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Steve Adey
Steve Adey
Born	?
Origin	Birmingham, England
Genres	Alternative; Slowcore; Folk;
Years active	2005 - present
Labels	Grand Harmonium
Website	www.steveadey.com
Notable instruments
	Piano, harmonium

Steve Adey (born in Birmingham, England) is a musician, singer, songwriter, and former recording engineer. ^[1]

His 2006 debut album All Things Real was released through independent record label Grand Harmonium Records.

Steve Adey's music is commonly described as "down-tempo", a sub-genre characterised by slow tempos and minimalist arrangements. Music journos often categorise his piano, vocal led songs as Americana, folk and singer songwriter, but also acknowledge a harder, less generic, left of mainstream approach; No Ripcord's Simon Briercliffe writes "His voice is rich and carries on long after it's comfortable, at times far louder and more in your ear than is comfortable, leaving you hanging on every word." ^[2] All Things Real was critically well received. Writers generally warmed to the album's introspective songs and well chosen covers. US journal for improvised and progressive music 'Signal to Noise' heralded the album as "haunting folk into straight-up epic territory." ^[3] Many reviews picked up on the integration of hi-fidelity crossed with a lo fi, home made approach. Sunday Times critic Mark Edwards: "The secret lies in the gap between Adey’s main influences: on the one hand, the mournful, home-made alt-country of Oldham and Smog; on the other, the pristine atmospheres of the Blue Nile and Talk Talk." ^[4] Critic Leon McDdermott (Glasgow Herald) writes "Adey channels the spirit of Smog, minus Bill Callahan's caustic take on dysfunctional relationships; elsewhere, there are hints of the late Jeff Buckley's mournful tenderness." ^[5]

Grand Harmonium released lead single "Find the Way" (31.06.06), containing two new acoustic recordings of "Find the Way" and "Mississippi". Mississippi: Remixed, a download only EP, featuring Kramer, A Marble Calm, Black Sheep and Sweet Billy Pilgrim was released (14.05.07). The Marble Calm remix was also released on 12" vinyl via Tonefloat Records. ^[6]^[7] A limited 7" single and download, "Burning Fields" b/w "Everything in its Right Place" followed in September, 2007. ^[8]^[9]

Steve Adey (with full band) played several festivals around Europe in 2007, often, mesmerising, playing solo and singing at the piano and in August ’07 headlined his debut UK tour. ^[10]

[edit] Debut album: All Things Real

All Things Real was recorded between September, 2003 and April, 2005, at Longformacus Parish Church, and a rented cottage in Longformacus, Scottish Borders, UK. ^[11]
The recording was "fixed" and mastered by Calum Malcolm. ^[12]
The album consists of both original compositions and cover versions of Bob Dylan's Shelter from the Storm and Will Oldham's I See a Darkness.
Sunday Times journalist Mark Edwards on Shelter from the Storm:
"You’d have to be a fool to cover one of Dylan’s best-loved songs. Either that, or a singer with the presence — and presence of mind — to slow it right down, exposing the beauty of every syllable." ^[13] Ian Mathers from Stylus Magazine: "Never has Dylan’s “creature void of form” sounded so wracked, so stricken." ^[14]
The album includes the song 'Mary Margaret O'Hara', a tribute to the Canadian singer / actress Mary Margaret O'Hara. ^[15]
An initial album recording, featuring choral singers and members of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra was abandoned, due to the wrong feel and a less personal sound. ^[16]

[edit] Influences

Writers consistently reference Smog, the Blue Nile and Talk Talk as influences.
In various interviews, Adey has said that the Bonnie Prince Billy, a.k.a Will Oldham album Master and Everyone is a very important and influential record. ^[17] Also, Oldham's 'I See a Darkness' was covered on All Things Real. Uncut magazine cited that "Adey is clearly in thrall to the folk fatalism of Will "Bonnie Prince Billy" Oldham along with Dylan and the knotty American pre-war minstrels that inspired him." ^[18] Talk Talk lead man Mark Hollis is a major influence. Hollis released his only solo, eponymous album in 1997. Adey commented the album was "Uncompromising and in a different league." ^[19]^[20]

[edit] Recording

Adey has previously engineered and mastered recordings for classical labels, recorded various types of music from heavy rock to folk, both in the US where he lived for several years, and his current home city of Edinburgh. He recorded (engineered) and produced both All Things Real and the forthcoming album. ^[21]^[22]

[edit] Discography

All Things Real (LP, 2006)
Find The Way (CD SINGLE, 2006)
Mississippi: Remixed (EP, 2007)
Burning Fields / Everything In Its Right Place (7" SINGLE AND DOWNLOAD, 2007)

Other songs: In late 2006, the song "These Resurrections"; a minimalist track consisting of voice, cello and piano was previewed at myspace.com/steveadey. The composition was recorded pre All Things Real.

A (kitchen) demo of "Laughing" was made available for free download at steveadey.com in March, 2006. The song was played live during the autumn tour of 2007 and will be included on the forthcoming studio album. ^[23]

[edit] Current activities

Steve currently lives in Edinburgh, Scotland.
A new studio album is almost finished and will be released in 2009. A full string section was employed during the initial recording. The sound is more "live" with more emphasis on a stronger "band feel." ^[12] Album two was recorded, for the most part in a church, utilising the natural acoustic and room ambiance. ^[24]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

http://www.steveadey.com/ Official website
http://www.myspace.com/steveadey MySpace profile
http://www.steveadeypresspictures.co.uk Press page

Reviews:

Other:

Longformacus Steve has recorded in the Kirk of Lammermuir (see image top left).

[edit] References (other)

Signal To Noise #43 : fall, 2006
Uncut #108 : May, 2006

External links that can be used for references (please don't delete these).

[0] ttp://www.last.fm/music/Steve+Adey/+wiki

[1] Music Reviews | Steve Adey - All Things Real | No Ripcord - Independent Music & Film Magazine

[2] ttp://www.signaltonoisemagazine.org/

[3] ttp://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/cd_reviews/article728223.ece

[4] ROCK CDs | Sunday Herald, The | Find Articles at BNET

[5] tonefloat

[6] ttp://www.burningshed.com/store/steveadey/multiproduct/61/548/

[7] ttp://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/latejunction/pip/dbq2v/index.shtml

[8] ttp://angryape.com/reviews/2007/08/30/steve-adey-burning-fields-everything-in-its-right-place

[9] CD Times - Steve Adey releases 'Burning Fields'/'Everything in its Right Place'

[10] Steve Adey :: le interviste di Onda Rock

[autogenerated1-11] Steve Adey : News

[12] ttp://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article1088759.ece

[13] Steve Adey - All Things Real - Review - Stylus Magazine

[14] ttp://living.scotsman.com/features/Steve-Adey.2752297.jp

[15] ttp://www.pennyblackmusic.co.uk/MagSitePages/Article.aspx?id=4000

[16] ttp://www.ondarock.it/interviste/adey2.htm

[17] ttp://www.uncut.co.uk/

[18] ttp://www.grandharmoniumrecords.co.uk/

[19] ttp://www.hanx.net/jaarlijstjes2006.htm#adey

[20] ttp://www.last.fm/music/Steve+Adey/+wiki

[21] ttp://www.blacksheepmusic.co.uk/

[22] ttp://hypem.com/track/230091/Steve+Adey-Laughing+%28demo%29

[23] ttp://www.ilike.com/artist/Steve+Adey

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