Cleveland-based project DESKIR started as a solo effort from Devyn Steffanni but has quickly evolved into something far more layered and louder than its lo-fi beginnings. Now a full-fledged band, DESKIR delivers a heartfelt blend of emo, post-hardcore, and ambient textures that lean into both vulnerability and heaviness.
“I didn’t expect it to exist in this form in under a year,” Devin said after the band’s Live & Loud set. “I wanted to bring more people in and [I’m] glad I wasn’t making stuff on my own anymore.”
DESKIR’s early work, like the emotionally raw “Bitter(sweet)” and “Five Years,” hinted at a solitary creative process haunting melodies built on minimalist production and a bedroom-DIY ethic. But bringing in new collaborators has shifted the sound in bold, unexpected ways.
“Members joining have changed the sound in a good way,” Devin explained. “When I was doing it all on my own, it all started to sound similar.”
While the project still carries the fingerprints of Devin’s songwriting voice, there’s more range now, more dynamics, more edge, more tension and release. Emo remains a core influence, but so do heavier roots. “I grew up listening to metal and was in a band in high school doing it,” Devin said.
That sonic duality of anguish and aggression gives DESKIR a raw but disciplined energy.
On Instagram – @deskirmusic – the band shares flyers, demo teasers, and snapshots from rehearsal evidence of a project still growing into itself. Meanwhile, their Spotify profile (Listen on Spotify) hosts their current catalog, with hints of more to come.
DESKIR may have started as one person’s outlet, but it’s quickly becoming something communal, collaborative and therapeutic. It’s not just a band figuring out its voice; it’s a band choosing to evolve.
