You may not have heard of them, but Five Knives is ready to pack a punch opening for Twenty One Pilots this Friday at the Majestic Theatre.

Don’t let Five Knives’ Nashville roots fool you. Their music is a solid blend of electronic, hip-hop and punk. The band consists of lead singer Anna Worstell, Zach Hall on keyboard, Shane Wise as drummer and Nathan Barlowe on guitar. Five Knives recently signed to Red Bull Records and released an EP titled The Rising, with the full-length album set to debut later this year.  The Badger Herald caught up with Barlowe while he was on tour in Chicago.

The lyrics from this high octane band are inspired by daily life occurrences and the sounds of everything from passion to big city sounds, according to Barlowe. He also acknowledged the various genres blended by his innovative band.

“It’s the most interesting band I’ve ever been in,” Barlowe said. “We’re kind of an electric-punk-ghetto-tech.”

The blending of musical styles found in The Rising provides the perfect soundtrack for working out or getting psyched for a rowdy night in Madtown. Worstell’s voice is reminiscent of Elly Jackson from La Roux, but with much more of a sassy edge. The change up in styles provides a mystery box sure to surprise concert attendees at the Majestic this Friday.

Not only will the musical innovation make a show worthy of attending, but look for Five Knives opening while wearing masks. Why? Originally some of the members came from other bands and wanted to put their music first, but now it’s just a fun thing they do, according to Barlowe.

“We wanted people to judge our music and not have preconceived ideas on what we were before our other bands,” Barlowe said. “We wanted to be taken seriously and have our music [be] the main focus.”

Five Knives, on tour with Twenty One Pilots, is the perfect opener to get a crowd excited for the rest of a show. This is one band that seems to be on the rise and has plenty of excited fans. The band is thrilled about how quick people are catching onto its music.

 “There’s this feeling kind of like a bubbling that it’s about to explode at any minute. I’m just excited about the way people react to our music and our show,” Barlowe said. “It’s been amazing how quick this is catching on.”

A nod to their beginning as a band, Barlowe said the members are looking forward to their first bus tour with the Vans Warped Tour this summer. Forty-one shows in 51 days? Hello summer.

When asked about their Madison tour stop, Barlowe said, “What’s not to be excited about, aren’t you guys one of the ‘cool’ hubs of America”? 

Why yes. Yes, we are, and we are always ready to demonstrate that first-hand for an up-and-coming band. If you’re looking for something new, this band will provide you something fresh and memorable with their playlist-ready jams.

Five Knives will be performing Friday, April 12 at The Majestic Theatre. Tickets are $12 in advance, $14 day of show.