This Opole-Poznań-based group has an interesting origin story, forming within the unlikely confines of a car dealership where the founding members worked as salesmen.
Their debut album 19:11, released in June 2023 by Antena Krzyku, a legendary label specializing in alternative music, marks their entry into the music scene.
Currently, the band is promoting the album on tour.
The group's name will probably remind some of the American actor and comedian (and a fine musician, to boot), but the inspiration is closer to home, derived from the names and nicknames of its members: guitarist Stanisław Bitka (Steve) and the vocalist and other musicians all named Marcin - Marcin Mochocki, Marcin Pośpiech, and Marcin Karel – with Seweryn Daczkowski later replacing Karel.
"Stanisław and I came up with the name independently of each other," said Mochocki. "We then decided it had to be it. And it stayed that way."
Shared passion for music
Mochocki recounted how the band's formation was inspired by a shared passion for music, leading to the eventual recording of the album.
"I worked with Marcin Pośpiech at a car dealership in Opole," Mochocki recalled. "We sold cars. When we met there, it turned out that we talked more about music than about cars. For two years, we kept saying that we needed to record something together. I had already made some acoustic tracks with vocals. Initially, I didn't have the courage to share it with others. Finally, I let Marcin listen to these songs. He scolded me, asking why we were playing some strange stuff at rehearsals when we already had material ready for an album."
They refined their songs starting in 2021, recording at Perlazza Studio in the western Polish city of Poznań, operated by former Acid Drinkers guitarist Przemysław "Perła" Wejmann.
'We tried recording in Polish, but the songs meshed better with English'
Their debut features two music videos for the tracks "Stolen" and "Daydream," with the entire album sung in English, a choice influenced by Mochocki's four-and-a-half-year stay in Ireland.
"We also tried recording in Polish, but the songs meshed better with English, and we'll stick with it," he said.
The album title 19:11 comes from an alarm that would inexplicably sound during their rehearsal sessions, adding a quirky anecdote to their musical journey.
Steve Martins are in the middle of a concert tour, with performances scheduled at the Łódź club Przestrzeń and the Poznań festival Next Fest, where they will share the stage with Izzy and The Black Trees, another band under Antena Krzyku's wing.
Despite their growing success, the members of Steve Martins continue to juggle their artistic pursuits with their day jobs, from working in the same car dealership and elsewhere, or pursuing a doctorate in film studies.
This diversity in backgrounds enriches their musical perspective, according to Mochocki.
(rt/gs)
Source: PAP