Steven Deeds

Steven Deeds is an up and coming solo artist from Southern Illinois. He began playing as a young boy in the basement of his house in a small town in Northern Illinois, copying the sounds he heard on the TV, or off his fathers Led Zeppelin albums. His style is very versatile and has something everyone can enjoy. With well versed lyrics about love and hope, a voice that is crisp and serene and melodies that will be stuck in your head all day, Steven Deeds is an artist we can all continue to l...

Steven Deeds is an up and coming solo artist from Southern Illinois. He began playing as a young boy in the basement of his house in a small town in Northern Illinois, copying the sounds he heard on the TV, or off his fathers Led Zeppelin albums. His style is very versatile and has something everyone can enjoy. With well versed lyrics about love and hope, a voice that is crisp and serene and melodies that will be stuck in your head all day, Steven Deeds is an artist we can all continue to listen to for hours. Although you could say Steven sounds like a mix of Secondhand Serenade, OneRepublic, and Indie Folk, Steven Deeds is a sound all his own. He began his musical journey, like most, in the basement of his house, practicing (of all things) the drums. Steven began playing in his local church and from there met people he would later call band mates. With the support of his peers, he began pursuing and thinking about music as a career. Steven realized early on the necessity of being a rounded musician. Being a drummer had its advantages, but Steven felt a strong need to have a grasp on how the other parts of the band worked in order to "feel it out" in a more intimate way. So Steven chose to pick up the guitar and give it a whirl. Surprisingly, he picked up the instrument and in no time had a feel for how to play it. After months of figuring out new chords on his own, and playing what "sounded good" he started to play songs he knew and started to write some licks of his own. He even began jamming with friends and again played guitar on occasion at his church. Steven began singing along with his playing but for fear of what people would say he kept his singing a secret. Because Steven picked up on the guitar so easily, he decided to give some other instruments a shot as well. Steven began to play the bass guitar. Learning from a good friend of his, he was taught good bass guitar techniques and styles of playing. After he had a handle on the bass, he became fascinated with the piano. So, as he had done before, he sat down at a piano and fell in love. Teaching himself chord structures, finding good natural posture and listening to great piano players all assisted in his learning. Once Steven got to college, he started taking his music a little more seriously. He took drum lessons from Luke DeJaynes (The Fundamental Elements) and took piano lessons from Tom Stampfli (A world renowned piano player). He began playing with the band formerly called "Aubrey" as a drummer and backup vocalist with lead singer Alex Garner (now a solo artist), Dan Peck (The Sky Spells War / With Hands Raised High) and Brian Perry ( Wind & Sail ). The band took off instantly and the college chose the band for the prestigious spot of Lab Band, which at the time only 3 bands out of all the bands on campus got chosen for. With the help of Alex Garner, Steven began picking up a feel for songwriting and secretly began working on songs of his own. Steven started to write songs for Aubrey of which his song "You're My Melody" was originated. Aubrey played with such bands as Showbread, Greenwood, Flatfoot 56, JiGgsaw, Outlaw County, etc, etc. After the lead singer Alex decided to move away, the band split up and Steven really started to pursue songwriting for himself. Soon after Steven joined Dan Peck once again and sang front with a band called "Of Kites And Cars". Of Kites And Cars played with bands such as Eagle Scout and Wind & Sail. As the band was having practices, Steven realized how difficult it is to work with a band. Having to rely on other people and working out schedules to practice was a difficult task. Let alone finding songs that everyone felt comfortable and passionate about. Unfortunately however, Dan moved away shortly after the bands start. Once again, Steven was left on his own, and pursued his own songs even more. This was the final straw for Steven. He decided that he was going to either join a band that was already established or he was going to be a solo artist. As a solo artist Steven didn't have the worries of getting a band schedule together that worked for everyone, or finding songs that all the members enjoyed. Steven could write what he wanted, about what he wanted and play it how he wanted. In the spring of 2008 Steven had his first recording session with Celestial Studios out of Ohio. He recorded several demos and put them up on his Myspace page just to see how people would react to the songs. Besides backup vocals this is the first time Stevens voice had been heard. Stevens peers loved the sound of his songs. They encouraged him to continue what he was doing and to keep pushing forward with songwriting and to find his own style and place in the music world. So over the course of the next year Steven worked hard to write songs that he felt were worth hearing. He practiced constantly and worked on his vocals by listening to great vocalists like that of OneRepublic, The Fray, Deas Vail, Mae, Paper Route, and many many others. Steven invested in some very minimal recording equipment and started to record some of his songs that he had been writing on his own. He placed his new material on his Myspace and people started to add him and commented about how much they loved his music. Steven felt encouraged by all the compliments and comments on his sound. Steven at one point emailed Wes (lead singer of Deas Vail) and asked him to take a listen to the songs on his page and just be honest with what he thought. Wes expressed a liking for the style of the songs and Stevens voice. This really encouraged Steven because (unknown to Wes) Wes was a big part of why and how he started to sing. After months of deliberating, and after doing several small shows, Steven emailed New Line Management and asked them to have a listen to his music, and just give him some feedback. All he expected was feedback if anything; some constructive criticism at best. To his surprise, Steven got an email back saying that they loved his music, and it had potential. After continuing to talk to New Line Management for a few weeks, Steven got offered the chance to work with them. Steven gladly accepted. At this point, Steven really started picking up the shows and doing more and more appearances as a solo artist. Shortly after, Steven talked to New Line Management about releasing an EP and decided that it was a good idea. After writing several more songs, and working hard to make them a sound he felt people could enjoy, Steven recorded his first EP called “Sincerely Yours, Love and Heartache”. Steven Deeds is a songwriter we all can listen and relate to. Lyrics about real life situations, that have happened to most all of us, that inspire hope to keep moving forward and to never give up on what you believe in and never give up on love. Melodies that soar through your soul and pull on your heartstrings and instrumentation that puts a smile on your face and lift your spirits. Steven Deeds is a lily among thorns and will surely have you listening again and again.