Steelhead Redd was originally founded in 2000 by singer/songwriters Bob Picard, Steve Byers, and Reuben Snyder. Reuben moved to Portland OR and the "fish" has now evolved to include monster guitarist Sherrod Parkhouse (lead guitar) and accomplished artist Jessica McAleese (singer/songwriter/acoustic guitar). A diverse repertoire of original folk/rock and roots music has earned the band a dedicated and ever-growing following throughout the U.S. Intermountain West.
Musical influences include Greg Brown, Bob Dylan, Eagles, Lucinda Williams, Shawn Mullins. The Idaho State Journal calls Steelhead Redd’s music “gutsy, melodic folk-rock featuring two excellent lead singers and plentiful tight harmonies.”
Excerpt from interview with the Idaho State Journal:
*Describe your genre of music in as much detail as you like. Maybe list your three best crowd-pleasing songs? Can you explain in what way do you most appeal to your fans?
We've been calling our music genre "fish folk" (for Steelhead Redd), mostly because, like many original artist types, we really don't know how to categorize ourselves. If pressed (and we usually are) we say folk/rock - and that would be about as accurate as anything.
*Band member names / instruments. How long has this line-up been together?
This iteration of Steelhead Redd is our favorite line-up to date (not to take anything away from the awesome musicians that have played with us). Steelhead Redd originated in 1999 with Bob Picard, Steve Byers and Reuben Snyder. Founding members Bob Picard (writer, vocals, guitar, harmonica) and Steve Byers (writer, bass, vocals) are now joined by Jessica McAleese (writer, vocals, guitar) and Sherrod Parkhouse (lead guitar, mandolin) and this line-up has been playing together for over three years.
*Past shows or venues you'd like to brag about? Past or future shows in the Pocatello area that are particular favorites? And maybe describe the audience reactions.
It is hard for us to pick favorite venues/shows. We do, however, love the outdoor shows that we've played. For example, we have had the pleasure of being a featured act at the Thousand Springs Festival in the awesome setting of Thousand Springs nature preserve, performed as the featured act for the Portneuf Greenway Festival, and played outdoor summer concerts in Boise, Idaho Falls and Pocatello. We also love the venues that foster listening environments since our lyrics are a very important part of our music. Pocatello’s First Friday Coffee House is an excellent example of a very cool listening environment. The Bistro and the Portneuf Valley Brewery are long time supporters of our music in Pocatello and Vino Rosso in Idaho Falls has recently discovered our music and picked us up as regular performers. We play the Alive After Five shows, both in Poky and IF and have semi-regularly played the Greenway Foundation's summer event.
*Describe what people can expect if they come to one of your shows, as if you were describing it to someone who doesn't go out much?
One of the things that strikes us about our shows is the number of cool people who actually make an effort to show up regularly for our performances. We are deeply appreciative of our friends who are regular supporters. Another thing that we can't help but enjoy are the folks who hear us for the first time and rave about our music and say they can't believe we actually write this stuff (we think that is a good thing :<) ).
What you would see at one of our shows is an eclectic mix of folk-rock flavored original songs written and sung from the heart.
*Any comments about the local live music scene, the music industry in general? What do you think is the best way to get your music out there?
With just a little luck, this summer should prove to be a “next step” for us with a web presence and a new CD. As for the music industry in general, Garth Brooks once said “never confuse music with the music business.” What he meant was that the music business is brutal. It has nothing to do with who has the best song or who is the best player. It has everything to do with networking and who can be packaged and sold to mass audiences. That being said, the web has really changed the independent music scene. Musicians who want to write and perform for the joy and expression of writing and performing can find audiences on the web.
*Recordings? Will you have CD's or more for sale at the show?
Our first CD will be completed this summer. We have enough original music for at least four CDs and I assume as we move into the next project, quite a bit more will come along. Our songs make and fall off from our set lists based on how we connect with them over time. The same holds for what we plan to include on our recording projects.
*How can fans contact you? Myspace? or another website?
Fans can contact us through our webpage or by calling or emailing any of the band members. Bob has been our main contact person (208-339-1781; picarobe@isu.edu) but we all share in the management.
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