Album Notes

Todd Steed is originally from Knoxville and has never escaped.

An active fixture on the local and regional music scene, Todd got his feet wet with the legendary Smokin' Dave and the Premo Dopes, touring the country and releasing several nationally acclaimed recordings during the 80's and 90's.

After Smokin' Dave took a break in the mid-90's, Todd left the country to work in newly independent Lithuania. He started out as a teacher and somehow ended up being a television broadcaster for Lithuania's first independent TV station, Tele 3. He also worked for a year in a very tumultuous Indonesia in 1997.

Upon his return he began working for The University of Tennessee, where he is still employed today in the Center for International Education. But Steed has always 'had to play' and for several years played in a series of groups including the Opposable Thumbs and Apelife.

Currently, he is running his own label (Apeville) and the always busy Apeville studios. His current line-up is called Todd Steed and the Suns of Phere. The name comes from the famous Knoxville landmark, the Sunsphere.

"This philosophy of the group is that nobody connected to the Suns of Phere is excluded from our live performances. Anybody who is on the record can come down and just jump on stage. And they often do. That doesn't mean they will get paid, of course." Steed promises. "And the records are just as open as the live show. RB Morris is in the house, fine, put him on track 1."

"We like to keep things open so the show can go off in several directions. And there is always room for humor in the songs and performances. Laughing is not uncool. It's good for you. Laugh at us or with us, we don't mind."Look for Todd Steed and The Suns of Phere new record, Heartbreak and Duct Tape, this summer. The buzz is that the best Steed record yet. Now does that sound like hype or the truth? It's up to you to find out.

Says Todd, "I put it all one the line for this one. Nothing was held back or hidden. I guess that's as close as I got for a warning label for you."