Interview with Steve Butler


Q: Something for the People is your debut album. Please tell me a more about yourself. Who has influenced you musically and how did you get into making music at all?

Steve Butler: I'm the offpring of musical parents so I grew up with a deep appreciation for the art. Both my parents were lead singers but I was more attracted to being a musician and producer. So I began making a name for myself by producing other artists. I was rooted in hip hop and contemporay R&B. But idolizing producer greats such as Quincy Jones and Nile Rodgers inspired me to take more chances musically.

Q: How would you describe your music to someone who hasn't heard it yet?

Steve Butler: Well this project is a mix of old soul and feel good funk revamped.

Q: You've worked together with Ron Haynes on this album. How did you hook up with him and did the age gap of twenty years influence your collaboration at all?

Steve Butler: I was producing a band called P-1. And Ron was invited to play on a few track on their debut album "Step". One of the singles on the album "P-1 groove" recieved a lot of attention and radio play and displayed an obvious chemistry between us. The age gap was a tremendous influence. Ron being critical of the music of my generation and my feeling that it was misunderstood by the elders made for some fun and educational studio seesions.

Q: Some of the songs feature singers Mauri Sevier and Joaquina Mitchell. Please tell me how you've met them and will we hear more of them?

Steve Butler: Both of them are very talented singers. Mauri is a singer/musician that I'm currently producing who I've known for quite some time. She's also a great pianist and violinist. I'm really excited about the project. I'd just met Joaquina months before she recorded the song and was so impressed with what she wrote to the music that I had to put it on the album. I have future plans for her as well.

Q: Another Chicagoan artist, Stewart McKenzie told me in an interview that the music scene these days in Chicago isn't "much of a "cohesive" scene, at least not like there was back in the days of The Impressions, Donny Hathaway, Gene Chandler, Jerry Butler." He guessed "that the reason for this is mainly because the music, or at least the local underground soul music isn't widely supported or promoted by venue owners and media outlets." What's your experience and opinion of the (soul) music scene in Chicago?

Steve Butler: What Stewart said is true. But when I think about it, soul music is lacking everywhere. There are no popular soul or funk bands period. Anywhere! I can't think of one that exist in my generation.

Q: Your album was released by Pull 'Em Up Records. Is this your own imprint or a local independent label? Actually I've never heard of them before and their website has no content yet.

Steve Butler: Yes this is my own imprint. This project is the second release on the label. There will be a site soon. I meet so many artist that I'd love to develop and produce that I felt the need to start a label.

Q: You are also part/producer of the trio P-1. In which way is the style and sound of P-1 different from what can be heard on Something For The People?

Steve Butler: I'm the sole producer of P-1. It's very different in the way that P-1 has a more atmospheric sound with a hint of soul. With Something for the People I wanted to push the funk and soul to the limits.

Q: Which other acts do you produce or plan to produce?

Steve Butler: Right now I'm producing Mauri's project and a few tracks on some up and coming artists.

Q: I really liked Ron's trumpet playing and the horn section on the album. Will there be another collaboration with him and the other musicians or was this just a one-off?

Steve Butler: I sure hope so. I know that Ron plans to record another solo Jazz album. He's currently on a world tour as part of Lenny Kravitz's horn section. If our schedules permit we'll do this again. But I plan to to do a short series of these funk soul albums featuring and showcasing great singers and musicians.

For more infos visit pullemup.com, cdbaby.com and read my review of Something For The People.