It’s clear enough that pop-punk is having a moment
right now. With bands like The Wonder Years, The
Story So Far and Real Friends carrying the torch for
the new school of the genre, there’s plenty to be
excited about. And now it’s time to add Chicago’s
Knuckle Puck to that list.
The quintet is based out of Chicago’s south suburbs,
and within just two short years of their debut EP,
they’ve gone from playing dirty basements to
opening for nationwide tours with acts like Man
Overboard and Senses Fail. They also embarked on
their own (sold out) co-headlining tour with the UK’s
premier up-and-coming pop-punk act, Neck Deep.
Knuckle Puck’s style meshes pop-punk with the
heart and soul of the Midwest, but they add in a
more aggressive tone that serves reminiscence to
acts like The Story So Far. As the genre is taking a
more musically aggressive attitude as a whole,
Knuckle Puck balance that aggression with youthful
lyricism and genuine exuberance.
Vocalist Joe Taylor, guitarists Nick Casasanto and
Kevin Maida, bassist Ryan Rumchaks and drummer
John Siorek combine to present a style that actively
acknowledges pop-punk’s roots while bringing it
decidedly into the present. Their new EP, While I Stay
Secluded–with the raw power of tracks like the
instantly memorable “Oak Street”–provides only the
latest reason to consider Knuckle Puck an integral
part of pop-punk’s future.
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