Knuckle Puck

Knuckle Puck

Knuckle Puck is a pop punk band from Chicago, United States, active since 2011. The group’s line-up includes Joe Taylor, Kevin Maida, Ryan Rumchaks, John Siorek and Nick Casasanto. Their sound sits within emo, punk, punk rock and rock, and they are also identified with melodic punk and pop punk.

Formation and early releases

The band forms in the south suburbs of Chicago and takes its name from a Stick to Your Guns T-shirt that reads “Knuckle Puck Crew”. Joe Taylor is the lead vocalist, Kevin Maida the lead guitarist and John Siorek the drummer. Nick Casasanto joins on rhythm guitar in April 2011, when the group starts writing original songs. Friends fill in on bass in the early period, before Ryan Rumchaks later joins on bass.

Knuckle Puck plays its first show in July 2011. The band releases a self-titled EP in October that year, followed by the Acoustics EP in March 2012 and the Don’t Come Home EP in October 2012. In August 2013 it self-releases The Weight That You Buried EP.

2014 releases and touring

In early 2014, the band appears on a split EP with Neck Deep through Bad Timing and Hopeless, with two songs from each group. Around the same time, Knuckle Puck tours with Neck Deep and Light Years. The band performs at South by So What?! in March 2014.

Later in 2014, Knuckle Puck supports Man Overboard on The Heart Attack Tour with Transit and Forever Came Calling. A music video for “No Good”, directed by Eric Teti, appears in June. The band also releases the 7-inch flexi single “Oak Street” and “Home Alone”, both intended in part for an upcoming release. In October 2014, the While I Stay Secluded EP streams and then releases through Bad Timing. It reaches number 5 on the U.S. Heatseekers Albums chart.

That autumn, Knuckle Puck tours with Modern Baseball and contributes a cover of The 1975’s “Chocolate” to Punk Goes Pop 6.

Rise Records and Copacetic

Knuckle Puck signs to Rise Records in December 2014. In early 2015 the band supports Neck Deep on The Intercontinental Championships Tour, then records its debut album. It later joins The Maine on The American Candy Spring 2015 Tour and appears on Warped Tour that summer.

The debut album, Copacetic, is announced in June 2015 and releases in July. The album includes the singles “Disdain”, “True Contrite” and “Pretense”. After its release, the band tours Europe with State Champs and then tours the United States with Seaway, Head North and Sorority Noise. In early 2016, it again supports Neck Deep and State Champs on their co-headlining U.S. tour.

Shapeshifter and later work

In March 2017, Knuckle Puck releases the 7-inch single “Calendar Days” and “Indecisive”. Later that year, it releases “Gone” and then “Double Helix” before issuing its second album, Shapeshifter, in October 2017. The album continues the band’s pop punk style while using tighter songwriting and more introspective lyrics, with keyboards and heavier guitar textures on tracks such as “Gone”.