Steez by Jonathan Schinke
The careers of regularly touring original artists can often fizzle long before ever approaching the national level. The pressures of juggling your personal and professional lives, while trying to etch out your niche, often for meager or non-existent pay, can sometimes be too much to handle. Some bands resign to the roles of weekend warriors, unable or unwilling to make that push onto the national stage. Granted, for some, that's enough.
Then there's Steez. Six years into their journey, this 5 piece from Madison, WI is beginning to bring their Creepfunk sound to the masses. Showing up at some of the biggest festivals in the country, including Rothbury, 10'000 Lakes, Summer Camp (3 years running), and Camp Bisco, the members of Steez continue to forge ahead, never letting success get in the way of their ultimate goals.
In the summer of 2009, in support of their debut release, Creepfunk Crusade, guitarist Steve Neary, keyboardist Matt Williams, drummer Rob Bessert, bassist Chris Sell, and the enigmatic saxophonist Andrzej Benkowski embarked on an ambitious tour, reaching as far out as the Bowery Club in New York, NY. The next year saw Steez open for such scene giants as Lotus, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, 30db (Brendan Bayliss of Umphrey's McGee and Jeff Austin of YMSB), and EOTO. The press wasn't too shabby either, being named 'New Groove of the Month' on jambands.com, appearing in Relix' 'On the Verge' section, being named in the Isthmus as one of Madison's most influential bands of the 2000's, not to mention having an album in the Homegrown Music Network that outsells the biggest names in the nationwide scene on a monthly basis. Clearly heads are starting to turn.
WIJAM recently had the chance to chat with Sell on Steez' vision, their success and their plans for the future.
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WIJAM: Of all the bands within this broad genre/community, it would be my estimation that Steez has found a bit more success recently than most. To what do you attribute this success? Is it just a matter of hard work and determination?
CS: Success is kind of hard for me to gauge. We have definitely had some very successful and fulfilling opportunities lately but at the same time we've been working hard at this for 6 years and we have all sacrificed a lot for little or no money. So I guess what I'm saying is that we've worked hard and set reasonable goals over the years and the fact that we have been able to continue to improve while having fun and achieving some goals has been rewarding.
WIJAM: What are some of the highlights from say, the past year or so?
CS: Definitely one highlight of the past year was just getting our LLC up and running and being able to sustain our business. For those that maybe knew us 5 or so years ago, you'd be surprised that 5 duders such as ourselves could actually maintain a legit business. It's probably not the most flashy but its a pretty rewarding feeling. But for the fun shit, playing the Barrymore was definitely a blast because of all the shows we've all seen there over the past 10 years, give or take. Definitely a weird feeling being on that stage and looking out. Lastly, I guess I'd say that being able to keep kids coming out in Madison and Milwaukee over the years has been the rage. Anytime you can play for a packed house, it's amazing and it's something we've never taken for granted.
WIJAM: Tell me a little about the studio album process in regards to your debut, Creepfunk Crusade.
CS: Creepfunk Crusade was a big undertaking. We happened to come across the perfect engineer for the project in Andrew "Bear" LaValley and we were able to leave no stone unturned and put together the best album we could. We really made the album with a sense of urgency in the way that this could be the only time we are able to really put a lot of time and effort into and make the best 70 minutes of music that we possibly could. Making a studio album is very different then the live experience and it's rewarding to put our stamp on a disc and put it out there.
WIJAM: How have new markets welcomed you? Do you find it takes a few tries to make believers out of new fans? Or does the snowball you've created at home seem to expand as easily on the road?
CS: Well, Madison/Milwaukee kids who have seen us a lot definitely have helped spread the word. I think being in a college town with all of us being here for a while, we've experienced a ton of turnaround in friends and they kind of plant a seed here or there and get us into a new city. We've been lucky that other markets have embraced us pretty quickly. There are so many naysayers out there, it's really cool to see people come out in random towns, saying they were recommended by a mutual friend or whatever the story. That's always pretty cool. Also, places really seem to enjoy the fact that we travel/live in a gigantic turd colored school bus. (WIJAM laughs) We definitely have fun and I think maybe audiences feel that or can tell that we're friends and having a good time and they enjoy that. Either that or they just want to hear "that one Madonna song." (WIJAM laughs, again)
WIJAM: Speaking of humor, fans of Steez seem to gravitate towards the band not only because of the music and high energy live shows, but also because of that sense of humor and tongue-in-cheek attitude the band carries. Do you envision a time when you as a band will perhaps become a bit more jaded or dark? Or will things always remain so light?
CS: I can't really speculate on how our demeanor might change over the course of time, but I do know that for the last 7/8 years the 5 of us have known each other we've always had that kind of dynamic. I mean, does the part of you that wants to laugh at a [immature jokes] ever go away? Maybe it does, or maybe things just aren't as funny as you get older, but I don't like that logic and I think the band can all agree that we embrace immaturity, but mainly, we enjoy eachother's company, make our own fun and if people are willing to pay us or even just come party with us, we are all about it. I guess either way, I'm glad that that attitude you mention comes across because we are definitely not going strap on some black skinny jeans and act all emo. (of course, WIJAM laughs)
WIJAM: Where do you see the band in 2 years? Is a full time national touring circuit an aspiration?
CS: The future is tough to foresee. We have made some goals and achieved some goals. I think all of us would dream to be a full-time musician. If that's with the stability of friends and band mates, then that would be wicked awesome, but being realistic and grounded is also important. It's been a little bit of whirlwind because it doesn't really stop right now. None of us have ever only had the band or music to do. We have all have either been in college or been working full time jobs and play on the weekends and in our off time. As fun as it is, it's a lot of work. Right now everyone is stable for a year or two, but life always throws you curves and you never know when someone will have to make that tough decision. Regardless you just have to enjoy the shit out of it when you can and hope for the best.
-----------------------
With the path that Steez is on now, and the mountains they continue to climb, it appears that 'the best' is just an inevitability.
The careers of regularly touring original artists can often fizzle long before ever approaching the national level. The pressures of juggling your personal and professional lives, while trying to etch out your niche, often for meager or non-existent pay, can sometimes be too much to handle. Some bands resign to the roles of weekend warriors, unable or unwilling to make that push onto the national stage. Granted, for some, that's enough.
Then there's Steez. Six years into their journey, this 5 piece from Madison, WI is beginning to bring their Creepfunk sound to the masses. Showing up at some of the biggest festivals in the country, including Rothbury, 10'000 Lakes, Summer Camp (3 years running), and Camp Bisco, the members of Steez continue to forge ahead, never letting success get in the way of their ultimate goals.
In the summer of 2009, in support of their debut release, Creepfunk Crusade, guitarist Steve Neary, keyboardist Matt Williams, drummer Rob Bessert, bassist Chris Sell, and the enigmatic saxophonist Andrzej Benkowski embarked on an ambitious tour, reaching as far out as the Bowery Club in New York, NY. The next year saw Steez open for such scene giants as Lotus, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, 30db (Brendan Bayliss of Umphrey's McGee and Jeff Austin of YMSB), and EOTO. The press wasn't too shabby either, being named 'New Groove of the Month' on jambands.com, appearing in Relix' 'On the Verge' section, being named in the Isthmus as one of Madison's most influential bands of the 2000's, not to mention having an album in the Homegrown Music Network that outsells the biggest names in the nationwide scene on a monthly basis. Clearly heads are starting to turn.
WIJAM recently had the chance to chat with Sell on Steez' vision, their success and their plans for the future.
------------------------
WIJAM: Of all the bands within this broad genre/community, it would be my estimation that Steez has found a bit more success recently than most. To what do you attribute this success? Is it just a matter of hard work and determination?
CS: Success is kind of hard for me to gauge. We have definitely had some very successful and fulfilling opportunities lately but at the same time we've been working hard at this for 6 years and we have all sacrificed a lot for little or no money. So I guess what I'm saying is that we've worked hard and set reasonable goals over the years and the fact that we have been able to continue to improve while having fun and achieving some goals has been rewarding.
WIJAM: What are some of the highlights from say, the past year or so?
CS: Definitely one highlight of the past year was just getting our LLC up and running and being able to sustain our business. For those that maybe knew us 5 or so years ago, you'd be surprised that 5 duders such as ourselves could actually maintain a legit business. It's probably not the most flashy but its a pretty rewarding feeling. But for the fun shit, playing the Barrymore was definitely a blast because of all the shows we've all seen there over the past 10 years, give or take. Definitely a weird feeling being on that stage and looking out. Lastly, I guess I'd say that being able to keep kids coming out in Madison and Milwaukee over the years has been the rage. Anytime you can play for a packed house, it's amazing and it's something we've never taken for granted.
WIJAM: Tell me a little about the studio album process in regards to your debut, Creepfunk Crusade.
CS: Creepfunk Crusade was a big undertaking. We happened to come across the perfect engineer for the project in Andrew "Bear" LaValley and we were able to leave no stone unturned and put together the best album we could. We really made the album with a sense of urgency in the way that this could be the only time we are able to really put a lot of time and effort into and make the best 70 minutes of music that we possibly could. Making a studio album is very different then the live experience and it's rewarding to put our stamp on a disc and put it out there.
WIJAM: How have new markets welcomed you? Do you find it takes a few tries to make believers out of new fans? Or does the snowball you've created at home seem to expand as easily on the road?
CS: Well, Madison/Milwaukee kids who have seen us a lot definitely have helped spread the word. I think being in a college town with all of us being here for a while, we've experienced a ton of turnaround in friends and they kind of plant a seed here or there and get us into a new city. We've been lucky that other markets have embraced us pretty quickly. There are so many naysayers out there, it's really cool to see people come out in random towns, saying they were recommended by a mutual friend or whatever the story. That's always pretty cool. Also, places really seem to enjoy the fact that we travel/live in a gigantic turd colored school bus. (WIJAM laughs) We definitely have fun and I think maybe audiences feel that or can tell that we're friends and having a good time and they enjoy that. Either that or they just want to hear "that one Madonna song." (WIJAM laughs, again)
WIJAM: Speaking of humor, fans of Steez seem to gravitate towards the band not only because of the music and high energy live shows, but also because of that sense of humor and tongue-in-cheek attitude the band carries. Do you envision a time when you as a band will perhaps become a bit more jaded or dark? Or will things always remain so light?
CS: I can't really speculate on how our demeanor might change over the course of time, but I do know that for the last 7/8 years the 5 of us have known each other we've always had that kind of dynamic. I mean, does the part of you that wants to laugh at a [immature jokes] ever go away? Maybe it does, or maybe things just aren't as funny as you get older, but I don't like that logic and I think the band can all agree that we embrace immaturity, but mainly, we enjoy eachother's company, make our own fun and if people are willing to pay us or even just come party with us, we are all about it. I guess either way, I'm glad that that attitude you mention comes across because we are definitely not going strap on some black skinny jeans and act all emo. (of course, WIJAM laughs)
WIJAM: Where do you see the band in 2 years? Is a full time national touring circuit an aspiration?
CS: The future is tough to foresee. We have made some goals and achieved some goals. I think all of us would dream to be a full-time musician. If that's with the stability of friends and band mates, then that would be wicked awesome, but being realistic and grounded is also important. It's been a little bit of whirlwind because it doesn't really stop right now. None of us have ever only had the band or music to do. We have all have either been in college or been working full time jobs and play on the weekends and in our off time. As fun as it is, it's a lot of work. Right now everyone is stable for a year or two, but life always throws you curves and you never know when someone will have to make that tough decision. Regardless you just have to enjoy the shit out of it when you can and hope for the best.
-----------------------
With the path that Steez is on now, and the mountains they continue to climb, it appears that 'the best' is just an inevitability.
