BIO
Rural Missouri–born, Chicago-based singer-songwriter Steve Slagg has released over 50 original songs since 2011, a body of work that zigs and zags stylistically, guided by his collaborators in the Chicago DIY scene and his work in queer community-building spaces. But he’s a chameleon with a distinctive voice: his folk-pop songs are earthy but mystical, cynical but hopeful, conversational but poetic, and painstakingly honest, except when they’re not. As a fellow songwriter once put it, “Steve, your songs are full of poison. But also the only known antidote to that poison.”
“Outside All the Time”, the first single from Slagg’s forthcoming album, is released May 14, with the b-side “Maybe Start Now”. Slagg self-produced “Outside All the Time”, recruiting Chicago power pop band Mooner (of which Slagg is also a member) to serve as his band and co-producers, with long-time engineer Dorian Gehring (Finom, Chicago’s Cosmic Country Showcase) co-producing, engineering, and mixing, and overdubs from Americana guitarist John Gargiulo (Contorno) and experimental woodwind player Eric Novak (The Curls, Dissonant Dessert). Together they crafted lush, jangly Americana that occasionally collapses into angular noise and ambient sound, all while keeping Slagg’s voice front and center.
Photo: Gregg Webb
ReVieWS
“A true and fierce artist.” - @erinmckeown
“[Slagg] is adding to the death-haunted literature of friendship.” Eve Tushnet
“If (God forbid) I die young, someone pay @steveslagg to write a song about me.” @samuel_ernest
Performed with: Aaron Lee Tasjan, Anna McClellan, Erin McKeown, Flamin’ Groovies, Frances Luke Accord, Frontier Ruckus, James McCartney, Mooner, Over the Rhine, the Vulgar Boatmen.
Performed at: Nowhere Else Festival 2018, GCN/QCF Conference 2015, Calvin College’s Festival of Faith and Music 2013.