Over the course of a decade and two full-length releases, Lexington, Kentucky post-hardcore band Too Close To Touch have earned continuous praise for their skillful musicianship and intricate arrangements highlighting each member’s technical ability. The glue that held them together throughout it all was beloved front man Keaton Pierce who met his untimely death in 2022. A play on one of his many nicknames, the final TCTT album For Keeps is a celebration of the late vocalist, sourced from a library of unfinished and unreleased material and brought to life by friends in The Word Alive, Cane Hill and Bad Omens. “ ‘For Keeps’ is our last gift to the Too Close To Touch community,” guitarist Mason Marble explains. “We would never have existed without Keaton and will not exist without him in the future.” “To be able to give it closure is a blessing,” drummer Kenny Downey continues. “To have this much of him left, his lyrics and emotions captured... not a lot of people have that.” Offering an explosive mix of indie-rock cool and punk-blasted emo pop energy, the band has toured extensively with the Vans Warped Tour and acts such as Waterparks, Issues and Crown the Empire. The band’s releases include the EP series I’m Hard To Love, But So Are You, Nerve Endings (2015), and Haven’t Been Myself (2016). In 2016, Too Close To Touch won the award for Best Underground Band at the Alternative Music Press Awards. Haven’t Been Myself debuted on the Billboard charts as the #3 Alternative Artist Album, #9 Top New Artist Album, and #133 Billboard Top 200 Current Album. Too Close to Touch is Keaton Pierce (vocals), Mason Marble (guitar), and Kenny Downey (drums).
Morgan Murphy was five when he moved to Ireland from Long Island, and 15 when he moved back. As you might imagine, this was a big move for a sensitive kid. “It was pretty much a huge culture shock,” he says. “Growing up, I was very introverted. I was very shy. I didn't say much. I was always nervous to be in social situations.” He made a few friends so as to not be completely alone, but he began to indulge his musical vision by exploring community on internet. When he discovered the internet, a feeling of freedom came over him, a sense of belonging. “It was like a secret party that I just discovered”. As a senior in high school, inspired by artists around age like Bones and Young Lean, he started making his own beats. It helped him find a sense of community he hadn’t had in either Ireland or America.