ONE STEP CLOSER recently released their debut full-length, This Place You Know, on Run For Cover Records, and the Wilkes Barre, PA hardcore upstarts are showing no signs of slowing down. Tomorrow the band are embarking on their latest extensive run of tour dates and to mark the occasion they’ve shared their new music video for “Time Spent, Too Long.”
On This Place You Know, One Step Closer have honed their anthemic style of hardcore to create their most compelling set of songs to date. The album’s urgent and ambitious sound has garnered attention from the likes of Stereogum, Revolver Magazine, The FADER, BrooklynVegan, NPR, SPIN, Bandcamp Daily, FLOOD Magazine, and more, and furthers the young band’s reputation for standing out from the pack. “Time Spent, Too Long” highlights their ability to be melodic and cutting all at once, and the song’s new music video captures the emotional core at the heart of One Step Closer’s music.
Vocalist Ryan Savitski discussed the music video, saying: “We decided to make the video based around a younger kid who is just struggling with life and trying to find some purpose. Since it’s a short song, the goal was to make a simple story that you can follow with nice articulated shots that keep it interesting. It makes it feel more like a movie than a music video, which makes it even cooler. This is our first professionally shot music video and I’m super hyped on how it turned out.”
The video’s director, Jake Elko, added: “For the video production of Time Spent, Too Long, I wanted to capture the feeling of loneliness that relates to so many of us growing up in Wilkes Barre while showing off some of the hidden beauty surrounding the city. Working within an extremely short timeframe, Kyle and I worked together alongside Dante and the band on different sets creating unique visuals with modern film techniques. We were really excited to incorporate FPV drones into our workflow which allowed us to push the limits of our vision.”
This Place You Know was born out of a period of transition and upheaval for the members of One Step Closer (vocalist Ryan Savitski, guitarist Grady Allen, drummer Tommy Norton, bassist Brian Talipan, and guitarist Ross Thompson). The album interrogates the notion of home with Savitski’s lyrics exploring what happens when the things that grounded you suddenly change or cease to be there.
The loss of family, dissolving relationships, and the mental toll of a dark period informs the record’s ten tracks of towering guitars and pummeling drums, with moments of soaring melody breaking through like a hope for better things on the horizon. It’s a powerful statement intent from one of the most exciting new bands in aggressive music.
One Step Closer have been touring tirelessly since the release of This Place You Know. This week they’re starting a run of West Coast dates that includes shows with Modern Color, Dare, Movements, and more. See full itinerary below.
Upcoming Shows:
12/10 – Seattle, WA @ Vera Project *&
12/11 – Vancouver, BC @ Fox Cabaret *&
12/12 – Portland, OR @ Polaris Hall *&+
12/14 – Sacramento, CA @ Holy Diver *
12/15 – Santa Cruz, CA @ Atrium *
12/16 – San Francisco @ Thee Parkside *
12/17 – Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues Anaheim *^+
12/18 – Los Angeles, CA @ Club Bahia *^
12/20 – Fresno, CA @ Full Circle Brewery District *^
12/21 – San Diego, CA @ Voodoo Room *^
1/1/22 – Syracuse, NY @ New Year’s Day Matinee
1/9/22 – Tampa, FL @ FYA Fest 8With Modern Color *
With Dare ^
With Rejection Pact &
With Movements +
Press:
“…One Step Closer channel their anger and distress into fiercely intense blasts of aggression. This is music for purging your soul, bludgeoning your enemies, and lashing out at all the world’s injustice…” – Stereogum (Best Albums of 2021)
“…layered textures and sweeping, melodic flourishes, delivered with soul and daring.” – Bandcamp Daily
“Their songs are catchy and ripe for stage dives, but also jagged and emotionally gripping. In other words, the full package.” – Revolver Magazine
“One Step Closer have figured out how to push the boundaries of hardcore without abandoning the genre or the scene, and they’ve done it on their own terms.” – BrooklynVegan
