Isaac Hale: ‘There Is Spiritual Element’ to New Knocked Loose LP

On Tuesday’s edition of Loudwire Nights (April 23), Knocked Loose guitarist and founding member Isaac Hale dove into the band’s upcoming album, You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To.

“I have faith in the music that K.L. puts out, I really do,” Hale told host Chuck Armstrong.

“I am pretty self-aware of the type of music that we write and I’m very, very aware of what we’re capable of. I think that I have confidence in K.L. music to be received well and to be good because I love it. I’m a fan of Knocked Loose.”

Hale admitted that he’s happy with the reception of the music release from You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To so far, saying it’s validating to see positive reactions from fans — both longtime fans and people who are just discovering Knocked Loose.

“We seem to be getting to some new people that also enjoy it and it feels good,” he said.

“We worked a very, very long time on this record. It was definitely the most effort that we’ve ever put into anything thus far.”

Why Fans Might Hear Some Spiritual Elements in Knocked Loose’s Music

As fans have dissected the new album’s artwork as well as the track “Blinding Faith,” Hale was quick to acknowledge the broad conversation around faith that Knocked Loose have found themselves in.

“I think that in some ways, it’s a spiritual record,” Hale said about You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To. “All the lyrics are very close to [vocalist] Bryan [Garris] and they deal with his mental health, his personal struggles with loss and anger and grief. I think there’s definitely an element to the record that deals with spirituality and faith in something.”

As soon as Hale said that, though, he also mentioned that fans who have jumped to conclusions that the new album is a religious or anti-religious record might want to wait to hear the whole thing when it comes out on May 10.

But, he did share a very specific comment about “Blinding Faith.”

“It’s an anti-Christian church song. I believe everyone in the band has personal experience with, you know, an organized Christian church just being filled with bigots and also using their faith as an excuse to be hateful and not questioning the faith at all. That’s what it’s about — just going into something blind…what’s the point in believing something if you’re not going to dive into it deeper or question it at all. That’s the sign of true stupidity.”

READ MORE: Is Metallica Christian? — We Explore the Often Searched Question on Metallica + Faith

Hale said he has enjoyed seeing fans share their thoughts related to the potential spiritual themes found in the new music.

“Growing up how we did, that sort of religious imagery surrounds us, so it feels very personal to us,” he said.

“We didn’t really foresee people to make as big of a deal about it as they did, but it’s kind of fun to see the course that it creates…we just kind of take a step back and are like, ‘Whatever people want to cast onto it, they can cast onto it.'”

What Else Did Knocked Loose’s Isaac Hale Discuss on Loudwire Nights?

• What it was like working with Poppy and Chris Motionless on two of You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To‘s tracks
• Why Knocked Loose isn’t a “big picture” band, but rather a band that focuses on whatever the next step is
• How they’ve managed to stay true to their mission as a band for more than a decade

Listen to the Full Interview in the Podcast Player Below

Isaac Hale joined Loudwire Nights on Tuesday, April 23; the show replays online here, and you can tune in live every weeknight at 7PM ET or on the Loudwire app; you can also see if the show is available on your local radio station and listen to interviews on-demand.