We always say that One Step Down is the one silver lining from COVID….
Joe grew up in NJ, and became fascinated with the electric guitar after hearing the Venture’s Walk
Don’t Run and Pipeline. His first band, The 007s, played songs by artists such as The Monkees and
The Searchers. The music from 1968-1972 (Led Zeppelin, Grand Funk, Black Sabbath) helped shape
Joe’s style. After moving to Bel Air, he played in several local bands – I95, Circle of Fire, and Tainted
Souls.
Karen grew up in Elkridge, MD. Although she had no vocal training, she enjoyed singing along to
Stevie Nicks, Wynonna Judd and Tanya Tucker. She started her musical career when her dad bought a
set of drums and decided to start a band. Over the years, Karen played in several local bands–
Crossfire, Flashpoint, and finally Wasted Gravity, always with her dad on the drums.
In 2013, Joe answered an ad for a lead guitarist and auditioned for Wasted Gravity, and that’s when
Karen and Joe started playing music together. When COVID hit, the music scene shut down. The
vision changed and Joe swapped out his electric guitar for an acoustic guitar. One Step Down played
its first gig in October 2020. We love playing all genres of music, but songs by Fleetwood Mac/Stevie
Nicks are some of the favorites!