For bands that grew up playing DIY hardcore shows, headlining theatres feels aspirational. Yet fast forward 11 years, and Kentucky noise-merchants Knocked Loose are now laying waste to US arenas and major UK venues, bolstered by last year's acclaimed third studio album, You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To. As the hardcore heroes embark on their biggest UK tour to date, Hammer catches up with vocalist Bryan Garris to chat about their recent Grammy nomination and that historic pig-squeal-ridden, spin-kick filled Jimmy Kimmel performance.
How does it feel to suddenly get to the stage where your hardcore band is nominated for a Grammy and appearing on Jimmy Kimmel?
"The Grammys is such a massive opportunity, and to be recognised on that stage is such a huge honor, but there's been talks about it in the past. There's been bands that are adjacent to us that have been nominated, and there’s times where our record label has been like, 'Hey, we're going to submit a song to the Grammys'. So, while I never expected by any means to be nominated, we had had the conversation - it is in the realm of possibility.
"But when it came to Jimmy Kimmel, I had decided that was never going to happen, because we're just not that kind of band. My dad would see Turnstile on late night shows, and be like, 'When's that going to happen for you?' And I was like, 'Oh, it probably won't, we're just a different band, and that's okay'. So when we got that call, that was such a massive, amazing surprise."
Do you remember your response when you got the call?
"I have a fear of flying; my manager called me to check in on me, and he's just like, 'How are you doing with flying lately?' And I was like, 'It's fine, it ebbs and flows, but I'm okay'. And he was like, 'Cool, just checking in on you, man'. One hour later, he calls me back, and he's like, 'So I need you to fly to LA', and I was just like, 'Oh, that's why you were asking!' We got called on Thursday: 'Hey, you have to fly to LA on Tuesday because you're doing Jimmy Kimmel on Wednesday'. 'Oh, Okay, here we go!'"
Your performance with Poppy became a big moment for heavy music in general. The Pig squeal especially set the internet ablaze - was that just spur of the moment?
"No, we joked about it before. I do the guttural on Blinding Faith, so it's something that I’ve always done live, here and there, if I'm really feeling it. The second that we got the offer for Jimmy Kimmel, my girlfriend and I were celebrating and I jokingly said, 'I'm gonna pig squeal on national television!' And then in my head, I was just like, 'Where am I putting it?'
"Even before the show, Isaac and I are backstage, and I'm like, 'I want to do it here, but it feels kind of awkward. He was the one that said, 'Do it halfway through the big breakdown, after Poppy does her scream'. So it was definitely planned, but it was just supposed to be funny! I didn't expect it to be the moment. It was originally just us goofing off, thinking, ‘We've gotta sneak a pig Squeal onto TV!’"
There've been talks of complaints about your performance from unprepared viewers…
"The original comment that got all that going, saying they demanded an apology, that was definitely fake. It's funny, because that's the one that the local news talked about it, and they used that comment. All these magazines were posting that comment, but it was just spam, someone trying to be funny! However, I don't doubt that some people were definitely bummed if they were just watching TV and all of a sudden that came on, but it made for a very entertaining and funny couple of days on the internet!"
Knocked Loose tour the UK and Europe this month and headline select festivals in North America this summer. They headline Outbreak Fest in London and England in June
