Good Gig Chats: Stabbitha and the Knifey Wifeys
Local hardcore punk act Stabbitha and the Knifey Wifeys have a big week coming up supporting Alestorm and performing at Pirate Life Brewing’s 10th birthday. Ahead of their huge gigs, we chatted with the quartet about the Adelaide music scene, the creative process and what 2025 holds for the band.
Words by Tobias Handke
Image by @three6shoota
It’s been a great couple of weeks for ferocious hardcore punkers Stabbitha and the Knifey Wifeys. The Kaurna Land-based quartet have been selected to perform at Pirate Life Brewing’s 10th birthday bash along with scoring the coveted opening spot for Alestorm when they hit Adelaide this week.
Comprising vocalist Sass (she/her), bassist Eb (she/her), guitarist Jordy (he/him) and drummer Alex (they/she), Stabbitha and the Knifey Wifeys have made a name for themselves in Adelaide’s hardcore scene with their brutal arrangements and energetic live shows.
A force of nature in the live arena, the band are ready to rip up stages across March before focusing on writing new material for their upcoming fourth long player. Ahead of their appearance at Pirate Life Brewing’s 10th birthday alongside Millencolin and Pennywise, we got the chance to ask the quartet a few questions about the band’s evolution, their writing process and what to expect at their upcoming gigs.
For the uninitiated, what are Stabbitha and the Knifey Wifey all about?
We write about the experience of being different, being angry, and being unsatisfied. We’re certainly an experience. If I had a dollar for every time we’d heard, “I wasn’t expecting that,” we would probably buy an island.
Honestly, we’re four pals who are just trying to get through life together. No matter what it throws at us, we show up at practice every week and loudly scream at it to fuck off!
What bands or artists inspired Knifey Wifey during the early years?
Very early on Eb and I (Sass) were heavily inspired by our teenage bedroom poster of Brody from the Distillers. Iconic. The four of us grew up loving artists from Bikini Kill, Against Me, Alkaline Trio, The Bronx, Green Day, CKY, Clutch to Millencolin...
We came to music from different angles but converged into making something that sits somewhere between punk, hardcore and black metal-style vocals. We like to call it blackened punk and roll.
The band has been in and around the Adelaide scene for close to a decade. Is there a strong sense of community among bands and fans?
The passion is huge. It feels like there are so many more people involved in music from bands to photographers, to illustrators and print-makers. There are so many unique creators now. It feels like everyone is coming together again, like there is some momentum building. We saw that with the Cranker movement.
Despite the sometimes brutal nature of Knifey Wifeys’ music, there’s a real positive energy to the songs, and more often than not, they feature killer riffs and hooks. What’s the songwriting process like? Is there a vague idea of how the songs should sound or does it all happen organically in the studio?
The energy comes naturally, the riffs come from workshops between Eb and Jordy where they bounce riffs off each other until they have a song structure. Once the song is pieced together, they go through it with Alex where they add the flavour with spicy drums. I come in at the end with my disgusting lyrics and the mission is complete. Our plan is to write songs and a set that take the anger that people are experiencing and channel it into 40 minutes that make them feel better at the end.
I read an interview where Eb said many of the lyrics to the band’s songs from the first album were written while driving and sitting around on the couch. Is writing the lyrics still such a carefree experience or has the process changed over the years?
Our demo and Cats Against Cat Calls were heavily written by Eb. For me, it took some time to work out exactly what I wanted to say. We have very different writing styles. Eb writes conversationally, in a natural way. In comparison, I’m more of a tortured ‘lock myself in a room until it’s carved in stone’ kind of guy. In the year leading up to the release of iii I worked as a Mortician, and I think you can see that in the change of lyrics and the energy at least.
With the songs themselves, they’re more of a collaborative piece. I think this has been an organic process over time. Maybe Eb just trusts us more now not to fuck it up?
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There’s also a real authenticity to Knifey Wifeys’ music. How important is this as a band and is it something you are conscious of?
Whenever we’ve tried to force a certain ‘sound’ it felt wrong. We write what we would enjoy listening to. We’re not trying to cater to a specific genre. Who wants to be boxed in?
Knifey Wifeys have released three albums so far, with the most recent being 2022’s III. Each release has seen the band’s profile grow. What is it about the band’s music that people relate to?
I think people can relate to anger and passion. Even when they can’t fully understand what we’re screaming about, they understand the energy. Being between all the best genres certainly doesn’t hurt.
The band were recently announced as part of the lineup for Pirate Life Brewing’s 10th birthday. How excited are the band to share the stage with the likes of Pennywise, Millencolin and more?
Let’s just say, we’re dying. What a dream lineup. Pirate Life and GAE have really pulled out all the stops here! We’re honoured to play with some of our biggest international and local inspirations.
Are there any bands on the bill Knifey Wifey are dying to see?
I still remember where I was the first time I listened to Millencolin. Laying on the floor of a friend’s room as a teenager. He’d said, “You have to listen to this, you’ll fucking love it.” He was right.
Juliette Seizure and Pest Control are always fire. We’ve been blessed to play with both and they’ll rip your face off while you thank them for it.
Along with being part of the Pirate Life Brewing festivities, Knifey Wifeys were handpicked to support Alestorm on their upcoming sold-out Adelaide show. That must be another exciting opportunity.
To say we're excited for that show is an understatement. The Soundworks team are responsible for bringing some of the best heavy acts to Aus. Jordy even has a tattoo of John Goblikon (the singer) from Nekrogoblikon, so you can call it a bucket list show for us.
Knifey Wifeys are known for their intense live performances. What can fans expect at your upcoming shows?
Our live shows are 40 minutes of us having a great time together on stage. There might be a special cover at the end to get everyone singing along with their drinks.
Final one, what does the rest of 2025 hold for Stabbitha and the Knifey Wifeys?
Lots of writing and album prep. We’re hoping to have the new album birthed in late 2025/early 2026. You can expect the same vibes and lyrics about life’s heaviness, consumerism, eating billionaires and even a beautifully gross love song. We can’t wait for you to hear it!
Catch Stabbitha and the Knifey Wifeys supporting Alestorm at The Gov on Thursday, February 27 and at Pirate Life Brewing’s 10th birthday on Saturday, March 1.
