On “Level Over Level”, Hanover, Pennsylvania’s Twist & Writhe have taken a familiar video-game frustration and turned it into a personal punk song. You’ve done everything that should get you to the next stage, put in all the work, and somehow you’re still stuck in the same place. The five-piece, whose music draws from melodic punk, post-hardcore, power pop and rock, have also built that repetition into the song itself, with vocalist Arthur Nusser using the gaming references to talk about getting caught in the same patterns in real life.
Arthur’s first comment about the song comes with a joke.
“It’s about gaming!! โฆno, I suppose it’s fairly obvious I’m tearing my heart off my sleeve.”
The gaming language runs a little deeper than the title. Arthur has written about working towards what you think will make life better, finding yourself unable to move on, and sometimes missing the very things that could help you get there. The repetition is part of the writing, too. The band wanted the song’s recurring structure to get across that physical and emotional feeling of being stuck.
One of the phrases he singles out is “Bought into Play“, which deals with the expectations people take on when they’re trying to build a happy, normal life.
โBought into Playโ isnโt just buying into this idea of a happy โnormalโ life, but also giving everything needed to obtain it. The โkeyโs are there but there is more to what you want at the moment versus what needs to be done in the moment for where you are headed. You also may miss a key necessary to advance to the next stage.
It’s an easy enough idea to recognise outside the gaming references. You might be doing what you believe you’re supposed to do, following the path you’ve chosen, but the next step still depends on something you haven’t worked out or even noticed. Arthur’s writing keeps returning to that problem, with the music repeating the same pattern to match it.
Twist & Writhe started with guitarists Ben Vardjan and Alex Slagle, who wanted a band where everybody could bring their own influences into the writing. Bassist Jay Stillman and drummer Leighton McCleaf helped develop the early instrumental version before Arthur came in on vocals. All five had spent years playing in other local groups around Hanover, and the band have been putting their shared taste for melodic hooks and more abrasive rock together ever since.
Ben and Alex still tend to bring in the first ideas, though the songs take shape with everybody involved.
“Most initial ideas still come from Ben and Alex, but we then build them all together with everyoneโs ideas and input”
They’ve also made a change in how they record. Ben handled “Level Over Level” himself in the band’s practice space, taking care of recording, production, mixing and mastering. On earlier self-recorded songs, the musicians had generally played together at the same time. This time they recorded their parts separately, giving them another way to work on the individual performances.
It’s a straightforward change, though one the band hadn’t made on their previous DIY sessions. The earlier single “Cover Me” was the exception in their recording history, having been made outside their usual self-recording setup. Arthur has also taken care of the new single’s cover artwork.
Around Hanover, Twist & Writhe have been playing regular gigs and keeping close to the local bands they’ve got to know over the years. One of those fixtures is “Home for the Holidays” at The Circle, a local bar where they’ve made an annual show with Sugar Hysteria and Burn the Martyr.
“We have made it an annual thing to have a โHome for the Holidaysโ show at a local bar, The Circle along with locals Sugar Hysteria and Burn the Martyr, always a good time with them and a great turn out.”
Corey James Burnard from Burn the Martyr has been busy with another event nearby. In October 2026, he launched the first Martyr Fest at Elicker’s Grove Park in Spring Grove, bringing together local music and art just outside Hanover. One of the Twist & Writhe members attended that first edition and came away impressed with the turnout. The band are already on the bill for Martyr Fest 2 in 2027.
“He has done great things to keep the local scene alive and give opportunities for this passion we feel for local music and art and it has been a pleasure to be part of it.”
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There’s also Shane Huckle of Junk Punk, who’s become a friend of the band and helped them get gigs in more places, including Waynesboro in Pennsylvania and Asbury Park over in New Jersey. Shane has been putting plenty of energy into the Waynesboro scene, to the point where the guys have a running joke about its name.
“He’s done quite a bit to grow the Waynesboroโฆ or โShanesboroโ scene. Most notably for us the frequent opportunities we have had to play Pappyโs Pub.”
Pappy’s has become a regular stop for them, and that friendship has helped them play beyond their usual Hanover and York-area rooms. They also mention Over Our Eyes, the Baltimore band they’ve shared the stage with, who have a new EP on the way according to Twist & Writhe.
There’s quite a bit happening within a relatively small stretch of Pennsylvania here. The same bands keep sharing bills, people like Corey are starting new events, and friends like Shane are helping visiting groups find places to play. Twist & Writhe have been getting involved in all of it while continuing to write and record at their own pace.
“Level Over Level” is a standalone single, with the band hoping to record another EP in 2027 and potentially a full-length in 2028. Those are plans for now, and they’ve got more writing and recording ahead.
The new track follow “The Mold”, unveiled earlier this year, and premieres exclusively here at IDIOTEQ on 2 November 2026, with the band planning to put it on Bandcamp after our premiere goes live. You can listen to “Level Over Level” below and follow their upcoming releases through Twist & Writhe’s Bandcamp.
