Knuckle Puck

Chicago's Knuckle Puck crafts a vigorous yet tuneful mix of classic punk rock and emo. After issuing several widely discussed EPs during the early part of the decade, the group drew broader notice through the 2014 album Copacetic and the 2017 follow-up Shapeshifter. The band maintained an intense schedule of dates across the United States and Europe, sharing stages with Neck Deep, Good Charlotte, and Mayday Parade while issuing its third full-length effort, 20/20, toward the end of 2020. Once the act joined the Pure Noise roster, it resurfaced in 2023 with heightened force on the fourth album Losing What We Love.

Originating in the southernmost suburbs of the Windy City, the pop-punk outfit Knuckle Puck came together in 2010 with John Siorek handling drums, Joe Taylor on vocals, Nick Casasanto contributing guitar and vocals, Ryan Rumchaks on bass, and Kevin Maida on guitar. Frequently likened to the Wonder Years, the Story So Far, and Rise Against, the musicians issued three independent EPs—Knuckle Puck Demo in 2011, Don't Come Home in 2012, and The Weight That You Buried in 2013—before securing a contract with Bad Timing Records, which put out two further EPs, While I Stay Secluded and Weight That You Buried, during 2014.

A subsequent agreement with Rise Records paved the way for the summer 2015 arrival of the debut album Copacetic, which registered strongly on the alternative and hard rock tallies plus Billboard's Top 200. Additional runs through the U.S. and Europe ensued, and March 2017 brought a standalone 7-inch single containing the tracks "Calendar Days" and "Indecisive." The second album, Shapeshifter, appeared in October of that year and peaked at number 50 on the Billboard pop chart.

Moving away from the more reflective approach of the initial pair of albums, the group aimed for an openly affirmative outlook on its next release. Fronted by buoyant cuts such as "RSVP" and "Breathe," 20/20 surfaced in September of its namesake year and represented Knuckle Puck's final outing for Rise. In December 2021 the band dropped the single "Levitate" and embarked on a headlining trek marking its tenth anniversary. The self-released 2022 EP Disposable Life preceded tours alongside Hot Mulligan and New Found Glory, after which the musicians aligned with Pure Noise and unveiled the single "Groundhog Day." Over the course of 2023 they continued with further singles including "The Tower" and "Losing What We Love." Stripped of earlier optimism and marked by greater intensity than prior material, these tracks led into the fourth album, Losing What We Love, issued later in the year.