Be Steadwell (B. Steady) is a musician who writes songs that most people can relate to. She delivers these songs to us with her breathtaking voice. Whether she’s playing at a coffee shop or at a music festival, Be always finds a way to captivate her audience.
I had a chance to interview her recently and this is what she said.
Q: Describe the first song that you ever wrote. What inspired it?
A: The first song I ever wrote was called Maroon on the Moon. Alliteration AND rhyme. Very clever. Hah. I was 14, and I was in love. The song was about my first kiss with someone who was my close friend for a long time (a long time for a teenager anyway). There was a harvest moon, it was reddish that night. The song was very earnest and full of love. Not much in my content has changed.
Q: Would you like to have a band one day or do you prefer to perform alone?
A: I play with a band in and around DC. They’re mostly family. My sister sings supporting vocals. My best friend and co-lost boi (Talyn) plays bass, my partner plays percussion, my good friend Sandy plays guitar, and the musical love of my life, Ziggy sings with me. It’s a blast. We are wonderful. I’m not booking the kind of gigs that would allow me to bring them everywhere, but we play in the Northeast often. I enjoy performing, but I always loved playing soccer more than running track. Teams are more fun.
Q: What’s the nicest thing one of your fans has ever done for you?
A: That’s a tough question. I feel like every time someone sends me a note, telling me to keep going, or every time someone buys a CD, or every time someone puts me on to a group of their buddies without agenda–it’s all so nice and generous. I don’t know if I could rank those awesome actions. They’re all beautiful to me.
Q: What’s a typical Friday night for you?
A: I work all of the time. If I don’t have a gig, or I’m not working on music, I’m hanging out with Talyn. And that usually turns into playing music. I occasionally “go out”, but prefer not to. I love being at home with friends.
Q: You directed a film called Vow of Silence. Was that more challenging than producing a record?
A: Absolutely. Infinitely. Film is astronomically more expensive than music. Insurance, camera rentals, paying the crew, feeding everyone, location rentals, props. It adds up. I was lucky because I could do so much on my own. I didn’t pay someone to score or edit or location scout. It was all worth it, but it is a huge endeavor. When I produce records, I can do everything myself. I don’t necessarily have to pay for anything. Of course, I like to hire musicians to play with me, sometimes I do. But it’s nothing compared to the investment and team work required for a film.
Q: How can people watch Vow of Silence?
A: Vow of Silence will be available on DVD this summer. Other than that, folks are welcome to host screenings with my permission. I love visiting schools and venues to the present the film. It’s a joy to see the different reactions to the piece.
Q: Are you working on anything new?
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