Knox Fortune's 'Paradise' Is Coming
Photos by Michael Salisbury
We’ve been fans of Knox Fortune for some time now. After keeping up with him and all the many collaborations over the years, it wasn’t until 5 months ago that we finally sat down with the man of many talents himself. By then we’d already heard about a project in the works, but weren’t sure what to expect. At that time, he’d already ascended beyond the realms of a producer-engineer with just a couple features in the books. Although his vocal appearances had been rare, Knox has made his presence memorable with each one.
"Help Myself" Lyric Video
One thing separating Knox Fortune’s music from other artists is his continued work behind the scenes. As a producer-engineer, he’s been involved with some of our favorite bodies of work in recent years, projects like, KAMI’s Just Like The Movies and Joey Purp’s iiiDrops, Leather Corduroys’ Season, to name a few. Even as production credits were piling up, Knox still managed to lend his distinct melodic vocals on tracks like, Home-Sick’s “Your Body”, and blessing the hook on Chance’s “All Night”. Since our last Cover in April, it has become apparent that Knox’s releases, though few, are proving he’s ready to take center stage. If you’ve been sleeping on Knox Fortune this whole time, let These Days help wake you up because, Knox’s debut album, Paradise is just around the corner.
Why is These Days so excited for this release? That’s because a few days after Knox’s April cover story premiered, we got our first good look at the work Knox has put in since becoming a mainstay on the LPeezy soundboards years ago. With help from friends like Carter Lang and Joey Purp, tracks like “Help Myself” not only showcase a broader vocal range, they also showcase Knox’s growth as a producer. “Help Myself” Like all of his singles thus far, was also released with original artwork designed by Knox as well. The next day came the music video for “Help Myself”, directed by Weird Life Films but pulled from the mind of Knox himself. It was at this juncture that we knew the full project was set to be something special that would be 100% true to the person & artist we've known for years.
"Lil' Thing" by Knox Fortune
"Help Myself" by Knox Fortune
"Torture" by Knox Fortune
Two more singles followed, the next one being “Torture”, which painted yet another angle to the newly minted vocalist, one of melancholy, pain and rejoicing. Following with a second Weird Life Films video, was “Lil' Thing” which became a summer anthem almost immediately following its July release. The video had much of the same vibe, mood and color scheme found in the track’s cover art, cementing the feel that would continue throughout the roll out. The accompanying videos offer a retro-distortion that fuses contrasting elements in a pleasing, peaceful way.
"Lil Thing" music video
Knox’s aesthetics have remained consistent throughout his campaign, and as we enter mid September, anticipation for Paradise has only heightened. Last week debuted the first of several album teaser videos titled “HEY KNOX!”. With the help of Twin Peaks’ Cadien Lake James, Joey Purp, temporary facial reconstruction, and some magic ice cream cones, the first two teasers will make you laugh, but twice as anxious for the album. Also, judging by the trajectory of the cameos in the first two parts, we're really looking forward to who's costarring when part three drops.
The latest single “24 Hours” was just released overnight. If you'd like to come bask in this anticipation with us in real life, head to Teen Party Chicago over at East Room tonight. With Knox Fortune, Joey Purp, and comedian Brandon Wardell in the building, Logan Square just might get another peek at Paradise before it’s out. Low-key, one can only hope. Until then, expect to see Knox's debut album Paradise to drop next Friday.
