Bio

My music sits on an edge between Simple Rock, Blues and Heavy Rock, often with an influence of diverse time signatures, and a lot of melodic spread, with the odd rather boutique nod to jazz.

Who is Steve Starke

I am a Kiwi 51-year-old father and stepfather. My youngest is 24 and my wife and I live in rural land in South Auckland. A Project Marketer in Real Estate by day, I have been writing my own lyrics since before I turned 18 – and started recording my own work on a four track some 32 years ago!

My first recording work was pure instrumental electric guitar solos played to backing tracks I programmed on a genius little sequencer by Yamaha - a QY10.This introduced me to the fear and joy and pain and exquisite high of recording my own soul at work in a studio.

Since then I have recorded with bands The Burn (an unreleased 5 track EP) and Days of Twelve (in a self-titled 11 track album release, and an incomplete EP). In addition, I have previously forayed into solo work using studio musicians for two tracks (circa 1990’s) Whisperscream and Ten Stories Down. These were not released as such – although Whisperscream has had quite a bit of internet airplay.

Latterly I released a lament as a result of my first year collaborating at Outland Sessions (2018) in a track named Until the Suns Death Kills Time. This features co-writers principally Keighty Maught’n and the same rhythm section found on this track – with Luke Finlay featuring on guitar – and being the principal engineer.
I have certainly not been content to sit on my laurels and still work hard at learning and improving my guitar vocals and musicality.

Musical Influences

The very first album I ever had was given to me by my parents – John Denvers Greatest Hits Volume 2. Prescient in its reach, Annies Song and the ode to the work of the Cousteaus (Calypso) were important in opening wide my musical vision.

I went through phases with bands of the 80s such as Men at Work and The Narcs, and got into Twisted Sister and Bryan Adams (Run to You was a strong tie in for me of guitar and vocals at full cry – as I thought then). This progressed to the wonders of AC/DCs incredible work – Back in Black was not long out when I heard them for the first time – fantastic forever. I also caught Led Zeppelins film Song Remains the Same but this was more subtle to me and I was hooked into the guitar and vocals of AC/DC.

Blues made its terrible way into my heart and playing around age 23 and is still a true colour in my work. Eric Claptons “Just One Night – Live In Japan” double album was everything for a while – that and the New Zealand work I was being introduced too in my first and only durable covers band – RBM (Hamilton).

Since then I’ve only performed my own music from various bands – with covers used for learning/performance evaluation. I delved also into Stevie Ray Vaughan, Blind Faith, Cream, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Chris Cornell.

Apart from one short season as a choir member in Jesus Christ Superstar, the only musical theatre experience I have was in my theatre lead role. This was with Pukekohe Performing Arts where I performed as the Reverend Shaw Moore in the musical Footloose – a role I accepted for learning only – honestly, it’s not my kind of music.

In the present day then, I am an eclectic mix of old and new music, with a bent to fairly quick and wide steps melodic progressions – with a fondness for guitar solos sitting under or around the vocal mix as a song develops.

I love the work on Glenn Hughes latest album Resonate – along with the Supergroup Black Country Communion. And I am still heartbroken by Chris Cornell and his last album Higher Truth.
So you can see the “heavy and the high” is still very much key to musical me.

Links

• Artist Website
• Facebook Page
• Instagram Page
• Bandcamp Page