. That was something we negotiated for and had to have.”
Swain welcomes the muscle of InsideOut’s parent company, Sony. “When the single came out, I saw it was already available not just on iTunes and Spotify but on a streaming service back home in Japan. That was something I hadn’t seen before.” Swain suggests artists take stock of karma, a perspective she received from her booking agent. “There are a lot of people in the industry who don’t get enough thanks or credit,” notes the vocalist. “Kindness doesn’t cost anything. And it goes a long way.”
