Minus the Bear guitarist David Knudson announces debut solo album, The Only Thing You Have to Change Is Everything

Former-Minus The Bear/Botch guitarist David Knudson is set to release his first solo album, The Only Thing You Have to Change Is Everything, on May 13.

The announcement is accompanied by two new songs, Rewind It, featuring producer/engineer Sam Bell and Jealous Time Steals, which features Minus the Bear bandmate Jake Snider.

Knudson got sober before going into the album sessions and says that the move has helped him creatively.

“This record wouldn’t exist without my sobriety,” Knudson says. “It prompted me to learn and embrace new passions like drum programming and engineering. I haven’t felt a burst of inspiration like this in a long time. Removing all the self-inflicted chaos and complications opened my eyes to real life and opened my ears to new possibilities.”

Knudson is also keen to point out that while The Only Thing You Have To Change Is Everything may represent his first solo album, it has been born largely as a result of numerous collaborations. 

As such, the record also features Bayonne, The Coathangers’ Julia Kugel and The Sand Band, alongside the aforementioned Snider and Bell. 

While Bell is best known as a producer and engineer (whose credits include the likes of R.E.M., Bloc Party and Weezer), he supplies vocals on Rewind It. 

“Towards the end of a rather unproductive and less-than inspiring day in the studio, Sam announced ‘I’m gonna take the bus home. We need a song at this tempo. Write something,’” recalls Knudson of the track’s inception. 

“He left me with a simple beat and a whine-y little keyboard loop that just arpeggiated up and down a couple octaves. I was annoyed at his homework so I shut everything down and slept on it. The next morning an hour before I knew he’d be back I picked up my guitar and -click- the main riff appeared out of my hands and off I went. 

“Sam came in through my back gate as I was laying down the high-octave-chime guitar in the bridge. I saw his huge smile through the basement window and he yelled, ‘there it is mate!’ with his typical British flair.”

Knudson already has a formidable reputation for his skills in melodic effects manipulation and the new songs are densely woven with intricate, delay-laden guitar lines.

He’s also known for having an abundance of Line 6’s DL4 pedals on his ‘board, so perhaps it’s no coincidence that news of The Only Thing You Have to Change Is Everything is arriving in the same week as the new Line 6 DL4 MkII.

Roll on May 13. In the meantime, you can preorder physical editions or pre-save The Only Thing You Have to Change Is Everything.