Knocked Loose frontman Bryan Garris is an ordinary-looking dude who screams all his lyrics. “I just can’t sing,” Garris tells me matter-of-factly. “I wish all the time that I could, but I probably wouldn’t utilize it for Knocked Loose. We just want to be an intense band. There’s never, ever been a conversation of softening.”

Even without toning down the mayhem, Garris and co. have scored one of 2024’s most commercially successful new rock albums from one of the genre’s most traditionally un-commercial corners. Knocked Loose play pummeling, metallic hardcore—the kind of stuff that’s forged in basements and DIY venues, fine-tuned for moshing and fan connection. 

You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To is 28 minutes of pure carnage, free from any commercial concessions. After dropping on May 10 through Pure Noise Records, the band’s third studio album debuted at No. 1 on three Billboard charts: Independent Albums, Hard Rock Albums and Indie Store Album Sales. The album earned nearly 24,000 units (including an impressive 18,000 in pure sales) in its first week, good for a No. 23 debut on the Billboard 200 dated May 25. Some context: it debuted ahead of a new studio album from Kings of Leon, a major label band with significantly more industry clout. (And among fast-rising newcomers, Knocked Loose came in five spots above Chappell Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess during that particular chart week.) 

“People were excited to buy this record,” says James Vitalo, Knocked Loose’s manager for Gold Theory Artists. “They carry themselves so well and are so intentional with everything they do. People want to see them win.” 

Historically, heavy rock bands tend to forge commercial inroads by making their sound more palatable: think Metallica serving ballads on The Black Album, or Bring Me the Horizon ditching their MySpace deathcore roots and singing big, shiny choruses on 2013’s Sempiternal. Instead, Knocked Loose dug their heels into the sound that made them.

The five-piece (which also includes guitarists Isaac Hale and Nicko Calderon, bassist Kevin Otten, and drummer Kevin “Pacsun” Kaine) formed in 2013 in Louisville, Kentucky. “We were thrown into the deep end of DIY touring,” Garris recalls of the early days. “You’re trapped in a basement, either fighting or getting beat up. Louisville was never very violent. Then [we were] going to bigger cities, seeing how hard people mosh.” 

Knocked Loose became one of the hottest names in hardcore thanks to their 2014 EP, Pop Culture. They signed to Pure Noise Records, a young indie label best known for breaking pop-punk bands like State Champs and The Story So Far. The pairing was an immediate win for both sides: Pure Noise boosted its cred with a buzzy band outside its typical purview, and Knocked Loose got a label with strong independent distribution (the Orchard distributed You Won’t Go).

Their 2016 debut album Laugh Tracks solidified their national following, particularly with the minute-long tune “Counting Worms.” Its earthquaking breakdown — punctuated by Garris barking, “ARF ARF” — was memed across the alt-kid internet, and gave Knocked Loose an early signature song. Three years later, they’d built such a strong following that 2019 sophomore album A Different Shade of Blue debuted at No. 26 on the Billboard 200, more than 100 spots higher than Laugh Tracks, which started at No. 163 in 2016. 

As Knocked Loose planned its third LP, 2023 brought them an unexpected invite: Coachella. “We immediately said yes,” says Garris. Then the anxious waiting set in: “What’s this going to be? It could be bad, and that would be fine. It’s Coachella. It’s not our normal stage.” 

April 16, as their 8:10 p.m. set time approached, the setting looked surprisingly… familiar. “We pull up, go to our stage, and there’s no barricade. This has to be a mistake, they’re probably still setting up. Then our stage manager comes over, he’s wearing a punk shirt, and immediately introduces himself: ‘We’re really excited to have you guys, we know what you’re about, blah, blah, blah.’ I was like, ‘Are you keeping the barricade down?’ He says yeah. I’m thinking, This is insane.”

It was. Seriously, watch this. This was at Coachella: 

New eyeballs were on Garris. “Someone said Tom DeLonge [was sidestage], someone said Ethel Cain, which was a big one for me, personally. Then the video came out of Billie Eilish watching us play. I was just like, This doesn’t feel real.”

As Knocked Loose garnered new fans (including some famous ones), Vitalo sensed new interest in Knocked Loose’s scene from various factions of the music industry. “I’ve been working with metal and hardcore bands for 10 years, and over the last two, there’s been a lot of people coming into a space that’s been neglected,” he says. “A lot of record labels, booking agents, and managers are paying attention to something they haven’t paid attention to before. I’m not saying it’s a good or a bad thing, but it’s noticeable. Not letting that go to their heads proves Knocked Loose’s character.” 

Knocked Loose capitalized on the Coachella momentum. Three weeks later, they unleashed Upon Loss Singles, a two-song collection featuring their first work with Grammy-nominated producer Drew Fulk (Lil Peep, A Day to Remember). This new strain of Knocked Loose — widescreen and hi-fi, while somehow even more brutal—would become fully realized on You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To. Take the ominous little coda of “Moss Covers All” that segues seamlessly into the beatdown opening of “Take Me Home,” or the guest appearance from goth-pop artist Poppy, who screams with Garris while Kaine drums a reggaeton rhythm on “Suffocate.” The lattermost track hit the top 10 on Spotify’s Viral 50 chart in May alongside the album drop, and became Knocked Loose’s first entry on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, reaching No. 46 in May.

Knocked Loose christened the new album at L.A.’s Shrine Auditorium in May with over 6,000 fans, their largest headlining show yet. Bands that get bigger by getting heavier are rare – but starting in August, Knocked Loose began touring with one of them. 

“Knocked Loose slams so hard, they’re gonna have bone problems later in life,” says Slipknot percussionist Shawn “Clown” Crahan, recounting a conversation from the previous night’s gig. “When people say these things out loud, you know they’re doing it.”

Strong words, coming from the guy who’s been slamming kegs and custom drum kits with metal bats in a clown mask for the past three decades. Slipknot is touring behind the 25th anniversary of its self-titled 1999 debut, and Knocked Loose was hand-picked to open the entire trek. “A tour of this scale comes with its own new set of benefits for a band like us,” Garris says. “This is all uncharted territory.”

On Aug. 12, the tour came to New York’s Madison Square Garden. The place was sold out, and this was clearly the headliner’s crowd: parents rocking decades-old Slipknot gear, kids in youth-size tees and replica coveralls. Still, the seats were nearly full in time for Knocked Loose’s opening set, and as Knocked Loose raged, the crowd responded. Fans in the nosebleeds looked up from their nachos. The mosh pit didn’t get as big as it would for Slipknot, but it was livelier. 

“You see people who get there early and go straight to the barricade, saving their spot for Slipknot,” Garris tells me. “At the start of our set, they couldn’t care less. Slowly but surely, they start to bob their head, put their hands up. Watching that firsthand is super rewarding.” 

Knocked Loose has a way of winning over the unconverted. Maybe it’s in Garris’ voice. The stereotypical hardcore frontman is some big dude with a deep, guttural scream who sounds like he’s looking for an excuse to beat you up. When Garris screams, he’s high-pitched and a bit unhinged. He sounds like he’s been through some real s–t, not simply here to play the punisher. 

“I just got done telling Bryan and those guys about understanding that you’re in the zone,” Clown says. “You need a good team. A family around you, checking for isolation, substance abuse, depression, ego. You can’t just go rock out. Sharon Osborne checked in on me. I had Deftones bass player Chi [Cheng], who’s passed. He would check on me, because we were both family men. I’m checking in on [Knocked Loose] because I understand the realities.” 

Music this physical is not easy to play night after night. The rigors of the road affect any popular artist, but Knocked Loose are regularly at risk of hockey-style injuries– and the kind of maladies you can’t see. “I’m definitely not a teenager anymore,” says Garris, who will turn 31 on Sept. 6. “I’m listening to myself and taking care of myself. I can’t do this if I’m not mentally healthy.” 

There’s a lot more ahead. After the Slipknot tour wraps Sept. 21, Knocked Loose will embark on a 22-date U.S. headlining tour Oct. 4. It’s a mix of large theaters, amphitheaters, and even arenas. There will be several chances to break that attendance record they set four months ago.

Knocked Loose’s success feels intensely singular, nearly impossible to duplicate. They’ve been fighting the good fight for over a decade, a top-tier band in a genre known for loyal, highly-engaged fans. Many probably see a bit of themselves in Garris. The band’s support team is well-connected. Can Knocked Loose get even bigger? 

If another legendary metal band takes them on tour, that wouldn’t hurt. The Grammys have nominated fresh blood like Turnstile, Code Orange, and Deafheaven in the best metal performance category in recent years, if that’s an item Knocked Loose is looking to cross off their list. But really, the core to all this is pushing the envelope with each release, then going out and slaying shows. It’s not that complicated. 

“Every time we headline,” muses Garris, “it’s like, Where can we take it now? What’s the next step?”

Future’s third project of the year is on the way. The Atlanta superstar announced plans for his Mixtape Pluto project back in May, but its arrival appears to be on the horizon.

A snipped to a blistering track titled “Lil Demon” was teased on the Freebandz Instagram account on Monday night (Sept. 2), and the label’s website revealed that Mixtape Pluto was “bout to drop.” Pre-save links to streaming services are now live.

The accompanying clip for “Lil Demon” fittingly finds Future turning up in the studio while also being surrounded by a plethora of beautiful women to set the vibe.

“How!!? 10+ years of non stop consistent hits Bro really the goat,” an excited fan wrote, while another added, “Greatest to ever do it man!”

A frequent collaborator of Future’s, Travis Scott teased his involvement with the project when he tweeted “MIXTAPE PLUTO” shortly after the Freebandz announcement went live.

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MIXTAPE PLUTO

— TRAVIS SCOTT (@trvisXX) September 3, 2024

There’s still no firm release date for Mixtape Pluto. When it arrives, Mixtape Pluto will serve as Future’s third project of 2024 following his pair of collab albums with Metro Boomin, We Don’t Trust You and We Still Don’t Trust You, which both topped the Billboard 200.

It’s starting to feel a bit like Future’s epic 2015 run, which saw him drop a pair of fan-favorite mixtapes in Beast Mode and 56 Nights, followed by his DS2 studio album and the What a Time to Be Alive Drake joint project all within an eight-month span.

Future and Metro Boomin are wrapping up their We Trust You Tour within the next week, with dates still on tap for Sacramento, Oakland, Seattle, Portland and Vancouver.

Mona Scott-Young says she spent the summer “bouncing back-and-forth” between two popular, concurrent tours that she produced with Live Nation: the 30-city Queens of R&B, co-starring SWV and Xscape, and the highly anticipated, 24-city Out of This World: The Missy Elliott Experience — the rap icon’s first-ever headlining gig featuring Ciara, Busta Rhymes and Timbaland.

Both tours wrapped in August, and the founder and CEO of Monami Entertainment and Monami Productions says she’s currently focusing on another co-production: the Sept. 27 theatrical release of The Lost Holliday, starring Vivica A. Fox and the film’s director, Jussie Smollett.

“We have one life, right?” Scott-Young says. “So we’ve got to get it while the getting’s good. With these tours now under our belt, we have other film and TV projects under development. Once we get those up and running, I definitely have other ideas I’m going to develop.” And that’s not counting the multimedia mogul’s earlier business endeavors such as producing the VH1 reality flagship Love & Hip Hop, which led to Atlanta and Miami spinoffs that are in their 12th and fifth seasons, respectively. (Scott-Young is not actively involved with these shows.) She also co-owns MYX Fusions wine beverages.

Scott-Young began her entrepreneurial evolution in 1996 when she and late music executive Chris Lighty co-founded the company Violator. Comprising various divisions including management, a record label and a marketing group, Violator boasted such marquee R&B/hip-hop talent as Busta Rhymes, LL COOL J, 50 Cent, Mariah Carey, Fantasia and Elliott. (Scott-Young still manages Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Elliott under Monami Entertainment.)

“I never felt like the little woman in the equation,” she says of her co-venture with Lighty. “It was a true partnership. He supported me, but I also made sure that I showed up, showed out and delivered at every turn.”

The New York native, wife and mother of two first staked her claim in TV with the 2005 UPN reality competition series The Road to Stardom With Missy Elliott, produced by her then-newly minted Monami Productions. Six years later, she launched the original Love & Hip Hop series. Since then, Scott-Young has executive-­produced a host of subsequent TV programs, among them the History Channel’s Cocaine: History Between the Lines, WE tv’s Tamar Braxton: Get Ya Life! and Bravo’s The New Atlanta and SWV and Xscape: Queens of R&B, which spawned the tour.

Scott-Young isn’t one to look back. “I’m lucky and blessed every time I get the chance to tap another skill set, another part of what I’m capable of. I haven’t pulled my hair out yet,” she says with a laugh, “so we’ll see what’s next. I have no idea, but I’m here — and I’m ready.”

What took so long for Missy Elliott to embark on her first-ever headlining tour?

It wasn’t for the lack of opportunity or fan requests. Over the years, she’s gotten offers. But it’s all about her feeling the timing is right for anything. She’s popped her head up every now and then when given an opportunity like Lovers & Friends [in 2023]. She did that concert and a few others because they afforded her the scale and budgetary perspective to put together the kind of show that she wants to deliver for her fans. Then she woke up one morning and was like, “We should go out on tour.” We sat down at the top of the year, and it came together very quickly as we jammed through every detail from set design to wardrobe, choreography and everything in between. There is no simple “I’m just going to jump onstage” for Missy Elliott. This was a full-on, spectacular production.

Elliott has talked about having Graves disease. How has she dealt with that on tour?

We’ve been keeping her safe. The good thing is she has adopted a very healthy lifestyle. She walks constantly to maintain her weight and stamina level. So other than the normal wear and tear of performing every night, we’ve tried to keep her in good shape healthwise, which is why we didn’t do many meet-and-greets, although Missy went into the audience every night.

What does the Queens of R&B tour say about the impact of those veteran groups and the popularity of R&B?

There are probably more R&B core artists out there now than ever before, and not just in the U.S.: It’s resonating internationally. Couple that with what’s happening with females in music. Look at hip-hop: We have more female artists out now than in a very long time. When you put those elements together, you have all of the emotional attachments that fans have for these two ’90s groups. Watching Xscape and SWV on Verzuz, seeing them on their TV show trying to put their differences aside and pull [the tour] together. It’s the music, the sisterhood, the female empowerment of it all. And it’s a testament to the staying power of these ladies and their careers.

Why are nostalgia tours like these so popular and profitable right now?

Missy talked about this while on the road, her seeing the grandmas — and the grandkids — out there in the audience. A lot of these kids — even her dancers — weren’t even born when her music was first released. And there definitely has been a resurgence, especially for ’90s music across both hip-hop and R&B. We’re seeing a lot of new artists who are tapping into that era of music and the emotions it evokes. It holds a special place for both artists and fans. It also goes back to everything I believe: that you’re definitely as old as you allow yourself to be. And art is art. You mentioned Mick Jagger at 81. As long as you’re still able to get out there, do what you love and execute your passion with a level of delivery that’s going to make fans walk away feeling satisfied and entertained, then God bless. Rock out.

Aren’t women artists subjected to a harsher standard when it comes to age?

As women in business, we’ve dealt with ageism for as long as I can remember. I don’t subscribe to that. When you look at what Missy managed to put on that stage, and SWV and Xscape and their years of experience, musicality and performanceship, you can’t put an age on that. And audiences are turning out.

Will Missy or the Queens extend their tours?

They’re both doing extremely well, so there have been conversations. We have an international opportunity that we’re looking at [for Elliott]. But you know, that tour is such a megillah that I’m just focused on successfully getting through this first round. Missy’s excited about touring. She’s loving the experience, so we’re definitely having discussions about how we keep this thing going.

You have managed Elliott for 20-plus years — a rarity in this business. What’s your secret?

I understand her. At our first official meeting, I saw this incredible, larger-than-life talent. But beyond that, I saw a human being who has been through things in life that contributed to her brilliance — but also created this introverted person who felt the need to protect herself from being hurt. So part of me understood that she needed someone to block for her — clear the path — so that she could reach her maximum potential.

Sounds like you two are close.

I think the relationship has worked to where we’re simultaneously friends, colleagues and sisters. We’ve cried together, laughed together, won together, seen dark days together.

What other artists do you manage?

I have more recently been getting pulled back into management, specifically on the music side. I work very closely with a company called Artist Collective Entertainment. Nick Roses, Brian Sher, Eric Tomosunas and myself are the founding partners. We’ve brought our respective experience and talent to the table to see how we can better serve artists across the board. There’ll be an announcement soon about the company, but we’ve got a growing roster of talent from music artists to actors.

What’s your advice for women navigating an industry that remains male-dominated?

I don’t want to say it hasn’t been difficult. I’m the kind of person that believes we control our destinies. We cannot allow ourselves to be held back, pigeonholed or marginalized by other people, society or the restrictions that we know exist. Our job every single day is to realize our potential and fight to push ourselves to our limits. I understand what my gifts and talents are. So I just push through every day — push myself further to go to places where we are told we should not be and doing things we are told we can’t do. It’s all about proving them wrong.

You often say that you are determined to create pop culture moments. How do you define those moments?

It’s about doing things that are going to stay with people, providing them with an experience that resonates — one they can hang on to, look back on and talk about as a pivotal moment, whether it’s a piece of music, a memory, an experience. So whether it’s a TV show like Love & Hip Hop, which became part of the zeitgeist and redefined the way we saw a particular genre of television; producing Missy Elliott’s first headlining tour and being a part of that moment in music; or taking a brand like Queens of R&B, doing it as a TV show and then leveraging it as a tour. That is a pop culture moment.

Siding with the estate of Isaac Hayes, a federal judge has issued a temporary order prohibiting former President Donald Trump and his campaign from playing the singer’s “Hold On, I’m Coming” at rallies.

Weeks after Hayes’ heirs accused Trump of using the song without a license, Judge Thomas Thrash Jr. granted the estate a preliminary injunction on Tuesday (Sep. 3): “I do order Trump and his campaign to not use the song without proper license,” the judge said at a hearing, as reported by CNN.

The judge’s order bars the campaign from continuing to publicly perform the song at future rallies while the case plays out, according to CNN, but the judge denied a request for a more expansive order that would have forced the campaign to pull down videos of rallies in which the song can be heard.

An attorney for the Hayes estate did not immediately return a request for comment. An attorney for Trump confirmed that the order was issued, though he stressed that the campaign had already agreed to stop using the song at rallies.

Hayes’ estate sued Trump last month, accusing the campaign of using “Hold On” at rallies and in video recordings of those events. Hayes co-wrote the 1966 song, which was performed and released by the duo Sam & Dave.

Every four years, artists complain about the use of their music by politicians — often with mixed results. But the 2024 campaign season has seen a particular outburst of gripes about music used by Trump. Beyoncé, Celine Dion, the Foo Fighters, Jack White, ABBA and Sinead O’Connor‘s estate have all spoken out against the former president’s use of their songs — some merely with social media posts and others with cease-and-desist letters from their lawyers.

The Hayes estate went a step further, filing a federal lawsuit on Aug. 16 against Trump, his campaign, the Republican National Committee and others. The case accused the campaign of infringing copyrights, but also of violating federal trademark law — essentially claiming that the campaign’s use of the song made it appear that Hayes or his heirs had endorsed Trump’s bid to return to the White House.

The campaign has claimed that its use of Hayes’ song was covered by a so-called blanket license it purchased from BMI, which grants political campaigns the legal right to perform millions of different copyrighted songs at rallies. But the Hayes estate says it withdrew the song from that catalog in June — and that the Trump campaign was notified of the change in writing. It’s also unclear if such a license would cover the use of the song in video recordings of the rallies.

The flurry of complaints against Trump is nothing new. In past election cycles, the Rolling Stones, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Adele, Rihanna, Aerosmith, Guns N’ Roses, Linkin Park, and the estates of Prince and Tom Petty have all asked the Republican candidate to stop using their music.