Steve Newman and his band Newman have just released their tenth album, ‘Siren’ on AOR Heaven and it is quite possibly the best yet. Here Steve gives us an update on the new album, tour plans and more…
What are you currently up to Steve, given that new album “Siren” is now released on AOR Heaven?
“Hi Jason, great to catch up with you again. We’re currently preparing for the upcoming live shows, which should be great fun. And, I also have a couple of projects that are in their infancy, which will be worked on later in the year and early 2014.”
Could you take us through the new album ‘Siren’ e.g. recording process, ideas behind the songs….?
“With pleasure. I have recently re-located to and upgraded the studio, and the recording process was a little different, as I was getting used to the new studio acoustics, etc. But, apart from that I keep to a fairly standard formula. My initial ideas came from recordings I had laid down on a Dictaphone, and from that point forward it was just a case of developing them into the songs you hear on the final mix.”
How did the co-writes with Pete Newdeck and Nick Workman come about?
“Pete and I have always wanted to write together, for years. I recently worked with him, laying down backing vocals for the new Paris album “Only One Life”. I had a few musical ideas and it just seemed natural to bring Pete in to see what he could do. He came back with the vocal melody and lyrics for both “Some Kind Of Wonderful” and “Waiting For The Day”, which are both killer!!”
“Nick and I have known each other for a long time, and we always grab any opportunity to write together with both hands. Once again, I sent Nick the musical idea and he came back with the melody and lyrics. All the backing vocals you hear on these tracks are from both those guys too; awesome stuff!!”
Does writing songs this way see the music take a different direction or do you have a basic musical idea that you both work on?
“To a point. I think both Pete and Nick have brought something new to those songs, certainly they have gone in a direction I wouldn’t have taken anyway, and I think that’s refreshing. I tried to keep their vocal performances in mind when I was singing the songs, and I think that’s important for the integrity of their ideas and respect for the hard work they put in.”
In an ideal world who would you love to write a song with?
“Wow; great question. There are so many. Jeff Paris has to be top of the list, and there are a few others though such as Steve Lukather! Actually, a guitar lesson would be nice as well, while we’re at it!!”
You have recently added a new bass player Joel Peters for your live shows. How did you hook up with him? How hard/easy is it too keep a live band together?
“Joel came in as a result of great recommendation from Pete. Joel currently plays with Pete in Tainted Nation, and when we first rehearsed it seemed to click straight away. Joel has a great voice and links in with Pete really well. And above all, he’s a really nice guy!!”
Now, you’re playing the MelodicRockFest 3 in September in the US. Do you take over the full band and what sort of set do you do for a festival crowd? I.e. can you get away with playing a lot of new songs?
“Yes, the whole band will be there, and we’re really looking forward to it. We will be playing a couple of songs from the new album, but because of the time restraints, we will be trying to cover most of the Newman legacy in a short space of time!!”
Also, which other artists are you looking forward to seeing at the festival?
“Well, there are so many bands, and so many artists that I have become friends with, it really is a family. I’m looking forward to seeing my friends Bombay Black, Vic Rivera and Adrian Gale. Harem Scarem too; I’m going to try and see as many bands as possible. I’m a huge fan, and living a dream surrounded by such talent!!”
How is the current rock and metal music scene; it appears rock music is in good shape with a lot of magazines around, Firefest doing well and the European festivals still going strong. Is it slightly harder for Newman to get on some more metal/rock orientated festivals as the bookers may think you’re better suited to a specialist melodic rock festival?
“I think it’s changing slightly now; we are obviously playing more festivals this year and hopefully that will continue. Getting the band out playing is paramount to getting a following and to assure getting further dates; it’s very chicken and egg!!”
How important is social media like Facebook, Twitter etc for the band in getting your music out there and communicating with your fans?
“Very important; it allows us to get closer to the fans, which I think is really important. They get a better understanding of the artist behind the music, which I think is a good idea. It goes hand in hand with interviews such as this as well.”
How did the HRH AOR festival appearance go?
“It went very well. We were a little disappointed to play on the second stage, but we understood the situation. It was just great to get Pete out with the band for the first time and rip through the songs!! Hopefully, we’ll be asked back to play the main stage, and I certainly think, judging by the feedback we got, that the people that witnessed our set would agree.”
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time away from music?
“Ooh, I love movies, and I’m also a great fan of historical aircraft, so you’ll see me wondering around Duxford Flying Legends most years!!”
Anything else to add and a message for your fans…
“Just to say, first of all Jason, thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me; I’d like to say a huge thank you to your readers for the support over the years and also the great feedback that the new album is getting. It’s exciting to create music and believe in what you do, and it’s even more rewarding and very touching to get such great compliments about something you really believe in. See you all soon on the road!!”
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