Knuckle Puck is back with a vengeance, ensuring you feel every single bit of it. Their new single, “Nice to Know Ya,” is a full-throttle, electrifying energy, sarcastic swagger, and a splash of controlled chaos, just what pop-punk needs now.
Right from the jump, the track gets experimental with jarring, angular chords and a thumping rhythm section that lets the tension simmer. Then Joe Taylor’s unmistakable vocals come in raw, urgent, and infused with the emotional grit that makes you want to scream along in a crowded room. The chorus erupts in classic Knuckle Puck fashion, “I thought you had enough. Wanted more but not the cost Yeah, you said you swore me off , But you called your bluff. Goodbye, now you’re gone.”
Things take a sharper turn in the second verse. At this point, Taylor switches into breathless spoken-word delivery, stringing together a list of things so laden with sarcasm that it’s dripping: “Everyone wants to know what it feels like to be a rockstar. I say I’m doing great and crack a smile like a fucking politician.” It’s biting, brutally honest, and the kind of risk that keeps Knuckle Puck ahead of the pack.
Discussing “Nice to Know Ya,” the band says, “We wanted to leave you guessing, bringing back that unpredictable songwriting that we always strove for. Ugly chords, push-pull lyrics, a spoken verse. We wanted it all.”
Kicking off their 10-year anniversary tour with Copacetic in May and with a recent wave of momentum behind them, Knuckle Puck is proving yet again why they are one of pop-punk’s most essential voices. Strap up; this ride has only just begun.