Mark: You mention in the press for the release that ‘adversity is a great teacher’ and there are some songs on the album that have that theme, was that a conscious thought you had in mind when you started writing or is that just what came out?
Steve: No, I don’t really write songs topically. I pretty much write about relationships, with yourself, and with something greater than yourself. One song ‘From Love to Dust’ is about break-up, but a band break up song. It’s all really quite personal stuff, and I guess that’s my thing and I’ve really come to understand myself more. I don’t think there’s much more important to me at this time in my life to just be truthful and write what I know about.
Mark: The album is a lot more reflective and lower key than I imagined and just to put that in perspective I have only seen you twice once with the ‘Whole Lotta Love’ Led Zeppelin tribute and the other with Noiseworks at the Stone Music Festival earlier in the year. With that in mind were you tempted to raise the roof at least once on the album and really rock out?
Steve: No, not at all, I always say I don’t want to make people dance I just want to move them a bit. And there I think I’ve really found my core strength. I think I really can through not being afraid to hurt someone in a song (and here it’s mainly myself) really connect to people on a deep level. And that’s what I’m interested in.
Mark: If we can talk about some of the songs that stood out for us: the acoustic led ‘Moving On’ is a sweet song, honeyed vocals and strummed chords, and when the female vocal kicks in it takes it to another level. It really connects and it feels like it’s one of the most important songs here.
Steve: You know I absolutely adore that song. When it started it was a breakup song, a partnership I had in business and I really needed to move on. I was secure so I had to find the courage to move on. So it’s kind of like a prayer, not that I’m an overly religious person, I’m a spiritual person. But I think that it is basically a prayer asking for help and finding that voice that comes to you when you’ve made those hard decisions. That voice that says alright this is what you need, you’ve made the decisions, it will be alright. So it’s a precious song and I’d probably put it in my top five of songs I’ve written. Even though I’m not playing it at the Baby Animals show, as it’s not really a pub rock song, so I played it at the Opera House to a pin drop and it’s perfect for that environment.
Mark: Another of our favourites is the bittersweet ballad ‘From Love to Dust’ we said which you could almost wring the tears from! It seems like a pivotal song on the album in some ways?
Steve: I think you’re right you know. I had a band called ‘Move Trees’ that I put so much effort and love into and some of the guys didn’t quite realise that being in an original band was harder than they thought. They were musicians that were used to being paid for playing and they hit me up one day and said “Look we just don’t want to do this anymore”. And I found a real level of acceptance though it really hurt I was really pleased with the feeling of love I had for those guys and understanding. And even though we didn’t think the same that was OK and we parted really peacefully and the very next day I went into the studio and wrote ‘From Love to Dust’ so I think you’re right. I think the album did really hinge on that song as a solo artist.
Mark: There are some songs on there from your band ‘Move Trees’ that you’ve reworked. I know you write all the time, but is the rest of the album from that time after the split or is there anything older on there?
Steve: It’s probably not an absolute indication of where I am at this exact moment, but what I wanted to do was put songs on there like ‘I found you’ that I’ve been playing for my faithful audience for so long that I thought it would be a crime to make a record without having a song like that on there for them. I guess what I wanted to do with this record changed over time. Originally I wanted to make a Troubadour record, but it ended up wanting to create a platform: somewhere to go from. I always had issues with being in Noiseworks so I recorded ‘Touch’ in my way so that I could own that and put that as one of the planks in my platform. There are some Move Trees songs because I felt that that were too good to keep on the shelf, and I had the blessings from the boys too. And now from that platform I’m about three quarters towards writing a new record and it’s so cool I can’t wait to get that one out. And the song ‘Why did it take so long’ was written only about four weeks before we recorded the record – so totally fresh.
Mark: In an album of highs and lows emotionally another real gem is ‘Sweet Sabotage’ which finds a great balance, and while the lyrics are solidly love-centric it also seems to be one of the most resolved songs on there I think? When does that date from?
Steve: That’s a pretty new song. It wouldn’t be six months old. And it is love-centric you’re absolutely right, it’s about a friend of mine and if I told you who it was the nation would flip out! You know when you see people just getting in their own way constantly, so much talent, so much to give yet – it’s so frustrating – I wrote that song for this person, they seem to be constantly struggling and I don’t know that life has to be that hard, you know.
Mark: I think we all know people like that; amazing people but seemingly their own worst enemies.
Steve: I’ve had my problems you know too, so I can understand. I’m glad you liked that song and those three you picked out are I think the ones that mean the most to me too.
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