Knox Avery’s story starts in constant motion. He grew up without the stability most people never think twice about, moving between trailer parks, shelters, and temporary housing as his mother struggled with addiction and the justice system. Safety was never guaranteed, and survival became a daily skill. His older brother stepped in as his shield, and Knox learned early how to stay aware, keep quiet when needed, and adapt fast.
By his teenage years, that instability had left its mark. Foster care and juvenile facilities became familiar settings, and addiction crept in early. What began as a way to escape the noise, fear, and memories quickly turned into a cycle of arrests, reckless choices, and brushes with death. One of the closest calls came when Knox was robbed and shot by a group of men, an attack that nearly took his life. He survived by inches, and in that narrow space between life and death, something inside him changed.
Not long after, sitting alone in a jail cell once again, Knox found himself facing a kind of silence that leaves nowhere to hide. With no distractions left, just pain, time, and his own thoughts, he reached a turning point. It wasn’t dramatic or sudden, but internal and steady. A presence he now calls his Higher Power. “Something inside me said I was going to make it,” he says. “That I was built for this. That God wouldn’t bring me this far just to let me die like that.”
Music had always been his refuge. As a kid, he sang to escape places he couldn’t physically leave, using his voice to step somewhere safer when the world around him felt unbearable. What started as a survival habit slowly became a lifeline. Today, when Knox sings, he describes it as entering another universe, one where faith and endurance overpower everything else. That experience shapes his debut single, “I’m Built 4 This,” a song born directly from that defining moment behind bars.
The track draws heavily from scripture, not as ornamentation but as something essential. Each line reinforces themes of endurance, strength, and spiritual grounding. Even the number four in the title carries weight, symbolizing the four pillars that held him together: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual strength. It’s deeply personal, reflecting the protection he felt even when survival seemed impossible.
“I’m Built 4 This” opens with bright, bouncing piano notes before crisp drums lock into place. Knox’s soulful vocals float in over grooving bass and flickers of funky guitar, forming a gospel-tinged pop record that feels both uplifting and grounded. Rich vocal layers and instantly memorable melodies carry lyrics that feel honest and hard-earned. With this debut, Knox Avery doesn’t just introduce himself. He arrives with purpose.
Listen to “I’m Built 4 This” below.
