Meet Steve McCormick of Venice

Today we’d like to introduce you to Steve McCormick.

Hi Steve, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I studied American Studies (American Music) in college. Upon graduation I embarked on my current career as a musician/songwriter/recording artist/producer. I started out in Minneapolis MN and made my first three records there before moving to Los Angeles CA. I had a publishing deal writing songs for Wrensong Publishing out of Nashville over my transition years. Landing in LA I became a session guitarist and eventual studio owner and producer. I am a multi instrumentalist and singer, but specialize in guitar. I have built a lot of my own studio gear, including tube microphones and tube outboard gear (pre-amps, compressors, eqs). I like to think i have become known for my tone and my style. I am currently producing Ali Mills, Dylan Salfer and Glenn Elvig along with two more studio albums of my own. WIth my partner Heather Donavon we perform as Love Me in the Dark and have one album out by that name. I am working on my 8th and 9th Steve McCormick albums, the clostest to completeion is a world music collaboration with Kora master Prince Diabate, percussionist Greg Ellis, and Heather Donavon

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No musician’s road is smooth; if they say it has been, they are being disingenuous. There is a constant struggle to find revenue streams. I did fairly well as a session musician, but the “jingle music” scene is not what it used to be, and some of my greatest successes were of dubious promotional value…for example I played guitar and bass on the iconic music that branded the erectile dysfunction product Cialis–“boom-chicka-wah-wha”– that was me. There is no middle class in the music buisness. It’s feast of famine. And I still struggle to support my family and to gain a following, but the rewards are great in terms of community and the joy that I know my music brings people.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I produce music in a uniqu e way. I am a very “hands on” producer, meaning I like to get very involved with the songs and I like to play on them when I record them. This approach isn’t for everybody, but I have found that most bands/artists need at least some of the peculiar skillset that I bring to the table.
When I hear a song I almost always ask hard and potentially disarming questions; is it in the best key, is it at the right tempo, are the lyrics as good as they can be, and almost always, are the lyrics phrased right. Many bands and artists are not prepared for this, but most learn to appreciate it eventually.
Then at the recording level I provide really excellent sounding signal paths, often using microphones and pre-amps I built myself.
At the level of muscianship I can play most of what might be needed in a typical rock or Americana setting, and when I don’t play it myself, I have a vast resource of players I can plug in to projects to get the job done.
The result is that I can make songs and recordings sound better than most people imagine. Although many people approach me to record demos, I tend to say I don’t do that because nine times ouf of ten their demo is going to sound like a record very quickly.

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
I am pretty open to helping people on any level, and I even teach lessons.

My ideal recording project is one in which people have about half of their material and are looking for a few more songs. Sometimes I can suggest a song of my own, or another original song I may know, but I also really love to collaborate with writers and the form that takes can depend on the strengths and stretches, or needs a project may have. I can help pretty much wherever help is needed.

Artists and bands can contact me for rates, which vary depending on many things, size and complexity of productions etc., but I have some boilerplate starting points and then I will negotiate depending on budgets etc.

Booking my studio is the best way to support me, but as an artist I will say there are many ways to support independent artists, such as attending and supporting live music, and buying independent music directly from artists; bandcamp is a great resource that I use for my own music. People can find all of my music there, and most of the bands I prodcue as well.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevemccormick/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stevemccormickband/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@stevemccormick3848
• Other: https://stevemccormick.bandcamp.com/

Image Credits
b&w headshot – Karen Kuehn
seated – Heather Donavon
live outdoors with band – Denis Hanigan
b&w with les paul – Federico Sponza