Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephen Sigl
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My immediate family was very musical and they had eclectic tastes. My mom liked classical music and pop crooners like Bing Crosby and Perry Como. My dad preferred artists like Johnny Cash and Roy Orbison. They agreed on a few artists, one of which was Roger Whitaker; I remember hearing a conglomeration of albums by these people as we went on family vacations.
By the time I started to get into music myself-around thirteen- I gravitated towards glam metal. My parents, being very Catholic, discouraged this but I eventually was able to begin sneaking cassettes by Motley Crue and Def Leppard into the house and would surreptitiously listen to them on headphones. Near the end of high school I had graduated to thrash metal and industrial. I began playing guitar at sixteen and was interested in playing metal -but no one else was! By the time I finally joined a full band at nineteen, it was a Ska band. I don’t really listen to Ska but I think the emphasis I place on the one when playing guitar and writing songs is a remnant from that formative experience.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think the most traction I ever got playing music was when I was in the Ska band (we were called Waterslide) and that was because there was an existing scene. Also, because it was the late nineties, there was the possibility of getting signed.
Since I’ve set out writing and performing my own music, which draws on an eclectic mix of styles, it has been difficult to be heard. Fortunately, over the last few years, and because of social media, we have been able to reach a broader audience, albeit one that would normally be indifferent to Indie rock. I think that over the last few years we’ve honed a style that is both poppy and radically pessimistic that resonates with people.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As a band I think we are very productive (we released three albums in 2022) and I think we keep exploring different genres, which gives listeners a sense of intrigue.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I was sociable. I liked talking to people and getting their opinions. If someone recommended a book or album I always, to some extent, followed up on it.
With that said, I was also very melancholy and fearful. I was terrified of horror movies (and still kind of am). I was afraid of earthquakes and tsunamis (and still kind of am). I could be very nostalgic at times.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @thehappycasualties
- Youtube: @stephensigl7342
- Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/f48vD1VXVtqPhNmW7
Image Credits
The first photo is by Wendy Lamm
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