Q+A With Steele & Colfax
by Tru Blu
Steele & Colfax produces as unique a sound as any band in Colorado. Their brand of original music can be described as hard driving southern blues blended with harmonies and hooks from 50’s and 60’s rock and topped with a Motown vibe. Have they discovered something new and relevant? Maybe… Have they put together a steller line-up of amazing musicians? Definitely! Steele & Colfax is Tim Yunker , Tyler Callihan, Shelby Britton and Dalton Callihan.
CMB: Your vibe and sound are so unique. What inspired you guys to do something so different musically?
TY: I think it started as an idea inside the mind of our lead guitarist, Tyler Callihan. We were introduced through a mutual friend, he had heard one of my previous albums and didn’t believe that I didn’t use any pitch correction or auto tune. He immediately recognized the potential of what kind of sound we could create. He heard my voice in an entirely different context than I was used to, and it just clicked. We started reaching back to the golden era of Mo Town/Atlantic etc. What we created surprised us both! We’ve been trying to get this project together for a while now, it’s great to see it getting off the ground and how positive people are reacting. We’re thrilled!
CMB: Do you write all the songs with the full band and who takes the lead? How often do you guys write new material?
TY: This project is a collaboration in the true sense of the word. The early material was primarily written by Tyler and myself. However, after adding another great song writer to the mix, bassist Shelby Britton, it gave us the freedom to truly explore the concepts and ideas that we created individually. There are some songs, such as our single City on a Hill, which were written by the entire band. We sit down and bounce ideas off each other until we all come to something we enjoy. We’re all songwriters, we write constantly. We’re just very picky about which songs make the cut!
CMB: What are some of your previous or current projects besides Steele & Colfax?
TY: The three older members, Shelby Tyler and myself, have been involved in several projects, all successful in their own rite. Tyler was involved with the extremely popular band out of Fort Collins, Tickle Me Pink. He was also involved in Swear By This. Shelby was involved with We Were Cosmonauts and is involved with his solo project as well. I was the man behind the curtain, so to speak, in The Sound Junkies, who were blessed enough to make it to the finals in last years bandwagon. I’m really excited to be returning this year with Steele & Colfax! What’s truly remarkable is the story of our drummer, Dalton Callihan. He’s Tyler’s little brother. Not only is this his first project, but this is his first musical experience period. He happened to have a drum set, we were in need of one, he dropped it off, Tyler showed him how to play some of our songs, and before we knew it, he earned a permanent spot in Steele & Colfax. I’ve never seen anyone pick up on an instrument and work as hard at it as Dalton. We’re all very impressed with his work ethic and intuitive musicality.
CMB: Where can people find your music?
TY: You can find our music and everything you want to know about us at facebook.com/steeleandcolfax. Throw us a like 🙂
CMB: Do you guys have some live performances scheduled in the near future?
TY: We have a lot coming up. We’ll of course be playing Band Wagon, stoked, we’re headlining Lost Lake on feb 15th along with Sarah & The Meanies and The Driftin’ Suns, 2nd place winners at last years Band Wagon! What we’re really, really excited about is South By Southwest in March. We’ll be playing the festival on the Spokesbuzz Stage with some of the best acts in Colorado. We’re so proud to be playing a long side these bands and to have the privilege to be involved in such an awesome event.
Online: facebook.com/steeleandcolfax
Category: Buzzworthy2
Subscribe
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more just like it.
 |
 |
