KEVIN STEELE

“Artistic freedom is a never-ending battle.”

“Optimism is born from innocence, and life makes it harder to keep.”

“Rock ’n’ roll can express joy, danger, recklessness, empathy, sorrow, and lust.”

“What keeps hope alive is the love of friends and family… and a little Jack Daniels.”

“An album should never sound like the same idea repeated over and over.”

“Billy and I could finish each other’s musical thoughts – that’s why we’re the Cosmic Twins.”

“It’s my party – everyone is invited.”

‘One Thing Left To Do‘ captures Kevin Steele at his most honest and unfiltered.
Speaking with Fok ‘bs‘, the veteran songwriter opens up about freedom, excess, hope, and the personal truths embedded in his latest work.
‘One Thing Left To Do‘ carries a sense of arrival rather than introduction.
What does it mean, personally, to arrive at a place where nothing needs to be proven anymore?
“One word, freedom.”
Freedom is a recurring idea around this album.
Do you see artistic freedom as something you claim once, or something you have to continuously defend as life and expectations change?
“It’s a never ending battle. You have to fight label people, record producers, video directors and sometimes fellow band members, I would suggest that if you take a hard stand from the get – go and make people aware of your stance in no uncertain terms it sets a precedent and lets people know you are not a pushover.”
Your songs often balance hope and weariness.
Do you believe optimism has more weight when it’s earned through experience rather than innocence?
“Well I would say that optimism is born from innocence and the more that real life beats you down the harder it is to maintain. That’s the trick, isn’t it?”
When you write about your past with such openness, are you trying to understand it better yourself, or to offer listeners a mirror for their own stories?
“The latter. I understand my past all too well. I have always hoped that my music might provide the same escape for someone that other people’s music did for me as a child. That has been a primary motivation for me since the beginning. That and the girls!”
Across decades of making music, what have you learned about the difference between survival and purpose – and where does this album sit between those two ideas?
“Well I’ll admit I haven’t learned much. For me there isn’t a big difference. I do what I do because I love it and I’ve always written songs to please myself and hoped that others would share my enthusiasm. I’ve never given much thought to survival, maybe to my own detriment. I guess I’m rather reckless in that regard.”
The record draws from many musical languages without feeling fragmented.
Philosophically speaking, do you see identity as something unified, or as a collection of contradictions that coexist?
“Oh, life itself is a collection of contradictions that coexist and wouldn’t it all be so extremely boring if it wasn’t. An album is a collection of ideas and who wants to listen to the same idea over and over? I don’t. If you present them with your own sense of style, hopefully there will be a certain amount of cohesiveness. I’ve always loved a wide range of musical genres and I enjoy writing in many of them. I find bands who don’t rather dull.”
‘There’s A Better Day Comin’‘ feels almost like a statement of belief.
In moments of doubt, what keeps belief alive for you – faith, memory, or sheer stubbornness?
“I’d like to make it clear that ‘There’s A Better Day Comin’’ is not a religious song in any way. It is a song about hope. We all need a little of that in this world we live in today. So if you are asking me what keeps hope alive for me then I would say, as corny as it might sound, the love of friends and family. That and a little Jack Daniels.”
Collaboration can either dilute or deepen personal expression.
How do you know when another voice is helping you tell your truth rather than reshaping it?
“Well I’ve always had a very strong vision for what I wanted my music to say and how I wanted it to sound so I know right away if someone is in tune with that vision or not. I welcome collaboration that helps me achieve my goal and I have no time for anyone that hinders it.”
The album title suggests both an ending and an obligation.
Is there a sense in which artists owe something – to themselves, to the music, or to the people listening?
“Maybe selfishly, I’ve never felt an obligation to anyone other than myself. My whole philosophy concerning rock ‘n’ roll is to have a good time. It’s my party but everyone is invited. And please, bring a friend!”
Time changes the way we hear our own voice.
When you listen back to this album, do you hear the man you were, the man you are, or the man you’re still becoming?
“This album, like all my others, is a snapshot in time. They are a reflection of where I’m at that time in my life. I try not to dwell on the past, I have no idea where I’ll be tomorrow so I would have to say I hear who I am or are trying to be now.”
Rock ’n’ roll has always carried myths of rebellion and excess.
At this stage of your life, what do you think the genre is truly capable of expressing?
“No myth for me. I’m afraid I’ve lived a life of extreme rebellion and excess. I believe rock ’n’ roll is capable of expressing the same things it always has, joy, danger, recklessness, empathy, sorrow, exceleration and lust. It’s only rock ’n’ roll but I like it!”
Working so closely with Billy Summer, you’ve described a rare musical understanding between you.
What role does trust play in allowing personal ideas to fully reveal themselves?
“For me it’s an absolute must! How could you reveal personal ideas and vulnerabilities without trust? Billy and I shared a musical camaraderie at an almost supernatural level. You’ve heard of twins who finish each other’s sentences? Well Billy and I found that we could finish each other’s musical thoughts. That’s why the production is credited to the ‘Cosmic Twins’.”
After listeners experience ‘One Thing Left To Do‘ in its entirety, what do you hope stays with them long after the record has ended?
“A smile.”
‘One Thing Left To Do‘ stands as a snapshot of Kevin Steele’s present moment – honest, unfiltered, and driven by instinct rather than expectation.
It’s a reminder that rock ’n’ roll doesn’t need myths or reinvention, only conviction and heart.
by Fok ‘bs‘