Seattle’s The Unfit is set to release the new record Disconnected this Friday. Ahead of the album release, Jake Knuth joined TGEFM for the latest in our Roll Of The Dice Interview Series. Check out the interview and head to the band’s Bandcamp to order your vinyl or digital copy of Disconnected.
Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview. Congrats on the upcoming vinyl release of Disconnected. What can you tell us about yourselves, your sound and your goals for audiences listening?
We’re idiots from Seattle who don’t do a whole lot, grateful anyone gives a shit about our music, so thanks for having us. I’m not very into self-promotion and the business part of this stuff, social media, caring about money, all the fun good shit that makes this beautiful system run, so it’s amazing anyone wants anything to do with us. I’d say our sound is whatever feels good to play and works with me shouting my words over it. I don’t know what to call it. Mostly pretty simple music. No bullshit. As for goals, I think people who make music and art and stuff generally just want people who might connect and find meaning in it to be able to discover it and have that experience, whatever the meaning is to them. I guess that’s the goal.
Similarly, what should our readers know about Youthcare with whom you’ve chosen to share proceeds of album sales with? What does the organization represent to your community and how can our readers help with its mission?
It’s a Seattle organization – youthcare.org. They help homeless youth. I don’t have a lot to say about it, but that’s something I care about. The band’s made very little money for them to this point, but it’s nice to work with a label that has this charity component (Share It Music).
We’ve all got a few. What are your biggest regrets: A gig you turned down, advice you didn’t take, what one thing do you wish you handled differently as a musician?
I probably could have started a band like this earlier and taken more charge with the music I played and the bands I was in when I was younger instead of fucking around and being passive and letting things play out without being very involved. I’ve always written songs, but it took me a long time to play and record them on my own and start this band where I say my own words. I was an idiot kid though, so who knows if that would have been better. Probably not.
What album or band or significant singles made you go “Yeah, this is what I want to do” Not just an influence but who or what was the catalyst? On the flipside to that one… Who are some bands on your radar that TGEFM readers may not know about, but you think they should know about?
As a Tacoma kid in the 90s with no older siblings, who only knew the world existed because it was on MTV or commercial radio, I think Nirvana was what started it for me. I’d love to cite something more unique or some cool punk cred influence that nobody’s heard of or something, but it was Nirvana. When we started The Unfit fourteen years ago or whenever it was I was particularly into Pissed Jeans at the time. Pissed Jeans are a band people should know about, if they don’t.
What’s next for The Unfit?
Not much. Maybe we’ll get a tv license for a car commercial and finally get that corporate money and sell out like we always planned. Sedans. Maybe sedans. Sell some sedans. All kinds of SEDANS. Some shitty sedan driving across like a big open desert. Horses running with it. Then it’s in Alaska. Horses. Then it’s driving literally on top of the great wall of China. No room for horses. But then our sedan is back and it’s fucking better than ever on like a beach next to the ocean with horses in the water and whales jumping over the horses and breaching all over the place. Left and right. Sperm whales even. Horses and whales mixing with SEDANS to our music on tv. That’s what’s next.
Was there anything we missed or that you’d like to put more focus on?
Here’s an intelligent response to that question that I just generated with AI:
“You know, we could talk about our latest album or the tour, but let’s be real; the heart of punk is about breaking rules and shaking things up. So, if there’s one thing we want to emphasize, it’s that we’re here to make you question everything—your choices, your beliefs, and your music. Life is too short to conform, so grab your guitar or your paintbrush, and start making noise. Remember, it’s not just about us; it’s about all of you out there, the fans, the rebels, the misfits. So, go out, stand up for what you believe in, and keep pushing boundaries. After all, we’re just the soundtrack to your revolution. See you in the pit!”
See you in the pit. Cowabunga dude. So many AI answer possibilities, but I think I chose one that makes me look really cool and smart to close this out. Authentic.
Roll of the Dice is a short interview format with a variable amount of questions. A pair of dice is rolled and the total, between 2 and 12, is the amount of questions we can ask. All questions are given to the interviewee(s) at once, and no follow-ups are allowed. The interview may be lightly edited for content and clarity.
Bad Dad (occasionally called Ed) has been on the periphery of the punk and punk-adjacent scene for over twenty years. While many contributors to this site have musical experience and talent, Ed’s musical claim to fame comes from his time in arguably the most punk rock Blockbuster Video district in NJ where he worked alongside members of Blanks 77, Best Hit TV and Brian Fallon. He is more than just an awful father to his 2 daughters, he is also a dreadful husband, a subpar writer, a terrible dresser and has a severe deficiency in all things talent… but hey, at least he’s self-aware, amirite?
Check out the pathetic attempts at photography on his insta at https://www.instagram.com/bad_dad_photography/
