Album Notes

I've caught the bug.

Songwriting, and the accompanying necessity, learning to perform the damn things, has been an obsession for the last two years.

Humour, honesty and cynicsim are sometimes uncomfortable companions but that's the road I seem to on. Belting this out under the house is my lot.

I like a lot of my music. Someone has to. I’m only been at the business for a while and it has been a difficult but rewarding journey. I’ve really enjoyed meeting and spending time with my fellow musicians.

My wife, a fantastic visual artist called Robyn Baker, hates my music vehemently. Can’t win them all!

Richard Thompson, Loudon Wainwright 111, and of course Bob Dylan has been a huge influence, although I’m all over the place with music really. The Spazzy’s (an all girl punk band from Melbourne Australia) have been a recent craze. Nancy McCallion from The Molly’s is a great songwriter. Michelle Shocked has done some good material.

But really it’s important to find your own voice and I’ve never taken much notice of popular music.

I love The Mammals, SONiA (and Disappear Fear), Anne McCue, The Backsliders, The Barramundi Brothers, Bruce Cockburn, C.W. Stoneking, Darol Anger, Bela Flek, The Waifs, Fiona Boyes, Dutch Tilders, Fred Smith, The Greencards, Guy Davis, Jeff Lang, Molten Mike, Patty Larkin, Paul Kelly, Phil Manning, Richmond Fontaine, Rob Longstaff, Rory Mcleod, and Tiffany Eckhardt. Or at least some of what these people do.

And lots of others of course.

I hang out with bluegrass players when I can but can’t play competently with those clever bastards.

I don’t know what I like but I do know what I like to feel. I often enjoy feeling melancholy.

I am in despair generally with people and the stupid ways we treat each other and the planet. But I also believe that a caustic dry wit and a sarcasm is a fine way to fight off despair.

There are about 250,000 extra humans added to the planet EVERY DAY!!!!! That’s a plague.

Check out http://www.myspace.com/stevebakermusic for more
of my music and updates