biographical info
On “We Belong to the Gold Coast” Steve set out to explore the territory between old and new, antique and modern - both with musical style and sonic experimentation. Played on various acoustic and slide guitars, we catch glimpses of acoustic blues, early Hawaiian, jazz and pop music, mixed with modern sounds and textures. Influenced by the production sounds of Tchad Blake, Brian Wilson and Jon Brion, Steve has experimented for years with recording techniques on acoustic instruments, and this album is a showcase of truly exceptional sounds.
The centerpieces to each section of “We Belong to the Gold Coast” are the 3 Hawaiian songs that appear throughout; “Patches”, Irving Berlin’s “An Orange Grove in California” and Steve’s own “Red Sand Serenade”. Steve has studied early Hawaiian music extensively and wanted to record some songs that explored the pre-1940’s era of that music, and captured its essence, while at the same time used instruments and sounds that were not originally associated with that style.