Music
Press
“Where the River meets the Sea is a thing of limpid beauty indeed, and a real pleasure to sit back and immerse oneself in" (Michael Smith, Drum Media). - Drum Media - Michael Smith
“Standout tracks are the opening, morbidly melancholy "Blue", "Cross This River"; the soaring, shimmering "Close"; the slightly countryish "Hollywood", which recalls Paul Kelly, both in musical style and in the narrative nature of the lyrics; and the closing, transcendent "Higher Love". Shit, that's more than half the album!” - i-94bar - http://www.i94bar.com/reviews/steveclark.html
"This is great song writing done by someone who has had more than a few experiences.... Steve has done a lot. There is maturity in the work…
"Overall, this is a great piece of work with recording nicely done. The arrangements create space for all the instruments so it is easy to hear the individual contributions of he various support artists.
"Some albums capture me after a second listening where I can then keep the them playing throughout in the expectation that something good is going to come. This is the feeling I have when I put this CD into the player." - Don Foster, ParisLive Radio
"...Backing vocalist and occasional co-writer Chiara Browne imbues Where the Rivers Meets the Sea with much romance and beauty. This is especially evident on the outstanding 'Cross This River'.
"The strong narrative and country chug of 'Hollywood' brings a slight playfulness to the album and with its earthy style and hard-won wisdom sounds as though it could've been lifted straight off a Spencer Jones album.
"'Higher Love' closes the album in a particularly stunning way and the backing vocals provided by Rachel Holmshaw adds much to the track's soaring qualities."
- http://www.lunakafe.com/moon85/au85.php
Discography
All The Stars, EP
Where the River Meets the Sea, LP (2003)
Photos
Bio
Steve Clark is a songwriter, singer and producer, who released his debut album Where the River meets the Sea in 2003. This was an eclectic, mood-inspired collection of songs, blending the influences of dark folk rock with indie-pop, with shades of celtic inspiration.
Vocally, critics have compared Clark to Nick Cave and Ron Sexsmith; within the mold of character singers who build stories and atmosphere through the narrative of the song.
Clark obviously has an affinity musically with his previous band Died Pretty, (no surprise considering he co-wrote a number of songs including the classic single D.C. from the critically acclaimed Dough Boy Hollow).
He called on respected friends and musicians to help shape the sound of this album, including singers Chiara Browne (The Rose Ponies), and Rachel Holmshaw and Bec Quade (The Millers Tale). Musicians included percussionist Lloyd G; guitarists Brett Myers (Died Pretty), Richard Boxhall (David Lane Band) and Jack Evans (Steve Prestwick Band); string players Lara Goodridge and Peter Hollo (Fourplay) and organ player Dorian Mode. All of these artists greatly expand the breadth of the album's mood and texture.
Clark has spent the past ten years honing his skills in the small clubs and pubs of Sydney and Europe including the Edinburgh Festival playing at the Famous Spiegel Tent. He has performed with an eclectic array of line-ups from duo mode with a violinist, to six-piece band with percussion, strings and saxophone. For Clark it always comes back to the same focal points - the song, the voice and the performance.
Steve is currently working on new material for his second solo album and performing around Sydney, while planning to play shows in Europe early next year.
Background history:
Steve Clark played with a number of bands during the early 80s including 30/40 Purple and The Glass. During this time he worked for EMI Studio 301 Sydney as an engineer with bands such as Wa Wa Nee, Noiseworks, Party Boys, Simple Minds. While producing independent albums for Waterfront Records and Citadel including Rat Cat, The Widdershins, Asylum, The Spunk Bubbles and Grooveyard.
In the late 1980s he gained international prominence after joining Died Pretty as bass player and co-writing the crossover hit, D.C, with lead singer Ron Peno, from the critically acclaimed album Dough Boy Hollow. Both D.C and Dough Boy Hollow struck a chord with fans and critics alike, achieving mainstream radio airplay, appearing in the 2-JJJ Top 100 for 1991, reaching top 40 in the Rolling Stone magazine and Sydney Morning Herald music critics' Top 100 Classic Australian albums of all time. The video for D.C was nominated for an ARIA.
Leaving the band shortly afterwards, Clark resurfaced as a solo artist in 1994 with an E.P., 'All the Stars' (Spiral Scratch), and has toured since in various combinations from solo to six-piece band, even making it to the Edinburgh Festival playing at the Famous Spiegel Tent. Clark has recently worked as an independent producer with acts as diverse as Rachel Gaudry, The Millers Tale and Sascha Klave.
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