In our latest episode of Art Of The Record, producer Will Putney discusses capturing the excitement of Knocked Loose.
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Though he's renowned as one of modern hardcore's most riveting frontmen, Knocked Loose vocalist Bryan Garris sits mild-mannered, clean-shaven, and almost preppy-looking inside Graphic Nature Audio in Belleville, New Jersey, far away from his Kentucky home. In a way, this contradiction between appearance and sound is a perfect analogy for what Knocked Loose represent: though one of the heaviest bands in the world right now, they're also easily accessible to those not so well acquainted with the genre. Perhaps this is why their new album, A Different Shade Of Blue, is one of the most anticipated releases of 2019.
“It’s super humbling,” Bryan says of the band’s success since the release of their 2016 debut Laugh Tracks. “Laugh Tracks obviously did way better than we thought it was going to, and put us in front of way more people than we thought it was going to. So the fact that they’re still with us and still excited for what comes next is very refreshing. You’re always afraid to be that one hit wonder or be the hype band for a couple months and then pass away. Everybody saying that it’s the most anticipated record definitely puts the pressure on, but I personally think it’s a better record.”
Knocked Loose’s ability to satisfy a more diverse fanbase than most hardcore acts owes itself to the fact that they always want to be a local band first and foremost, never wanting to give up their identity or values as a hustling, humble group of guys.
“We’ve always been the band that just grinds as much as we can,” Bryan says. “Before we got signed, before Laugh Tracks was out [and] we got our first van, we toured for 10 months out of that year.”
The last three years of relentless touring released speaks to just how important a Knocked Loose live show is. A large part of what has made them so popular across multiple fanbases is how their brutal, unforgiving sound gives way to a fun yet violent energy. So when the band finally had to draw a line in the sand and commit to writing and recording a new record with veteran producer Will Putney -- who also produced of their debut -- they were intent on capturing that raw power on the album.
“The fact that they’re so young, and they’re so excited about being a band, makes for a really fun and creative process,” says Will in our latest episode of Art Of The Record, our video series examining the bands who record with Will at Graphic Nature, the studio he runs. “I had produced Knocked Loose’s previous record Laugh Tracks, and the difference, as far as the pre-production stage goes, is that I had already known the band, we’re a lot more familiar with what we wanted to do in the studio on this record, and they were here a lot more before we started recording.”
“I think that this record is more of an entire piece of music rather than just a collection of songs,” Bryan says. “We wanted to make a piece of art that all flows together. There are certain parts of this record that I took a poetic approach to rather than just my regular cut and dry lyrics. I tried writing short stories. I tried writing just actual poetry, and then if I liked it I would maybe structure a song around it.”
Watch Knocked Loose record alongside Will in the latest episode of Art Of The Record below:
To learn more about Will's process in the studio, check out our previous Art Of The Record episode in which he records vocals with Thy Art Is Murder's CJ McMahon.
More information on Graphic Nature Audio can be found at their website.
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