Bio

Closest Relative is the music of songwriter Jack O'Connell, and the assorted cast of adventurous musicians he surrounds himself with. The songs of Closest Relative are sharp, lyrical, and often surreal vignettes and stories paired with guitar-driven indie rock, indie folk, and lo-fi backdrops. 

Jack began writing his own songs after over a decade of playing guitar in punk, indie-rock, and garage-rock bands throughout Ohio. In the spring of 2015 he was in a serious motorcycle accident that left him with two amputated fingers on his fretting hand. Over the following years, he worked tirelessly to build up strength and function in his injured hand and began developing methods of playing that worked around his limitations. Once he was confident in his abilities again, he finished writing the first Closest Relative EP, “Messes” which he recorded himself in the bedrooms and basements of Columbus, OH. 

In September of 2018, a second EP "This Tree is Base" was released , and saw Closest Relative push the songwriting into expanding directions, with touches of alt-country, and eerie dissonant punk in addition to the familiar lo-fi indie folk sounds of his previous work.

Immediately following the release of “This Tree is Base”, Closest Relative went on an extensive 8-month-long tour dubbed the "Everywhere All The Time Tour". The tour spanned from September 14th of 2018 to May 17th of 2019,  and took place everywhere from historic concert venues to DIY spaces all throughout the United States.

Since returning from tour, Closest Relative has been working on a new record, playing both solo and full-band shows, and looking forward to the next big adventure.