Will Knaak

Last updated

Will Knaak
Will Knaak.jpg
Will Knaak on stage in 2019. Photo by Julia Simone Paul.
Background information
Born (1984-09-23) September 23, 1984 (age 39)
Austin, Texas, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • guitarist
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • musician
Instrument(s)
Years active1996–current
Labels
  • Loungeside Records
  • WK
  • Big Duke Six
  • AcidBuffalo
  • Stepchild Records
  • Brando Records
Member of Parker McCollum Band
Formerly of Wade Bowen, Blue October
Website willknaak.com

William Carter Knaak (born September 23, 1984, Austin, Texas) is an American guitarist and singer-songwriter who has served as a sideman in several bands, released his own albums as a solo artist and frontman, and was the lead guitarist in the alternative rock band Blue October from 2018 to 2022. [1] [2] He currently plays guitar and pedal steel in Parker McCollum's band.

Contents

Early life and musical start

Knaak was born and raised in Austin, Texas. His father played piano and fronted his own band Mad Knaak and the Revolution, and also briefly played keyboard in The 13th Floor Elevators. [3] His grandmother played violin, and his uncle was a guitar player. When Knaak was eleven, his mother died in a house fire. [4] [5] [6]

Following the fire, Will and his father and brother moved to an apartment in a different neighborhood. Knaak isolated himself in his room and played guitar for several hours every day, learning songs by his favorite bands such as Tripping Daisy, Nirvana, Soundgarden, and the Offspring. [3] [6] Knaak's uncle introduced him to the music of Chuck Berry’s rock ‘n’ roll and country greats such as Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, and Willie Nelson, contributing to Knaak's blend of alternative rock and country guitar playing style.

Knaak and his dad would often dine at the Broken Spoke restaurant in Austin, which hosted live music acts. After a performance at the Spoke, performer Guitar Lynn taught Knaak the blues scale on guitar and suggested he could use this knowledge to solo with blues bands on nearly any song. As a twelve-year-old, Knaak soon found himself sitting in at gigs with local players such as Charlie and Will Sexton, Doug Sahm, and Paul Ray of the Cobras. [3]

Aged 13, Knaak joined the kid band Redheaded Stepchild along with future Snarky Puppy guitarist Chris McQueen and other classmates. [7] The group played western swing covers, and even wrote some original songs, releasing the album Deep, Wide, & Forever in 1998. Knaak graduated from Natural Ear Music School in Austin where his teachers included the legendary fiddler Alvin Crow and Texas Music Hall of Famer Johnny X Reed who both promptly invited him to play as sideman at their gigs, and immersed him into the deep history of the Austin blues scene in addition to adding the influences of 50s R&B and surf rock to Knaak's playing. [8]

After a year of performing weekly concerts with Reed's band The Nortons, and Crow's group The Pleasant Valley Boys, at age sixteen Knaak was fronting his own band, Knaak Attack, with bassist Silas Parker and drummer Vincent Ambrosone. [9] Record producer David Dickinson caught one of their shows and offered to produce an album for the group, which they sold on CD-Rs at their concerts throughout their formative years. [3]

When Knaak was fifteen, the mayor of Austin, Kirk Watson, declared May 24, 2000 as Will Knaak Day, which culminated in Will headlining an outdoor concert in front of five thousand fans at Auditorium Shores. [10] He credits this as the day when he fully committed himself to pursuing a career in music and never looked back. [3]

Music career

Knaak recorded his first solo album The Only Open Road at Shine Studios in Dripping Springs, Texas with producer Jeff Plankenhorn, longtime guitarist in Bob Schneider’s band. The set was mixed and engineered by Justin Douglas and released on Loungeside Records in February 2016. Knaak's band for the album included drummer Brannen Temple and bassist Yoggie Musgrove. [11] Later in 2016 Knaak teamed up with a different group of players to record the EP Will Knaak & the Voodoo Exorcists which showcased a hard-edged sound heavily influenced by 90s grunge, The Joshua Tree era U2, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Lenny Kravitz, and Jimi Hendrix. Working with Lance Harvill as producer, the band consisted of Chris Gilbreath on rhythm guitar, Keith Long on bass, and Michael Ferguson on drums. In December 2016 Knaak's former teenage band The Knaak Attack played a reunion show and enjoyed the experience so much that they went into the studio and recorded an album, independently releasing it in May 2017. The group played a series of concerts that summer to promote the album.[ citation needed ]

Knaak on stage with Parker McCollum's band at The Fillmore Detroit in 2023. Willknaak columbus2023.jpg
Knaak on stage with Parker McCollum's band at The Fillmore Detroit in 2023.

In addition to his solo work, Knaak has been an in-demand sideman and session player in the Austin scene for a diverse array of artists. [12] [6] He played national tours with acts such as Angela Peterson, [13] Johnny Solinger of Skid Row, [13] Parker McCollum, and Wade Bowen and Randy Rogers. [14]

Knaak joined Bowen's band for the tour in support of Bowen's 2014 self-titled album, which included an appearance on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Knaak then played banjo and guitar on Bowen and Rogers' 2015 collaborative album Hold My Beer Vol. 1 , which peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Country albums chart, and number 3 on Billboard's Independent Albums Chart. [15] He played on the album's supporting tour "Hold My Beer and Watch This!" and continued as a member of Bowen's band until 2018. Inspired by the birth of his daughter, and unable to tour during the COVID-19 pandemic, Knaak recorded a solo album Live in Lockdown Vol. 1 which he released via Bandcamp on June 23, 2020. On April 29, 2022 Knaak self-released a jazz-influenced minimalist instrumental album entitled Lonely Lo-Fi. In November 2022 Knaak launched a kickstarter campaign for his next solo album Dying Day which he described as a "gritty, soulful, bluesy, and roots-based". [16] The campaign raised over $20,000, double the initial goal. Knaak's goal was to record the album by June 2023 and release it in 2024. As of August 2023, the recording sessions are complete, and the album will be mixed by Blue October's recording engineer Eric Holtz in mid 2023, in preparation for a 2024 release.

In June–July 2022, Knaak toured as a sideman in Parker McCollum's band, which included several dates opening for Thomas Rhett. [17] Following the tour, he accepted an offer to be full-time guitarist in McCollum's band starting in December 2022. [18]

Through his extensive session work, Knaak befriended local producer and studio owner Matt Noveskey. When Noveskey's band Blue October found themselves in need of a guitarist in February 2018, Knaak jumped at the opportunity. [6] His first studio work with the band was on the song "King" for their ninth studio album I Hope You're Happy which reached number 28 on the Billboard 200 and number 3 on the Billboard Alternative Albums chart. [6] He also appeared in the music video for the single "Daylight". [19] He toured North America and Europe for Blue October's I Hope You’re Happy tour in 2018–2019, and his first album with the group, Live From Manchester was released in November 2019. In 2020 Knaak played lead guitar on Blue October's tenth album This is What I Live For and received co-writing credit for the song "Stay with Me". In a 2020 interview, Blue October frontman Justin Furstenfeld said Knaak is probably the most talented guitarist Blue October has ever had, calling him a "true professional guitarist". [20] Along with Noveskey and Blue October's drum technician Charley Seiss, Knaak is also a member of the Ryan Delahoussaye-fronted side project The Meeting Place, which played their first shows in August 2019. He also contributed guitar to Matt Noveskey's side project Icarus Bell, co-writing the band's debut single "Aces". [21] [6] During the summer of 2022 Knaak toured with Blue October, opening for the Goo Goo Dolls on a three month run which saw the band playing premier amphitheaters across North America. Knaak contributed guitar to part 1 of Blue October's triple album Spinning the Truth Around , and co-wrote the music for two songs, "How Can You Love Me If You Don't Even Like Me?", and "The Kitchen Drawer". Knaak played guitar on the first leg of the album's supporting tour in late 2022. Knaak's final concert with Blue October was December 17, 2022, in San Antonio, Texas.

Discography

YearArtistTitle
1998RedHeaded StepchildDeep, Wide, & Forever
2004Alvin CrowWhite Trash Opera
2006Melissa SellersDeep South Austin [22]
2009The Statesboro RevueA Different Kind of Light
2009Wes HaydenFull Circle [23]
2010 Jon Wolfe It All Happened in a Honky Tonk [24]
2015 Randy Rogers and Wade Bowen Hold My Beer Vol. 1 [15]
2015 Royal Southern Brotherhood Don't Look Back: The Muscle Shoals Sessions
2015Pauline ReeseJust Getting Started
2016Will KnaakThe Only Open Road
2016Will Knaak & the Voodoo ExorcistsWill Knaak & the Voodoo Exorcists
2017Knaak AttackKnaak Attack
2018 Blue October I Hope You're Happy
2019Blue OctoberKing
2019Jake LloydMoonLit Mornings
2019Blue OctoberLive From Manchester
2020Will KnaakLive in Lockdown Vol. 1
2020Blue October This Is What I Live For
2020Lia CatalloIn My Fantasies
2022Will KnaakLonely Lofi
2022Blue October Spinning the Truth Around (Part I)
2022DurawaOne Human Race
2023Will KnaakDying Day

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathy Valentine</span> American guitarist and bassist

Kathryn Valentine is an American musician who is the bassist for the rock band the Go-Go's. She has maintained a career in music through songwriting, recording, performing and touring as well as additional academic and creative pursuits. Valentine was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in October 2021 as a member of The Go-Go's.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue October</span> American rock band

Blue October is an American rock band originally from Houston, Texas, formed in 1995. It currently consists of singer/guitarist Justin Furstenfeld, drummer Jeremy Furstenfeld, multi-instrumentalist Ryan Delahoussaye, bassist Matt Noveskey, and lead guitarist Steve Schiltz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown</span> American musician (1924–2005)

Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown was an American singer and multi-instrumentalist from Louisiana. He won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album in 1983 for his album, Alright Again!

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earl Slick</span> American guitarist

Earl Slick is an American guitarist best known for his collaborations with David Bowie, John Lennon, Yoko Ono and Robert Smith. He has also worked with other artists including John Waite, Tim Curry and David Coverdale, in addition to releasing several solo recordings, and two records with Phantom, Rocker & Slick, the band he formed with Slim Jim Phantom & Lee Rocker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlie Sexton</span> American guitarist

Charles Wayne Sexton is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Sexton is best known for his years as a guitarist in Bob Dylan's band, though also has become well known as a music producer. Sexton co-founded Arc Angels and created the Charlie Sexton Sextet. He was still a teenager when he gained fame for his 1985 hit, "Beat's So Lonely", from his debut album, Pictures for Pleasure.

William Matthew Noveskey is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, guitarist, and bassist, best known as the bassist in the bands Blue October and Harvard of the South, and as bassist and frontman of the bands (a+)machines and Icarus Bell.

John Charles Goudie is a Cuban-American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumental musician, record producer, actor, and podcaster based in Austin, Texas. Over his five-decade career, he has received acclaim for his unique vocals and a musical style rooted in classic rock. Goudie has been the recipient of four Austin Music Awards and has fronted several bands including Goudie, Mr. Rocket Baby, Lovetree, Panjandrum, Liars & Saints, and the Little Champions. He has also been a sideman in several other bands, notably Endochine, the Lossy Coils, and Skyrocket.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SouthFM</span> American rock band

SouthFM is an American alternative rock band based in Dallas, Texas. They formed in 2000 and disbanded in October 2006. The band officially released two full-length albums, Drama Kids (2003) and Swallowing the Pill (2005). The band reunited for one concert in June 2010, and played more shows in November 2010. As of 2016 they have reformed and are working on a new album.

Francisco “Paco” Estrada III is a singer-songwriter based in Dallas, Texas. For the past twenty-five years he has been an influential presence within several genres in the Texas music scene. From 1999 to 2006, and again from 2014 onward he has fronted the alternative rock band SouthFM. He also fronted the alternative soul band Paco Estrada & One Love from 2008 to 2012 and co-fronted the hip hop group SPCCMP from 2012 to 2015. Paco has also fronted the band Heart of the City since 2017. Estrada has released four albums and an EP under his own name and has also co-written songs with a variety of artists, notably San Antonio-based hard rock band Nothing More, with whom he has co-written multiple top 10 charting singles on four of their albums, including the grammy-nominated The Stories We Tell Ourselves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denny Freeman</span> American guitarist (1944–2021)

Dennis Edward Freeman was an American Texas and electric blues guitarist. Although he is primarily known as a guitar player, Freeman also played piano and electronic organ, both in concert and on various recordings. He worked with Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmie Vaughan, Bob Dylan, Angela Strehli, Lou Ann Barton, James Cotton, Taj Mahal, Barry Goldberg and Percy Sledge amongst others.

Language Room is an American indie/alternative rock band based in Austin, Texas. Its members are Todd Sapio, Scott Graham, Matt Graham, and Sean Hill (drums). In 2014 the band changed its name to KIONA.

<i>Ugly Side: An Acoustic Evening with Blue October</i> 2011 live album by Blue October

Ugly Side: An Acoustic Evening With Blue October is a live acoustic album by Blue October. It is their third live album, and eighth album overall. The album was recorded during a sold out three-day tour of Houston, Austin, and Dallas July 22–25, 2010 during which the band played two acoustic concerts each night. The band had talked about recording an acoustic album as early as 2004, but the concerts were the first ever full-length acoustic shows that the band had ever performed. The popularity of the acoustic concerts among Blue October fans resulted in the band deciding to perform a nationwide acoustic tour to support the release of the album.

<i>Sway</i> (Blue October album) 2013 studio album by Blue October

Sway is the seventh studio album by Blue October. It was recorded at Fire Station Studio in San Marcos, Texas, with co-producer David Castell in February and March 2013. Additional recording sessions for strings and vocal overdubs took place at Test Tube Audio in Austin, Texas, in April 2013, and the album was mixed at Studio 62 in Austin by Tim Palmer between May and July 2013. Production credit for the album is shared between Justin Furstenfeld, David Castell and Tim Palmer. Castell had previously produced Blue October's album History For Sale and co-produced Foiled, while Palmer produced the band's album Any Man in America and mixed History for Sale. Sway was Blue October's first album to be released after Justin Furstenfeld got sober, and the songs have a marked sense of positivity and optimism compared to the band's previous work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Johnson (blues musician)</span> Musical artist

Bill Johnson is a Canadian blues guitarist, singer-songwriter and music educator. After a long career as a sideman and guitarist in the 1990s, he began touring with The Bill Johnson Band. They released their second album, Live, in 2006, which led to Johnson being nominated for Best Guitarist at the Maple Blues Awards. He self-released his third solo album, Still Blue, in 2010, which was nominated for Blues Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2012. Johnson continues to tour and has hosted blues workshops throughout Canada.

Harvard of the South is a four-piece rock supergroup that released its first recordings and played its initial live shows in 2014 but has its beginnings in collaborations between Longwave/Blue October singer/guitarist Steve Schiltz and Blue October members Justin Furstenfeld, Jeremy Furstenfeld, and Matt Noveskey, dating back to 2011. Harvard of the South released their debut EP, Miracle, in October 2014. Their song "Without" was issued as a free download via SoundCloud on May 8, 2017. The band's full-length studio album was published on December 11, 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parker McCollum</span> American musician

Parker Yancey McCollum is an American Americana and country singer-songwriter based in Texas. The owner of PYM Music, he released his first single and EP in 2013; his debut album The Limestone Kid was released on February 24, 2015. The Austin Chronicle gave the release 3.5/5 stars, writing that "it's too early to declare The Limestone Kid debut of the year, but it's already one to beat", and comparing McCollum's music to Charlie Robison's. McCollum and his backing band announced a 2015 tour of Texas in support of the album, performing at events such as RedGorilla Music Fest. McCollum released the EP Probably Wrong: Session One on July 7, 2017, and followed it with Probably Wrong: Session Two on September 8, 2017. The full Probably Wrong album was released on November 10, 2017. His major-label debut album Gold Chain Cowboy was released July 30, 2021.

<i>This Is What I Live For</i> 2020 studio album by Blue October

This Is What I Live For is the tenth studio album by Blue October, released via Up/Down-Brando Records on October 23, 2020 after originally being scheduled for September 18, 2020. The artwork for the album was created by Phillip Nichols. This Is What I Live For is the first Blue October studio album to feature lead guitarist Will Knaak on every song. The album also marks the first appearance of Justin Furstenfeld's daughter Blue Reed on one of the band's recordings, providing vocals on the song "Fight for Love". The title track features vocals and lyrics by Steve Schiltz of Longwave, a longtime collaborator and defacto session member of Blue October. The songs “I Will Follow You” and “This is What I Live For” were recorded at Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios. The song "Only Lost is Found" samples the Idaho song "Live Today Again" from the 2005 album The Lone Gunman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Day</span> American musician; steel guitarist (1934-1999)

Jimmy Day was an American steel guitarist active in the 1950s and 1960s whose career in country music blossomed about the time the pedal steel guitar was invented after pedals were added to the lap steel guitar. He was a pioneer on pedal steel in the genres of Western swing and Honky tonk and his modifications of the instrument's design have become a standard on the modern pedal steel. Day's first job after high school was performing on the Louisiana Hayride as a sideman accompanying developing country artists including Hank Williams, Webb Pierce, Willie Nelson, Jim Reeves, Ray Price and Elvis Presley. He recorded and toured with all these artists and was featured on hit records by of many of them, including Ray Price's, "Crazy Arms" and "Heartaches by the Number". He was a member of Elvis Presley's band for about a year, but, along with fellow bandmate Floyd Cramer, resigned after Presley requested them to re-locate to Hollywood; instead, Day moved to Nashville to work as a session player and Grand Ole Opry musician. He was a member of the Western Swing Hall of Fame (1994) and the International Steel Guitar Hall of Fame (1999). Day died of cancer in 1999.

<i>Spinning the Truth Around</i> 2022 studio album by Blue October

Spinning the Truth Around is an album by American band Blue October. It is a triple album, released in three separate parts. Part I was released on October 14, 2022. Part II was released one year later on October 13, 2023, with Part III to follow in 2024. Part III will contain covers, and remixes and alternate versions of songs from Parts I and II as well as remixes of songs from previous albums.The title track was Part I's lead single, and was positively compared to Bruce Springsteen.

References

  1. MacKenzie Wilson (2019). "Blue October Biography". AllMusic . Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  2. Ed Condran (April 23, 2019). "Blue October frontman is making the most of second chances, and he's happy". The News & Observer . Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Johnny Goudie (April 2, 2013). "How Did I Get Here?, Episode 159" (Podcast). Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  4. Claire Osborn (October 7, 1996). "Residential cooking fires too often prove deadly" (Newspaper). Austin, Texas: Austin American-Statesman. pp. B1, B5. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  5. Claire Osborn (February 2, 1997). "Fiery heroics to be honored" (Newspaper). Austin, Texas: Austin American-Statesman. p. B6. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Fredette, Art (July 1, 2021). "Will Knaak Talks: Blue October, Ernie Durawa and Guitar as a Way of Life". radioradiox.com.
  7. Mike Murphy (June 22, 2005). "Natural Ear Music School Celebrates 15th Anniversary!". The Austin Chronicle . Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  8. Margaret Moser (June 3, 2005). "School's Out Forever These kids are coming for your gigs". The Austin Chronicle . Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  9. Margaret Moser (August 22, 2003). "The Kids Are All Right How I Spent My Summer: Band Camp". The Austin Chronicle.
  10. "24th Annual Free Concert Series" (Newspaper). Austin, Texas: Austin American-Statesman. April 27, 2000. p. 19. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  11. Johnny Goudie (September 9, 2014). "How Did I Get Here?, Episode 310" (Podcast). Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  12. "Austin360 On The Record: David Halley, Mélat, B. Harold Benton". Austin American-Statesman. December 6, 2016. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  13. 1 2 Margaret Moser (October 24, 2008). "Where Are They Now?". The Austin Chronicle . Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  14. Caroline Poole (April 20, 2015). "Wade Bowen Artist Feature". National Country Review. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  15. 1 2 "Hold My Beer, Vol. 1 credits". Allmusic. 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  16. @willknaak (November 11, 2022). "Will Knaak: Dying Day" via Instagram.
  17. @blueoctoberband (August 24, 2022). "Today we want to take the time to congratulate @willknaak" via Instagram.
  18. @blueoctoberband (August 24, 2022). "Today we want to take the time to congratulate @willknaak" via Instagram.
  19. Blue October – Daylight (Official Video) (digital video). Fischer, Texas. November 2, 2018.
  20. April Savoie (December 15, 2020). "Blue October a Furstenfeld Family Affair – The Full Interview". 519 Magazine.
  21. "Texas Hard Rock Duo ICARUS BELL Release Debut Single 'Aces'". www.einnews.com. December 6, 2020. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  22. "Melissa Sellers Deep South Austin credits". Allmusic. 2006. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  23. "Wes Hayden Full Circle credits". Allmusic. 2009. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  24. "Jon Wolfe It All Happened in a Honky Tonk credits". Allmusic. 2010. Retrieved January 28, 2020.