One Step Closer started as a classic straight edge hardcore band, but these Wilkes-Barre fellas have matured and found new sounds in their repertoire. With a slew of EPs (including two on Triple B, two self-released) and a 2021 LP, This Place You Know on Run For Cover, One Step Closer has stretched and molded their version of melodic hardcore. Their most recent EP, Songs for the Willow, is a further step from anything formulaic and vocalist Ryan Savitski sees no other path for the band.
“It seemed like it was received super well! A lot of people really like the tracks and already knew the words to them the first time we played them live. “Dark Blue” has been getting one of the best reactions of the set every single night. It’s been really cool to see people that hyped on them.“
Songs for Willow is fronted by melodic vocals and guitar play, yet the crisp riffs are present. There is still harsh screaming coupled with clean vocals. There is no need to validate OSC within old standards or someone else’s vision of hardcore. The rhythms keep the two-step pace. Words like ‘slow’ or ‘quiet’ are not applicable. OSC is not treading in fellow PA band Title Fight or Touché Amoré post-hardcore/shoegaze territory. The music is truly enveloping and impassioned. All hardcore is emotional. OSC simply are tapping into their fervent concerns and reactions to life.
“The sound feels like a natural progression to me,” Savitzki concedes. “We’ve never been a super heavy band and have always been leaning into the emo-core sound. We are finally taking the bigger step into what we’ve been wanting to do for a while now. It feels good. I think it’s the most genuine music we’ve made. It seems like people are about it as well! Just based on the newer songs getting cool reactions live kinda shows that I think. Hopefully people are looking forward to what’s to come.”
One Step Closer got to share these songs globally recently. The band toured in Japan, Southeast Asia, and Australia. Savitski is candid. “Hands down the best experience of my life. The shows were amazing, people we met were insanely generous and nice, and the food was unbelievably good. It was definitely an insane culture shock traveling through Asia, but it made it so fun. We got our passports taken in Jakarta and had to miss a couple shows which sucked for a bit. Despite that little hiccup, I still have a huge appreciation for that experience because it was one of the craziest and something I’ll never forget. All I’ve ever wanted to do was walk around in Tokyo and swim in Australia, I got to do both of those a lot. I was stoked. Shout out all our friends that we made out there, I can’t wait to go back.”
2023 sees One Step Closer continuing to share their intense and passionate songs with live audiences.
“(We’ve) got a bunch of touring and other shows that we will be playing (a lot not announced), hitting UK / EU in the summer, and finishing up writing and recording our second LP. Really stoked on how much cool stuff we got coming up, it’s going to be a fun year.”
Photo courtesy of Michael Thorn.
