Steve York’s self-titled sophomore solo album, produced by Don Kerr, is a genre-nodding collection of songs that hit on country, blues, folk, pop and psychedelia. “I think it’s because I’ve allowed whatever came out. ‘Ok, there. I like that,’” says Steve. “I never had the lofty ambition of being a big rock star; it was always about doing music.”
As the former frontman of college chart-toppers Sunken Savage Torpor (SST) and a one-time prodigy who played the Toronto bars at age 15, Steve lets the creative forces takes their own direction. “I just let songs write themselves. I allow the stuff to bubble to the surface. All the songs they keep flowing out of me. It sounds so Spinal Tap,” he laughs.
The album trips out of the gate with the jangly psychedelic pop of “Lay Me Out,” then takes an about-turn with the folk roots of “The Most” which has a punchy harmony-filled pop chorus. The fun country ditty “Girl I Used To Know,” complete with banjo, is then followed by the bluesy “Let It Go.”
The songs were written over the past few years and the lyrics range from the flowery SST-like “Promenade” to the nonsensical “Mary Mary” to the more specific “Girl I Used To Know” about a young women who got mad at him when his friend said something inappropriate to her and “DVD” about how many movies he now rents since he’s become a father and happily stays home.
“I know it sounds crazy,” he says, “but I actually think melodies have lyrics inside of them. My favourite lyrics are the ones that sing themselves.”
While Steve produced and engineered his first solo album, 2007’s Beautiful, at his cottage (“The Land” studio) on Ontario’s 1000 Islands, he hired Don (Ron Sexsmith, Rheostatics) for the follow-up after working with him on County Works Department, another band Steve was in. “He’s a great guy to work with and because I worked with him before, he was able to let me be myself,” says Steve, who brought Don and the band to “The Land” to record.
Steve was born in the island village of Bella Bella in British Columbia, where his father was Minister and his mom the organist at his church. The family moved to Toronto when Steve was 5. He started that year on piano, and soon branched out into just about every instrument — violin for 10 years, trombone for 5, and guitar, which he continues to this day, along with piano.
At 15, he started singing and playing harmonica in a blues band at the legendary Grossman’s Tavern. His parents didn’t mind. “When you live in The Beach [area of Toronto], you start heading downtown as early as you can,” he says.
Steve started getting into rock around age 20 and formed his first original band, SST, in 1989. The band “was about to sign a big record deal,” recounts Steve, when his father passed away and he chose to use the inheritance to make an album independently. SST’s self-titled disc was top 10 on the college charts for three months and the song “Under The Violent Sun” hit 1. After playing South Ontario and Quebec for five years, the band broke up in 1995.
“Maybe if we had been a little bit more ambitious, we would’ve signed the big record deal and done more with the career, but it was just like, ‘Let’s just play music,’” says Steve. He soon followed in his mother’s footsteps and became a real estate agent. But he never gave up music.
He started fronting and playing keyboards in many bands, such as The Orchard, The Shoes, and The Pinch. Today, he is in five bands, including Coretta Coretta, Leh-lo, and Vince Clarke, as well as the host of the Sunday night jam at Supermarket in Kensington Market.
Steve is already working on his third solo album, but is taking the steps that once made SST such a successful indie band — sending this album out to radio stations, trying to place songs in TV and movies, and playing live as much as possible.
“I’m taking it much more seriously,” he says. “My goal with the next album is to be more Steve York than ever – the thing that makes me different from everyone else in the world.”
Steve I LOVE LOVE LOVE your songs. Energetic enough to wake me up in the morning but sincere enough to provide the therapy all good music does... you are awesome. See you Sunday.
You think of people who foster music culture in the city, performing, networking, putting on showcases. You definitely fall into that category. A seasoned presence. Happy Holidays.
Great to hear from you Steve. The Jackson Pollock Site is almost as incredible as my my Myspace. If you're around, come down to Graffiti's on Friday Aug 29th. I'm playin' a full set with some Guests including Roberta. Vince Clark is playin'...are you?
Hello, friend of mine! I just wanted to let you know that the second half of my debut album, "Venus Motel", is FINALLY playing on our profile for your listening enjoyment. As usual, I dig any feedback from you, positive or negative, so don't be afraid to speak up! Believe me when I say that it's an honour to have you as a friend, so stop by anytime and say hello. Cheers!
Just stopping by to say hi. I'm on my way to California for a couple weeks then I'll be dropping by Toronto for a little visit. Hope you're having a great summer and say hi to the family:)
sundays are getting to be my favourite night of the week. next time all those guys come up on stage with me, I'm expecting some sweet harp or keys playing from you!
Online Now!