Unlettered

About

Unlettered is a post-punk project spearheaded by multi-instrumentalist Mike Knowlton. A seasoned musician with roots in the vibrant 90s NYC experimental music scene, Knowlton made his mark in genre-defying bands like Gapeseed and Poem Rocket. With Unlettered, he conjures an unholy trinity of influences—Polvo, Sonic Youth and Lungfish—crafting a sonic landscape that soars through a chaotic world of detuned, driving post punk anthems. With three EPs already under its belt, Unlettered has garnered acclaim for its dark, hypnotic sound. The project’s new LP, Five Mile Point (set to release on November 22, 2024), welcomes Knowlton’s wife, Kelly Grimm, as a collaborator. Knowlton conjures fuzzed-out rhythms and swirling, angular melodies while they both lyrically unpack themes of transition, loss, and melancholy—a poignant exploration of the human experience. Nestled in the indie rock hinterlands of Southwest Florida—a region overrun by flip-flop-wearing, parrothead singer-songwriters—Knowlton and Grimm have carved out their own artistic sanctuary. How does one survive in such a music backwater? By locking themselves in Knowlton’s studio, firing up Logic Pro, turning up the gain, unleashing a cacophony coaxed from vintage instruments and meticulously refining each song down to its essence. In this way, Unlettered emerges not just as a musical project, but as a vital coping mechanism—a testament to creativity's resilience in the face of isolation.

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