Former Rogue Wave member Steve Taylor steps to the forefront, headlining The Independent with his folk and soul revival band on Saturday, July 30th.
With a sound steeped in the sunlit tones of Laurel Canyon, the mid-60’s pop and R&B of the Brill Building, and the lo-fi synths of early prog rock, Oakland’s Steve Taylor is equal parts folk troubadour and blue-eyed soul balladeer.
A multi-instrumentalist with a surprisingly diverse background, including stints in black gospel churches, math rock duos and Oakland indie band Rogue Wave; he’s recently found himself collaborating with members of Yeasayer, Vetiver and The Shins.
In between touring, Steve is recording a follow up to his latest release, Has The Size of The Road Got The Better of You? with Aaron Prellwitz (Neil Young and Crazy Horse) and Jay Pellicci (Deerhoof) at the venerable Tiny Telephone Studio in San Francisco. Layering acoustic guitars with vintage organs, pianos, analog synthesizers, and dead drums, he’s focused on a sound thoroughly informed by 70’s AM rock. Live, the music takes on a tent revival tone with multiple voices, horns and strings, spinning tales of love, betrayal, and redemption, under the guise of a three minute pop song.