Music Style Hard Rock

Artist History With fresh, raw hooks, slabs of forceful sound smacking you upside the head and a thudding rhythm section that pins your ears back, The Step Kings are masters of their domain. Their domain is a stage in Anytown, U.S.A., before a churning, sweaty audience, playing with the same intensity whether in front of 200 or 2,000. That energy bursts through like a Fourth of July fireworks display on the band's Roadrunner debut, the aptly titled "Let's Get It On!," produced by Machine [White Zombie, Pitchshifter, Coal Chamber]."We just busted our asses," explains Step Kings vocalist/bassist Bob McLynn, who founded the band two years ago with guitarist/vocalist Fern and drummer Mike Watt. "We did it on our own... touring, putting out our own records. We felt confident this band would go on to bigger and better things, so we didn't take the first offer that came our way. We kept it on our own shoulders until we felt the time was right. Now, we're ready." "Let's Get It On!" is the follow-up to their 1997 independently released "Seven Easy Steps" EP. The music is powerful, melodic, anthemic, and most of all, very real. "We never had a pre-conceived notion about what this band should sound like. There's three equal members who influence and vibe off each other, so the music is never contrived. Our sound came from jamming and touring together for the past few years, putting in our time and developing as a band," says Fern. The group has pursued a DIY philosophy since they first came together in 1997, building a following at legendary New York clubs like CBGB's and Coney Island High. They hit the road, touring non-stop with everyone from Murphy's Law and The Dickies to Kid Rock and Everlast, The Step Kings have proven they can play with just about anybody. THE STEP KINGS never canceled a show no matter the circumstance. McLynn describes a trip from NYC to Toronto in the worst blizzard of last winter: "All the roads were closed and there was zero visibility, but we kept going. We had to get out of the van and physically push cars out of the way several times that day to get by. By the time we finally made it to the club late that night, most of the crowd had already left…. but we played our asses off for the fifty kids that waited." THE STEP KINGS' approach hangs tough, but shows a very real sense of the memorable and melodic on such anthems as the audience call-to-arms "Vibe," the slow insinuating build of "Right Is Wrong" and the feverish sexual frustration of "Imbalance." What distinguishes the group is the soulful call-and-reponse vocals between Fern's melodic croon and McLynn's in-your-face wail, as well as a spaciousness in the power trio's arrangements. This unique quality comes across on the rumbling bass and slamming power chords of "Friends," where the band deals with the difficulty of sustaining long-term relationships, a topic echoed on such songs as the unblinking "One and One,"the throbbing "Eleven"or the Hendrix-styled wah-wah of "Questions." "It's tough when you're living this type of lifestyle and the person you're with is not,"says McLynn of these relationship difficulties, "It's kind of bittersweet when the more success you have, the more you're away from home." For THE STEP KINGS, the medium is the message. Proudly apolitical, McLynn admits, "We want people to have a good time at our shows. Everyone knows that life can be a bitch, but it doesn't have to be when you go to a rock show." Playing live is the end all and be-all for the group. "What makes music great is when it's real," says Fern. "When you take your feelings from inside and express them in a song. That's when the passion comes out." The group applies that principle to the album's only cover, a punked-up version of Pink Floyd's "Another Brick In The Wall" that has become a live favorite of their fans. "With those lyrics, it's almost as if it was meant to be a punk-rock song," says Bob "It's not your older brother's PINK FLOYD."As for the future, The Step Kings are doing what they've always done... taking it day by day. "We just want to get out to the fans as much as we can. If you want people to hear your music, you have to go out there and let them see you live. The show is only half about us... the other half is the audience."

Group Members Bob McLynn: vocals/bassFern: vocals/guitarMike Watt: drums

Location NYC, NY - USA

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