Knox (American musician)

With plans to become a teacher, Morris attended Ohio University.^[3] While he was a student there, he engaged in open mic nights near his hometown of Dayton, Ohio.^[3] This early stage of his career saw him performing at local events, including his cousin's wedding, and writing songs during his holiday breaks.^[1] Morris has stated that his early inspiration came from singer-songwriters, including Ed Sheeran and James Arthur.^[2]

His first major step into the music industry came with auditions for talent shows. Morris attended auditions for American Idol in various cities, including Columbus, Atlanta, and Louisville, where he performed in front of celebrity hosts.^[4] He also auditioned for America's Got Talent, though he did not progress past the audition stage.^[1]

Following his appearances on these platforms, Morris connected with Zodlounge, a music production company in Nashville.^[1] This connection led to significant advancements in his career, including dropping out of university and relocating to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue music full-time.^[2] Morris collaborated with producers at Zodlounge to facilitate the creation of his early music.^[1] In 2020, Morris signed a co-management deal with Redline Entertainment.^[3]

As he established himself in the music industry, Morris began touring with bands such as The Band Camino^[5] and Nightly.^[6][7] In February 2023, Morris released his first EP titled "How To Lose A Girl in 7 Songs".^[8]

Morris recognizes social media as an important factor in his growth, particularly TikTok and Instagram Reels.^[9] His singles "Sneakers" and "Not the 1975" have both gained significant attention on these platforms, accumulating over 3 million views.^[10] The singles have surpassed 28 million and 10 million streams respectively.^[11]

In September 2023, Morris announced the release of his second EP "I'm So Good At Being Alone?" for the following month.^[12] In December 2023, Morris announced that his first headline tour would take place across the United States in January and February 2024, with support from maryjo and Spencer Jordan.^[11]

In early 2024, Morris' single "Not The 1975", which is inspired by a woman comparing Morris to Matty Healy,^[13] reached positions 15, 26 and 31 on Billboard Adult Pop Airplay,^[14] Pop Airplay^[15] and Alternative Airplay^[16] charts respectively.^[3][17]

On August 4, 2024, Morris performed at Lollapalooza in Chicago on one of the main stages.^[18] In January 2025, he announced that his debut album, "Going, Going, Gone", will be released in April 2025, with another headline tour to follow.^[19]