Born in the sleepy town of Winfield, Illinois in the summer of 1990, Steve Garvin is one of four brothers. His father would play Talking Heads and B-52’s records while wrestling with the children on the floor. In his formative years, Steve would borrow from his older brother’s vast digital music library, discovering bands such as The Beach Boys, Kraftwerk, and the American Analog Set. Although a keen listener of music, he didn’t pick up guitar until age 19, during his freshman year at Villanova University, partially inspired by a dorm-mate who was prone to covering Dispatch.
Steve practiced furiously to make up for lost time, learning surf rock classics and songs by indie darlings Real Estate, Girls, and Surfer Blood. Shortly thereafter, he set out to learn the craft of songwriting, and wishing to learn from the best, he dove head-first into the Beatles. He is now deeply indebted to John Lennon, in particular, for informing his ideas around song structures and key changes. Steve also fancies himself a pseudo-intellectual, and reads widely and shallowly, although if he’s being honest with himself, his favorite author is probably PG Wodehouse.
Steve and Dala founder Billy Aukstik have been friends for close to 15 years, first meeting in the town of Lisle, Illinois where they attended high school together. While they didn’t collaborate musically much then, they were certainly laying the groundwork for what was to come. Since day one at Dala Records, Steve and Billy have worked together, co-writing songs for many of the label’s artists, such as Camellia Hartman, The Hook Brothers and Mel & Kim, and also collaborating on mixing much of the catalog. All the time, they were both honing their craft and preparing for the moment that has now arrived.
On Steve’s debut solo single, Evelyne, one can certainly hear the Beatles influence, but listen closely and you’ll also hear sounds reminiscent of the great Badfinger. Drummer Jim Bertini and guitarist/bassist Joey Farber lay down a solid rhythm accompianment while Joey also provides the fuzz guitar track that drives the arrangement to new heights. The Hammond B3 performance from Billy Aukstik allows Steve to effortlessly float over the top of the tune with his vocals, telling a story of lost love and forgiveness.
