Steve Ison

In my constant scouting online for budding new talents and great songwriting, I stumble over many. And it was one day I tripped over new comer Steve Ison. From a humble page at mp3.com, came a mature songwriting and lyrical openness, that you may only find with a seasoned veteran. Upon chatting with Steve, I discovered years of busking the streets of Europe had molded his soul, sound and perspective and with a newly recorded CD, he is ready to open his case for the world to see.....

Mb:Hello Steve.
Steve: HIII! Mb!!!
Mb: Firstly, toss me your url.
Steve: www.mp3.com/steve_ison. Never go ANYWHERE on the net without my url now lol
Mb: How long have you been at mp3.com?
Steve: About 6-7 weeks
Mb: Were you hanging on the BBs before that?
Steve: Yeh
Mb: So tell me about yourself.
Steve: Ok.. I work as a music support worker 4 mental health service users. I play in a band called 'special need' and we've just finished a CD, and putting up some tracks soon. I've been MAINLY doin' my own thing musically (writing-home recording the past 12 years... Umm, I'm a Pisces lol.. .I traveled a lot in Europe a few years ago. Living on a beach in 'Pelekas' Corfu and Iused to have a busking act with a friend and we lived and worked in Copenhagen Denmark and Amsterdam..and traveled round Scandinavia a little too... Special needs has been going 4 the last 3 years as me and Steve Harper (very talented guy on some of my tracks) wanted to get a thing where we could write stuff that was more suited to doing live, as we'd been 'bedroom artists' 4 too long and wanted to push ourselves to write more 'upbeat' and less introspective studio based stuff.
Mb: So what did you learn from busking?
Steve: Sorry-Off on my own trip! Busking's just something I developed with my friend as a way of making a living really, 'specially while traveling.
Mb: So you learned to make money?
Steve: lol
Mb: lol.. I'll take that as a no?
Steve: umm yes and no! You don't make a lot doing it, but it supports a free lifestyle. That's the appeal, really. No one telling you what to do or when to do it.
Mb: I did a lot of busking in my youth.. taught me to make a different kind of connection with my 'audience"
Steve: Yeh you've got to be very upfront while doing it. I still do, and STILL get nervous if people are standing watching. Its a very different vibe to having bandmates around you. How do you feel about that?
Mb: I've always enjoyed being the center of attention!! lol Tell me more about the special needs project.
Steve: 3 years ago, me and Steve met "Bingo", a beautiful singer who was looking for a guitarist for her band. That didn't work out, and the 3 of us just started writing together, workin out 3 part harmonies and things. We got enough songs and got a drummer and bass player and I had a TERRIBLE crush on her lol. She brought me and Steve out from making such introverted music all the time and we were lucky that this guy Bob Lamb (who produced UB40's 1st album) liked what we were doing and let us record it at his 4 free, as we didn't have the money to do it ourselves
Mb: And now you have a CD?
Steve: Yes, we printed up 1000. Luckily we met another benefactor who paid 4 that lol... and now the drummer's left, so we've gotta try and promote it without a drummer! lol
Mb: So what are you going to do without a drummer? Get another, or be an acoustic combo?
Steve: We're trying to get another drummer. It feels more open musically with drums. There seems more possibilities and I enjoy it more (performing wise).
Mb: More support?
Steve: Yeh..and just the volume. I get scared by too much intimacy in public lol
Mb: What do you want someone to think when they listen to your songs?
Steve: Whatever they want, I guess. The music I like best opens up me creatively, so ideally i guess I'd like mine to do the same 4 other people too
Mb: I'm listening to if I met you again... again.
Steve: What do you think?
Mb says: You're getting a feature aren't you! lol There's a lot of strong songwriting. Are you a natural or do you have to work at it?
Steve: I have to work at it-tho (prob the same as you) I can make an 'OK' song REASONABLY easily, but the good ones come when they come. It's always a battle to escape my own clichés creatively. That's what takes the work. Doing that, and trying to look 4 new possibilities all the time. I didn't mean your songs were just OK lol (they're very good-i think) .I meant as a trained musician like you or me we can always write SOMETHING 'OK' lol
Mb: lol... Well you know how kiss the corporate butt! Something you learned busking?
Steve: lol
Mb: Are you trying to make a living from music?
Steve: I don't think it's possible. There's just so much great music and I think you have to be EXTRA determined on that level. I don't think I am, and I like my freedom.
Mb: So what does the future hold?
Steve: Keep writing and trying to make better songs and maybe get a CD 4 sale at mp3.com lol and keep making music with the band. I dunno really. A day at a time...
Mb: So with your last dime, who do you call?
Steve: My mom!
Mb: And what do you say?
Steve: HELP!!! get me outta here!!