Stephen Steinbrink is self-taught musician, songwriter, and artist. Growing up in the absurd air conditioned climate of Phoenix, AZ, Steinbrink developed a unique and intricate fingerpicking style on guitar and learned to write songs by reverse engineering pop music taped off the radio. Immersing himself in the west coast DIY community in the mid-2000s, Steinbrink left on his first tour at the age of 16 and continued performing internationally for a decade, living an improvised and experimental existence, being nowhere all the time and recording incessantly. He has released 9 critically acclaimed albums of experimental pop music in North America, Europe, and Japan. In roles as a session player and producer, he has collaborated with Boy Scouts, Dear Nora, AJJ, Girlpool, Lake, and Ever Ending Kicks. An autodidact artist, Steibrink works in illustration, animation, and Stained Glass conservation, having restored historic glass art by Charles C. Connick, Narcissus Quagliata, and Louis Comfort Tiffany. He currently lives in Oakland, CA.
“These dozen songs distill Steinbrink’s anguish into a luminous pop tonic—bitter, bright, and above all, restorative.” – PITCHFORK
“Steinbrink’s unfussy imagery stays detached from meaning. That’s part of what makes his seven albums worth your time: In their lushly arranged pop songs, the listener can tie and untie Steinbrink’s vivid and unrelated images into something meaningful — or not.” – NPR
Bandcamp, Brooklyn Vegan interview + write-up for his most recent album Disappearing Coin, Stephen’s website
Photo by Tonje Thilesen
