Knuckle Puck: What’s Recent and What’s to Come
- Sage Plapp
- Feb 24
- 4 min read
Between a fresh release, a feature, and an upcoming tour, Chicago Illinois-based pop punk band Knuckle Puck has been making strides lately. For anyone wondering what they’re up to, let this be your chronological guide for what’s happened recently and what’s to come since the start of 2025.
“Nice to Know Ya” Recent Release and Shoreline “Forgive” Feature:
On January 23, 2025, Knuckle Puck released “Nice to Know Ya.” This is the first drop in a while, coming after the release of “On All Cylinders” which dropped on October 24, 2024. These two singles were paired together upon the more recent release, and this foreshadows the possibility of a larger project on the rise.
As a brief description, “Nice to Know Ya” hits a nostalgic pop-punk tone with high energy and some heavier influences. The vocals take on an anthemic tone, the bass works with a punch of energy which is complemented by the percussive drive, and the guitars work with a quick thrash to them. That being said, it hits the highs and lows, and the tempo is well-controlled. At around 01:03, a spoken word bit cuts in. Also, there’s a bridge at around 01:50 that brings a dash of softness to things.
Lyrically, it cues listeners into a disconnection; one that is welcomed. “Nice to know ya, now you're gone,” the main hook expresses. But then there’s a force in the other direction. Though there is that knowledge, there is also a dash of emotion in the exploration of said connection. This is cued in with lines such as, “I'm spaced out and jaded / And you only complicate it,” and “Yeah, you said you swore me off / But you called your own bluff.” It seems to come from the place of a voice that is confused, they’re ready to move on, but there are so many other feelings at play.
A highlight in the lyrics is the second verse. This verse paints the picture of a reconnection with family. There’s small talk and banter, but still, there is a difficulty that the narrator has in even trying to smile. This is loaded with emotion and poeticism, and it’s written with clues and cues that allow listeners to jump in and explore the narrative from different perspectives.
Outside of this release is another strong release by Shoreline. This new track, named “Forgive,” was released on February 4 and features Knuckle Puck frontman Joe Taylor. This track works with a hardcore sound and emo influences that are signature for Shoreline releases. Taylor fits into this track on a verse at around 01:15, and the brightness of his vocals has a lot to add as they contrast the deeper tone of Shoreline’s frontman Hansol Seung. As this verse wraps up, both vocalists connect in a phenomenal harmony.
Copacetic Anniversary Tour and Festivals:
On May 7, 2025, Knuckle Puck is kicking off an anniversary tour for 10 years of their debut album Copacetic in Denver, Co. This tour will be hitting the East and West coasts, and all of the tour dates with links to purchase tickets can be found on the tour page on their website. In addition to the tour poster that can be found on their socials, there are more dates outside of the U.S. These are two festivals that will line up with the end of the tour.
Knuckle Puck will be hitting international stages on May 24th in Hatfield, England for the Slam Dunk Festival. On their site, it notes that they will play the full album at this festival. This includes a second date on May 25th in Leeds. Alongside Knuckle Puck, this event has a lineup including Neck Deep, New Found Glory, The Used, and A Day To Remember.
After they wrap up this festival, they’ll be at the All Your Friends Festival on June 29th in Oro Station, Canada. This festival will include other artists/bands such as Avril Lavigne, Simple Plan, Relient K, and The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.
Where to Follow and How to Support Knuckle Puck:
Knuckle Puck can be found on all major streaming platforms including Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube. Additionally, they have a Linktr.ee that leads to several different destinations including links to buy merch and tour tickets. Aside from that, they drop updates and content on their Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. These are great places to go to keep up with any more updates.
A Brief Recap: Knuckle Puck 2025, What Have They Done and What’s in Store?
In short, Knuckle Puck has been up to a lot. This is great news for current fans, and it’s likely to bring more attention their way. Their “Nice to Know Ya” single is a heavy hitter that may lead to a larger project as it was paired with a previous single. Also, frontman Joe Taylor had a lot of tonal color to add to the vocals of Shoreline’s latest release “Forgive.” Moving forward, Knuckle Puck will be kicking off their Copacetic anniversary tour in Colorado on May 7, and they’ll start with some festival performances on May 24 in Hatfield, England. It’s already shining through that 2025 is going to be a big year for this band!
Written by Sage Plapp
Point and Shoot Photo by Allie Loven
