Closure - a brief biography

Closure is a rock band made up of lead vocalist, Heath Hartwell; lead guitarist, Derek Pearson; rhythm guitarist, Chad Parker; bassist, Damon Pearson; and drummer, Scott Blakey. All members are originally from Matthews, Missouri, except for Hartwell, who is from Fagus, Missouri.

Closure's beginning came in 1998 when the remnants of two other bands joined while the four original members were still in high school at New Madrid County Central. The members of Closure put music on the backburner when all the members moved off to attend college. After a year away from music, the band reformed in December of 2000 as a four-piece with Derek and Chad handling both guitars and vocals. This continued until August of 2001 when the original singer Matt Palmer moved back to the area from North Carolina and rejoined the group. In September of 2001, Closure entered and won the City of Roses Battle of the Bands. After winning the 2001 City of Roses Battle of the Bands, Closure quickly became one of the area's most popular local bands.

In January of 2002, vocalist Matt Palmer and Closure parted ways. A week later while attending a local open mic night, Closure discovered Heath Hartwell. Immediately after his performance, Hartwell was approached about trying out with the band, which he did the next day. After three weeks of practices, Closure performed again, this time with Hartwell as their new frontman, in front of a crowd more than 500. Since then, Closure has gone on to develop quite a following of local fans.

Closure's early influences included 90s bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, and Soundgarden, as well as classic rock bands such as Led Zeppelin, the Doors, the Who, and the Beatles. Current influences include Tool, Creed, Incubus, Nine Inch Nails, as well as music from a variety of different genres.

Closure's performances are conducive to a party-type atmosphere. Their shows consist of many well-known covers from every genre of music, but they also include several originals. Closure pride themselves as being a band that almost any fan of music can enjoy.