Two members of Halifax’s Matt Steele & The Corvette Sunset have teamed up for a twist. As they say, “Punks don’t grow old, they go country.” Matt Steele and Devin Fox, known collectively as Steele Fox are debuting with a pair of singles that lean hard into a classic twang. Their first release is a double A-side single, “My Church is at the Bottom of this Bottle”/”Consequences.”
Already known for their post-Elvis Costello sound and Marlon Brando look, it’s a big change for the two band members. The new direction grew naturally out of open mics and late nights after their regular band practices.
“Devin and I had been showing each other country tunes we had written, not with any intention of starting a band but as an extension of being songwriters and friends,” explains Steele. “I’ve written for a lot of genres over the year and the storytelling-comedy-heartbreak-drinkin’ aspects of classic country music make for a fun writing exercise.
Devin was part of the Cameron House scene in Toronto for a while and has a strong country/roots background. So, after Nova Scotia Music Week last year, we both had the week off, and booked a little studio to make a two piece lo-fi country record.”
The pair brought in Adam Martin from The Barrowdowns on drums, and what followed was deluge of Halifax talent.
“We just started calling friends to come in and play – our old drummer Kyle came and drummed on Consequences, Leith Fleming-Smith is on a bunch of tracks, Luke Levy from Floodland, Seamus Erskine from The Brood, Raha and Fraser from TO’s Bad Luck Woman & Her Misfortunes, Chelsea Tamara helped arrange backing vocals, and so many more on a list I have to find before we release all of the tracks,” laughs Steele.
Self-recorded with assists from AJ Gillis and Caleb Elias, and mixed by Thomas Stajcer, one of the few men in Halifax who can probably pull off a fringe jacket without looking ridiculous, the results landed the band seven finished tracks.
“We have a blast jamming these tunes and being country music playing goofs, it’s a nice break from the Serious Music Biz work of Matt Steele & The Corvette Sunset,” says Steele.
“Consequences,” the single penned by Steele, is unsurprisingly, about drink. What is more surprising is that Steele managed to turn a situation,where most of us are more than prepared to curl up and die, into a productive writing session. Write drunk, edit sober they say, but Steele waits for the hangover.
“A couple years ago I went to a couple Single’s Appreciation Day events in Halifax because friends working them had given me free tickets… and then they gave me more than enough drink tickets. Those events are awkward as hell. So, yeah, I drank a bunch, talked to my friends working the door, and stumbled home,” explains Steele.
“The next morning I was so hungover I couldn’t get out of bed, so I conjured up a take on the classic ‘man drinks too much and ruins his relationship’ plot to help motivate myself to not get so blotto next time people try to offer me free booze. Free booze, eh? What a double-edged sword that is!”
Similarly, “My Church Is At The Bottom Of This Bottle,” works in the same vein, but in keeping with that theme, Fox was unavailable for comment. He’s been working full-time at Nova Scotia Music Week and is presumably still sleeping it off.
Steele says that the songs may eventually be compiled into a complete album, but the band are content to see how the first two are received. In the meantime you can catch the band performing at The Carleton on November 7th.