One Shot Left


One Shot Left is a punk rock band from Medicine Hat, Alberta. Signed in 1998, the band members celebrated their 10-year anniversary in May 2008 with a series of three concerts in their hometown.

History

Formation

Jeff Barrett and Chad Schiebelbein formed what would become One Shot Left in 1995, while they were still in high school. Rob Speers, Tristan Sturm and Matt Whitson later joined the group, and early in 1998 the quartet was signed by the independent record label Meter Records from Calgary, Alberta.

Studio recordings and performances

After their first Western Canada tour in 1998, One Shot Left released six new songs on a split CD entitled Wet Feet. The two other bands featured on the CD, Guilt Trip and Darryl's Grocery Bag, were also signed to Meter Records. Dan Heaton replaced Matt Whitson on Something To Be Reckoned With, the band's debut album, released in 2000. Following its release, the group embarked on another West Canadian tour, this time with Guilt Trip. When Rob Speers moved to Vancouver, he was replaced by Weyburn resident Blair Cooney. Their first national Canadian tour began in April 2001, when the band toured from Victoria, British Columbia, to Montreal, Quebec.
One Shot Left's second full-length album, Restitution, was released in 2005, again by Meter Records. Bassist Justin Brown replaced Corey Tapp for the recording of this album, but left the band at the end of 2006 when he moved to China. Corey Tapp has since rejoined the band. Restitution was described as a, "Beautiful beacon in the future of rock," by Beatroute Magazine. The opening track on Restitution, "The Night Falls ", reached No. 2 on Punk Radio Cast’s Top 40.
In 2008, One Shot Left played at the Zed Fest, a youth-focused part of the annual Sandfly Festival, in Medicine Hat on Canada Day. They also played two concerts at Meter Records 10 Year Bash in Calgary in November 2008 to celebrate the record label's ten-year anniversary.

Musical message

Lead vocalist and guitarist Jeff Barrett is primarily responsible for the band's lyrics. He stated in an interview with Punk Radio Cast that the bands see their music as a platform to provide their listeners with views and ideas that they may not otherwise be exposed to. The band is in favor of accepting people as they are and encourage their listeners to think for themselves rather than relying on stereotypes. Barrett said, "Our message is about standing up and stepping forward rather than passing off the bigoted comments around you."

Discography

Split album