Photos by Blake Nelson / Words by Willa Rudolph
Brown dirt, salt of the earth, average Joe type-a dude George Steel is also a “snake-wrangling, oil-slinging myth of a man.” In reality, George Steel is actually a character created by Brooklyn-Based artist Michael Quint (concept, vocals) and Ernesto Grey (concept, production, Farmer’s Wife). “George Steel is a man everyone can relate to whilst being larger than life,” they say.
The music created through this mystical character is cinematic avant-garde pop music, full of Americana references and theatricality, and the intersection of 80’s electronic and dance, rock and roll, and folk music. It kind of must be listened to to understand.
Today, they are releasing a new single, “Not A Cowboy,” the first from their upcoming album, which will be called Desire on the Range. The album will feature the work of over 20 musicians from Austin, TX (including members of Font, Lady Dan, and Loveme), Today’s single establishes the character of Steel, while in the album will delve deeper into his universe as he discovers the “hidden ecstasy in the follies of Americana.”
You know how The Rolling Stones and Elton John and other British musicians cosplay Southern Christians in their music sometimes (i.e. “Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy,” “Far Away Eyes”)? There are elements of that in George Steel, but maybe in this case it’s a bit more tongue and cheek. Although the actual character of George Steel is “the most sincere person I know,” Michael explains.
“Not A Cowboy,” is released alongside an awesome music video directed by Blake Nelson (Font), where we see Steel meandering around NYC all mysterious and masculine with it. The track’s sax solo is 80’s bliss, only made groovier through it being paired with 80’s synths and rounded, dance-worthy drums. The deep and sonorous layered vocals lay a velvet sky over the mountains on the range, where the deer and buffalo play. (Maybe this music has me feeling a bit like a character, myself.) Anywho, the video also ends with a nod to the ending of Claire Denis’s Beau Travail (1999), which felt arbitrary to me (but cool), but more on that later!
“’Not a Cowboy’ investigates how we choose to wear certain myths,” says Quint. “It is also a song to dance to. The chorus came from the voice that became George Steel’s voice, before I really knew who he was, and so it makes sense that lyrically in ‘Not a Cowboy,’ George choses to define himself by what he is not.” Grey, who produced the track, says “The lyrical content heavily influenced the production style on ‘Not a Cowboy.’ You encounter the absurd on the first downbeat, but by the end of the track, we subvert that absurdity, pushing it into repetition and 80’s pastiche. This movement from one point to the other, sits at the core of the song.”
George was busy running from the law, so I had to speak with IRL vocalist of the band, Michael Quint– see interview below!
Who is George Steel?
MQ: A man who makes music to dance to.
Where did he come from?
MQ: Singing drunk. Now I live with him.
What’s his zodiac sign?
MQ: He told me once that he feels like a young calf under the moon, so whatever’s closest to that.
Is George Steel devised from or inspired by a collection of other characters? If so, who?
MQ: Abraham with the knife. Polyphemus on the panpipes.
Who are George Steel’s best friends?
MQ: Ricky, Dolly, Bobby, Bruce, Gina
What is relatable about George Steel?
MQ: His hands are made of Steel and he tries to enjoy life.
What’s his favorite band?
MQ: Whatever’s on the radio.
In what ways does George Steel create a channel through which you can create/share your music/art? (Does it help to be distanced from the work because you’re performing it through a character?)
MQ: It helps in the way it helps to write a song at all. We grow and change together.
Where did the decision to reference Claire Denis’ Beau Travail in the “Not A Cowboy” video come from?
MQ: Denis sees the heart of the things. She knows where the pain and dancing intersect… and it’s fun.
What are George Steel’s live performances like?
MQ: I encourage intrigued readers to come see George for themselves.
There are a lot of references to American culture, some Capitalism, and Christianity – How much of this is your own sentiments as opposed to being the character’s?
MQ: George talks to me and I talk to him. We learn a lot from each other, but we are not the same.
I think part of the humor is George’s seemingly complete earnest-ness. Is he in on the humor, or is he being completely sincere?
MQ: George is the most sincere man I know.
The album is really cinematic. It’s almost like a rock-opera or something. Ever think you’ll write a story / show / movie to go along with it?
MQ: Who says I haven’t already?
When/where are your guys’ next shows?
MQ: Pleasure is the Place single release show 9/19 at Cassettes. Desire on the Range album release show 10/5 at Bowery Electric.