Close to Home (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2005 in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States |
| Founder | Josh Wells, Justin Wells |
| Headquarters | Cincinnati , United States |
| Products | Music albums, EPs |
Close to Home was a post-hardcore group originating from Cincinnati, Ohio, established in 2005. Their discography includes two EPs and three studio albums: Picture Perfect; their first major label release, Never Back Down (issued on February 15, 2011); and Momentum (released July 31, 2012) under the Artery Recordings label. The band toured extensively across the United States and Europe alongside notable acts such as Silverstein, Emery, Dance Gavin Dance, In Fear and Faith, We Came as Romans, and Electric Callboy. They were featured in the 2010 and 2012 editions of the Scream It Like You Mean It tour. On December 10, 2010, Close to Home inked a deal with Artery Recordings, a contract that has since been completed. Managed by Outerloop Management, the band is frequently referred to by the abbreviation CTH.
Origins and Initial Phase: Basement Recordings, Picture Perfect, One Chance, One Time (Pre-2005–2006)
In 2005, brothers Josh and Justin Wells founded Close to Home in Cincinnati, recruiting bassist Brad Andress to complete the initial lineup. Prior to signing with any record label or releasing material, they took part in three western dates on the Vans Warped Tour in 2005. The following year marked their first tour beyond festival appearances; however, during this period bassist Andress was diagnosed with cancer while in Seattle. Despite his hospitalization, the band managed to perform three southern Vans Warped Tour dates in 2006. Tragically, Andress passed away in October of that year.
Legends Live On, Standby, and Let It Be Known EPs (2006–2009)
After the passing of Brad Andress, Close to Home finalized their lineup by 2006 with Josh Wells on guitar, JJ Cooper also on guitar, and Travis Hartman handling drums. Following Andress’ death, Wells and Cooper took over bass recording duties. Their EP Legends Live On, released on iTunes April 7, 2008, includes Andress’ final live performance alongside tracks dedicated to his memory. Since then, the band has not secured a permanent bassist. In 2007, Close to Home won the U.S. leg of the Ernie Ball "Battle of the Bands," which earned them a spot on the Taste of Chaos Tour where they performed before crowds of approximately 13,000 attendees alongside bands such as The Used and 30 Seconds to Mars; they also received various equipment prizes. The group appeared at the Vans Warped Tour in Cincinnati for both 2007 and 2008. Their Standby EP dropped on April 29, 2008, followed by the "V-Neck and Shaved Chest" Tour with We Came as Romans. The Let It Be Known EP features a guest appearance from Silverstein’s Shane Told on the track "Promise," preceding tours with Poison The Well and The Sleeping. During this timeframe, Close to Home endorsed Sexy Hair products.
Touring Period (2009–2010)
In late 2009, Close to Home embarked on a tour with I Am Abomination and subsequently joined the "Scream It Like You Mean It" tour in 2010 alongside Silverstein, Emery, Dance Gavin Dance, among others. For this tour, Andy Glass from We Came as Romans served as their touring bassist.
Never Back Down (2010–2011)
The band's debut album under a label, Never Back Down, was crafted throughout 2010 with an emphasis on sincere lyrics reflecting both personal hardships and professional challenges. The album’s theme revolves around perseverance and sacrifice in chasing one’s passion, combining intense post-hardcore and metalcore sounds with melodic hardcore elements reminiscent of A Day to Remember. Its lead single "All We Know" was released on February 25, 2011, accompanied by an official music video.
To promote Never Back Down, Close to Home participated in the Downtown Battle Mountain Tour between March and April 2011 alongside Dance Gavin Dance and other bands. Derek Foust was officially appointed as their touring bassist in June of that year. Later that summer, they joined the Arkaik + MerchNow + Artery "Summer Partery" Tour from July through August supporting In Fear and Faith and Vanna.
Significantly, the opening track "Intro" from this album was used in a Lenovo Group Limited advertisement aired in February 2012, marking an expansion of the band's commercial presence.
Momentum (2011–2013)
After completing the Arkaik + MerchNow + Artery "Summer Partery" Tour, Close to Home entered the studio to work on their follow-up album to Never Back Down. They took part in the Merchnow.com + Arkaik Clothing "I'm Alive" Tour from September to October 2011, sharing the stage with We Came as Romans, Miss May I, Of Mice & Men, and Texas in July. In October 2011, the band performed at the Kent, Ohio Festival and planned a return to the studio in November. December 2011 saw them play two Christmas shows, marking their first hometown appearances in seven months.
Recording sessions resumed between January and March 2012 with producer Andrew Wade. During this period, lead singer Nick Stiens officially left the band in February. By the end of February, all instrumental parts were completed; vocal recordings began in March with new frontman Andrew DeNeef. In spring 2012, Close to Home co-headlined "The Great American Roar" tour alongside Ice Nine Kills. They also participated in the "Scream It Like You Mean It" tour from July to August 2012, performing with Attack Attack! and other prominent acts.
The singles "Backstabbers Need Not Apply" (May 2012) and "Family Ties" (June 2012), featuring guest vocals from Kyle Pavone and Dave Stephens of We Came as Romans, were released ahead of their album. Their full-length record Momentum was launched on July 31, 2012 through Artery Recordings and MerchNow following a short postponement. The album entered the Billboard Top 200 at No. 157 and achieved No. 4 on both Top New Artists and Heatseekers charts, No. 41 on Independent Albums, and No. 21 on Hard Rock rankings.
By late 2012, Josh Trenkamp was officially named bassist after previously filling in during tours. The band supported Modern Day Escape on the now-canceled "Harry Pot" tour and subsequently toured with For All Those Sleeping on "The Remember Your Roots Tour." Their music video for "Don't Waste Your Breath," which premiered in November 2012, became the most shared video that week.
In early 2013, Close to Home headlined the "A Metal Christmas & A Heavy New Year Tour," supported Eskimo Callboy during their European tour, and announced their own headlining "Momentum Tour" running from March through April. Their live performances continued into mid-2013.
Still Standing, break-up and formation of new band (2013–15)
In July 2013, Close to Home started recording an acoustic EP following the conclusion of their contract with Artery Recordings/Razor & Tie. An IndieGoGo campaign launched in October successfully raised funds by December to complete the project.
They supported He Is Legend in August 2013 and embarked on a mini-headlining tour that included an appearance at the "South By So What" festival supporting Sleeping With Sirens in October. The band was also confirmed for the "South By So What?!" festival scheduled for March 2014. Additionally, their track "Intro" gained wider exposure when featured in an NBC Sports commercial promoting the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
From February to March 2014, Close to Home led "The March Drunken Mess Tour" alongside Famous Last Words and Phinehas; however, Climates withdrew before the tour commenced. They also performed at the "Never Say Never Fest" in March 2014. The acoustic EP titled Still Standing was officially released on April 22, 2014.
On November 3, 2015, Close to Home announced their dissolution following founding member Josh Wells’ departure. The remaining members went on to create a new band known as Actual Villains.
Guest appearances
Josh Wells lent his vocal talents to two songs on We Came as Romans' 2011 album Understanding What We've Grown to Be. Andrew DeNeef featured as a guest vocalist on Veara's track "Fake Blood" from their 2013 release Growing Up Is Killing Me.
Musical style
Close to Home's musical identity merges intense post-hardcore and metalcore influences with touches of pop punk and punk rock. Their sound is frequently described as melodic hardcore, resembling bands like Four Year Strong, although the group has not officially labeled their genre.
Band members
- Current lineup
- Josh Wells – guitar, backing vocals (2005–2015)
- JJ Cooper – guitar (2007–2015)
- Travis Hartman – drums, percussion (2007–2015)
- Andrew DeNeef – lead vocals (2012–2015)
- Josh Trenkamp – bass, backing vocals (2012–2015)
- Past members
- Eric Cronstein – guitar (2005)
- Ben Bruner – lead vocals (2005–2006)
- Brad Andress – bass (2005–2006, deceased)
- Justin Wells – drums, percussion (2005–2007)
- Eric Keyes – bass (2006–2007)
- Dan Reder – bass (2007–2009)
- Nick Stiens – lead vocals (2007–2012)
- Touring musicians
- Andy Glass – bass (2010–2011)
- Derek Foust – bass (2011–2012)
- Brandon Brewer – bass, backing vocals (2010–2011)
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Billboard 200 | Top Heatseekers | Independent Albums | Hard Rock Albums |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | One Chance, One Time
| ||||
| 2006 | Picture Perfect
| ||||
| 2011 | Never Back Down
| ||||
| 2012 | Momentum
|
157 | 4 | 41 | 21 |
EPs
- Standby EP (self-released, April 2008)
- Let It Be Known EP (self-released, October 2009)
- Still Standing EP (self-released, April 2014)
Singles
- "You Struck a Nerve (I Struck a Match)" (2009)
- "End of an Era" (2011)
- "All We Know" (2011)
- "Backstabbers Need Not Apply" (2012)
- "Family Ties" (2012)
Music videos
| Year | Song | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | "Headphones" | Mat Grimes |
| 2011 | "All We Know" | Raul Gonzo |
| 2012 | "Don't Waste Your Breath" | Dan Kennedy & Rasa Acharya |