STEVE NEWMAN
Questions asked by Jon Wilde, added to Rock Realms 4th February 2009.
Steve Newman is a gifted musician/singer/producer who was worked with loads of bands and artists over the years. You may not have heard of him (although you should have) but you'll certainly have come across his work in one way, shape or form.
Hi Steve, thanks for taking a moment to answer these questions for the Rock Realms Interrogation section :)
Steve: Hi Jon, it's a pleasure, and thanks for inviting me!
How would you describe your style?
Steve: Rock with a melodic twist, OK then…….Melodic Rock
Who are your biggest influences?
Steve: There are so many, and they've changed throughout the years, I grew up listening to Led Zeppelin, then onto The Police. Journey are the band that influenced me to write more melodic rock songs. Vocal wise I have to say Mickey Thomas (Starship), Richard Page (Mr Mister) and of course Steve Perry. I think there are so many talented musicians out there, my fav guitarist is, and always will be Steve Lukather. I listen to a lot of modern rock these days, bands such as Paramore, Anberlin, and Filter. Ra and Pagan's Mind I consider to be two of the best bands of the passed few years.
Is there anyone in the music industry you would love to work with?
Steve: I'm pretty lucky as I've worked with quite a few great songwriters and musicians. One of those is Anders Rydholm from Grand Illusion, he is a truly talented man.
Let me put together my dream band:
Steve Smith or Deen Castronovo : Drums
Mike Porcaro : Bass
Steve Lukather and Joe Satriani : Guitars
Dave Paich : Keyboards
Richard Page, Bobby Kimball, Mickey Thomas : Vocals.
There's no room for me, but I'd be in the front row watching it !!
You have a recording studio in deepest brightest Sussex (UK). Have any big acts paid you a visit yet or is it still a well kept secret?
Steve: Yes, called the "Blue Room", and although there's been quite a bit of work produced from it, it hasn't got the facilities to accommodate live drums but we have mixed/mastered tracks by the likes of Heartland, Atlantic, Frozen Rain, House Of Lords, Robin Beck, and Harem Scarem. We're starting to get more work now from other projects, I was recently involved in the ARfm benefit CD "The Undying Fire" which was a great challenge due to the time frame but we got there and I think it cam out alright too !!! ........ all for a good cause.
http://www.arfm.co.uk/ (click on 'shop' in the menu)
One of our favourite albums at Rock Realms is Grand Illusion’s Ordinary Just Won’t Do. You had a hand writing a couple of the songs. How did you get involved in the project?
Steve: I had gone out to Sweden to do some writing with Anders the year before, they were looking for someone to write the lyrics to a couple of songs and my name was mentioned !! It was a total pleasure being involved in a Grand Illusion album, I think they are some of the best albums in the last 10 years.
Are you tempted to do a completely over-the-top glam/pomp rock record yourself?
Steve: Yes, I'd love to, I am talking to a great singer at the moment with an idea to record a more progressive/pomp album, maybe not too glam but certainly a removal from the Newman vibe.
Your last release, Decade, featured numerous Newman songs re-recorded. Was this a George Lucas/Star Wars moment in the search for extra income or a... George Lucas/Star Wars moment in the search for heightened perfection?
Steve: Definitely, I wanted to retire on the proceeds !!!....and as you can guess, that didn't work, so we'll have to go with heightened perfection. I'm sure a lot of bands would like to re-visit their previous albums and take advantage of the modern technology available. I thought it would be a great idea to do this as it was 10 years on from the first album and also a chance to go back through the old sessions and see what un-released material was there. It very quickly became a double album and that's really cool because it means there's something the fans that have supported me and bought all my previous albums.
Every moment feels like the first moment. True or false?
Steve: I don't know. I'm a virgin!
How bloody fantastic is the chorus on You Should Be Gone?!
Steve: Finally, someone who agrees with me :) but apparently it's only as good as the next song you write !!
What’s next on the Newman horizon? Are there any more albums in the pipeline?
Steve: I'm currently getting ready for the shows in May, we're starting to rehearse very shortly so that's taking priority at the moment, but I have some ideas that I will finally put to paper and hopefully get time to work on later in the year.
Which song are you most proud of working on/writing?
Steve: You know, I'm kind of proud of all of them, they all document a period in time for me, so it's like a musical diary. I can remember writing and recording all of them, and I don't have any songs that make me cringe when I listen to them now................much !! :)
Do you make a decent living out of music... and more importantly, do you live the rock ‘n’ roll dream?
Steve: I make enough to put back into it and guarantee that I can carry on producing albums. As for making a living, I guess that involves eating..... it would be a good way to lose weight !!
Does it annoy you that you’ve written numerous amazing songs, yet crappy pop bands pumping out unoriginal drivel still sell millions more records than you... or is that the fate of the rock musician?
Steve: No, not at all, hopefully I'll be around a lot longer than those bands and still produce and strive to write better songs. I get such a buzz out of the emails I receive commenting on how certain songs have been almost title tracks in peoples lives. That's a very moving compliment to receive and I am always very humbled by peoples reaction to my music, after all, you could say that music is a selfish thing, certainly a great form a self expression, and if people get that, it's very cool indeed !!
Are there any bands we might not have heard of you think people should check out?
Steve: mmmm, yes, you may have heard of some of them… Ra, SafetySuit, Xenon, Code (Anders Rydholm's project after G.I.)
Who’s the most well-known person on your mobile phone, and do you have a good ROCK ringtone?
Steve: I must admit I hate mobile phones, I am a bit a of a techno freak, but mobile phones don't come into that category for me. My mobile is currently broken, however, the most famous person, mmmm Probably Pete and Steve from FM.
Anything you want to plug?
Steve: I would just like to wish everyone a great 2009, and I hope to see as many people as possible when we play in May. Hopefully there will be some new product by the end of the year but as I said that depends a lot on the live situation as this will taking priority this year.
What question do you hate interviewers asking you?
Steve: This one !!
What are you up to once you’ve finished being interrogated?
Steve: I will be going back to my padded cell....
Thank you for your time sir, you are free to go...
Steve: Thank you Jon, and thanks to all your readers, keep believing in this great music, and we'll see you later in the year. All the best !!
Thanks to Steve for his time and a big cheers to Dave for organising the interrogation. Keep an eye on the Rock Realms news section for details of the upcoming Newman tour!
