MEMBERS
Tod Bowers |
Electric Bass, Mandolin
Michael
Connelly |
Lead Vocals, Harmonica, Guitars, Organ, Piano
Jeff
Massey |
Lead Vocals, Guitars
Joe
Winters | Drums, Bongos
www.steepwater.com
BIOGRAPHY
On Dharmakaya, their debut album
for Funzalo Records, The Steepwater Band unveils a raw,
punchy brand of rock that draws from multiple musical
traditions yet is firmly on the cutting edge of rock's
back-to-basics impulse.
The
Chicago-bred quartet's organic, hard-driving synthesis
of gutsy hard rock, gritty Delta blues, soulful backwoods
boogie and down-home psychedelia has already taken its
hometown by storm. The frenzied energy of the band's live
shows has won them a fiercely loyal fan base, and their
self-produced, self-released CD Brother to the Snake won
substantial airplay across the Midwest, including Chicago's
influential WXRT.
On
Dharmakaya, The Steepwater Band—guitarist/vocalist/primary
Songwriters Michael Connelly and Jeff Massey, bassist
Todd Bowers and drummer Joseph Winters—combine the
depth and diversity of their influences with distinctive
songwriting and a rootsy intensity that's all their own.
On original compositions like "Gettin' By,"
"Dead Horse" and "Back to the Bottle"—written
by all four band members in various combinations—and
a memorable reading of Free's hard-rock classic "Oh
I Wept," The Steepwater Band's energy is as righteous
as it is infectious.
The
four musicians had played since their teens, together
and separately, in various rock and blues combos, before
Massey, Bowers and Winters united to form The Steepwater
Band in early 1998; after a brief stint as a trio, the
lineup was completed when Connelly joined. The new band
got its name when Massey spotted a barge on Lake Michigan
called The Steepwater.
The
quartet quickly found its own voice, progressing from
playing Muddy
Waters, Robert Johnson and John Lee Hooker covers to writing
and performing their own compelling originals. The band's
sound broadened as well, with Connelly adding piano, and
Connelly and Massey exploring the potential of their vocal
harmonies. In late 1999, all four-band members quit their
day jobs and moved into a house just outside of Chicago
to concentrate on their music. The communal "Steepwater
Ranch" remains the quartet's home base, where the
band lives, writes and rehearses. "We're all really
big music fans, with a giant library of music at our house,
so we're influenced by a wide range of music that rubs
off on us in different ways every day," asserts Connelly.
From
the beginning, The Steepwater band has been an active
performing unit, playing an average of 100 shows per year,
headlining such prestigious Chicago venues as the Metro
and the Double Door while expanding their touring base
through the Midwest, performing at the 2000 and 2001 Chicago
Blues Festivals, and sharing bills with acts as diverse
as Buddy Guy, Cracker and David Allan Coe.
Recording
Dharmakaya with the noted production team of Paul
Kolderie and Sean Slade (Radiohead, Hole, Uncle Tupelo,
the Pixies, Warren Zevon), the band rose to the challenge
of getting its raw-nerved live sound on record. Massey:
"We only had ten days to make this record, so the
sessions were hard work, but fun. Although we went in
with certain goals and ideas, we also left room for experimentation.
Sean and Paul basically let us do our thing, and helped
with the fine-tuning. A genuine love of the music was
evident from everyone, and I think you can hear that on
the recording."
It's
that unpretentious devotion to their music, and their
commitment to achieving their musical goals without compromising
the integrity of their musical vision, that makes The
Steepwater Band such a refreshing discovery.
"None
of us is looking for a short, quick career," states
Massey. "We want to keep growing as musicians and
songwriters, and to widen our audience as much as possible.
We feel that if you believe strongly in the music you're
playing, then people will listen and believe as well.
Our attitude is that doing what moves you will also move
others."
"We
have incredible faith in this band and incredible dedication
to what we're doing," adds Connelly. "And I
think that comes through in the music."
