Hailing from Chicago, Illinois, Knuckle Puck are at the forefront of modern day pop-punk. September saw the release of the band's highly anticipated third studio album, 20/20, a joyous riot fueled by gain-heavy powerchords, super-tight instrumentation and luscious vocal harmonies – a perfect blend for anyone seeking a much-needed dose of optimism in these crazy times.
Guitarist Nick Casasanto joins Guitar World today to blaze through the infectious leads and rock-solid rhythm lines of Sidechain, the record's ultra-catchy third track.
He plays a Fender Jazzmaster hollowbody electric guitar – with a Curtis Novak wide-range humbucking pickup in the bridge – through a Revv D-20 amp and a Universal Audio Apollo 8p interface. He also uses the 20/20, an overdrive pedal he designed in collaboration with Mike Pappalardo of Compendium Engineering.
“Sidechain is a feelgood punk song that we wrote early on for 20/20,” Casasanto says. “The simple rhythm chords that both guitars jam on were meant to sound very thick and full when played together.
“The 20/20 Overdrive does a great job of gluing both parts together, which is something that Kevin [Maida] and I focus on when dialing in our guitar tone.”
- Knuckle Puck's 20/20 is available now via Rise Records.
“I thought that it was a crime that these songs were sitting there on the shelf”: In the 1970s, Hayley Williams’ grandfather made an album that nobody heard. Now it’s finally being released through her Paramore bandmate’s label
“He got a kidney infection, so he’s in hospital… That’s a bit of a drag, because he was going to be the lead guitarist”: The iconic charity rock song that missed out on its star guitarist due to illness – and why it could have sounded very different
