| The Knitters | |
| Background: | group_or_band |
| Origin: | Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Years Active: | 1985-present |
| Label: | Slash |
| Associated Acts: | X, The Blasters, The Red Devils, The Flesh Eaters |
| Current Members: | Exene Cervenka, John Doe, DJ Bonebrake, Dave Alvin, and Jonny Ray Bartel |
The Knitters are a Los Angeles-based band who play country, rockabilly and folk music. The Knitters' name is a play on the name of the folk group The Weavers.[1]
The Knitters formed in 1982 as a side project to the band members' primary commitments. Vocalist Exene Cervenka, singer/bassist John Doe and drummer DJ Bonebrake were three of the four members of the punk band X; guitarist Dave Alvin was a member of roots rock band The Blasters as well as The Flesh Eaters; and stand-up bassist Jonny Ray Bartel was a member of blues-rock band The Red Devils.
The Knitters' debut album Poor Little Critter on the Road was released in 1985. It included mainly traditional and cover songs, together with some X songs performed in an acoustic style. The album drew on blues, folk, country and rockabilly influences. In 1999, the label Bloodshot Records released a track-by-track tribute to the album entitled Poor Little Knitter on the Road.[2]
After the debut album's release, all the group members continued to work with their primary bands. Dave Alvin also later pursued a solo career.[3]
Twenty years later, in 2005, the group released their second and ironically-titled album, The Modern Sounds of the Knitters. John Doe has been quoted as saying "The Knitters, like their music, don't do anything hasty.[4] Since our last record's been out for a while and it did pretty good, we figured it was just about time to put out another." The Modern Sounds of the Knitters has been well received by critics.[4]
In March 2024 during the South by Southwest festival, the Knitters reunited for one performance in Austin, Texas, as part of an all-day concert in memory of Mojo Nixon.[5] [6] [7]