This month, Nyght Scene caught up for a few words with Steele of
Alexisonfire for a to talk about music, purple guitars, and a few extras.
Ironically enough without coffee or cigarettes…
When did you first think to get into music?
“When did I first get into music? As soon as… I saw that
beautiful man over there!!! -enter random dude- Stu, whatta
guy. No, you know what I’d say like in 1996. I’m not that old
of a guy. I’m the youngest guy in the band. Probably like,
what really got me into wanting to pick up an instrument and
play was probably the Green Day Dookie album. It just hit me.
I remember playing, well not playing but being in my living
room and air guitar and going nuts all the time. That’s what
really got me into it… I’m trying to think of another answer
but that must be it. Green Day Dookie album got me going and
I would get all revved up in my living room, just like jumping
off stairs and all “I wanna buy a guitar Mom!”
Then you went from guitar to bass?
“Yea ‘cause I started in guitar, I took lessons for like 3-4 years
on guitar and then before Alexis, way before Alexis, I played
with Wade and he had a bass and [everything] was all backwards,
because he couldn’t play bass and sing at the same time, but he
could play guitar and sing at the same time. So I was like, ‘Okay
I’ll play bass, I guess, and you sing and play guitar.’ And so ever
since that, yea I’ve always played bass in bands. I’ve never played
guitar in bands.”
Would you ever want to spotlight guitar on any of your songs or
something just to put it on the album?
“Nah, I love bass now. Its been like 7 years, I think, of playing bass.
I’ve got so much more passion for it now. I’m straight up bass.”
Bass for life?
“Yeah bass for life. I love it.”
So who were your main musical influences when you were growing up?
“Uhm, that’s a tough question. Well it goes with the Green Day type thing.
But with Pearl Jam as well, like Vs. Albums like that first influenced me to
Alexisonfire for a to talk about music, purple guitars, and a few extras.
Ironically enough without coffee or cigarettes…
When did you first think to get into music?
“When did I first get into music? As soon as… I saw that
beautiful man over there!!! -enter random dude- Stu, whatta
guy. No, you know what I’d say like in 1996. I’m not that old
of a guy. I’m the youngest guy in the band. Probably like,
what really got me into wanting to pick up an instrument and
play was probably the Green Day Dookie album. It just hit me.
I remember playing, well not playing but being in my living
room and air guitar and going nuts all the time. That’s what
really got me into it… I’m trying to think of another answer
but that must be it. Green Day Dookie album got me going and
I would get all revved up in my living room, just like jumping
off stairs and all “I wanna buy a guitar Mom!”
Then you went from guitar to bass?
“Yea ‘cause I started in guitar, I took lessons for like 3-4 years
on guitar and then before Alexis, way before Alexis, I played
with Wade and he had a bass and [everything] was all backwards,
because he couldn’t play bass and sing at the same time, but he
could play guitar and sing at the same time. So I was like, ‘Okay
I’ll play bass, I guess, and you sing and play guitar.’ And so ever
since that, yea I’ve always played bass in bands. I’ve never played
guitar in bands.”
Would you ever want to spotlight guitar on any of your songs or
something just to put it on the album?
“Nah, I love bass now. Its been like 7 years, I think, of playing bass.
I’ve got so much more passion for it now. I’m straight up bass.”
Bass for life?
“Yeah bass for life. I love it.”
So who were your main musical influences when you were growing up?
“Uhm, that’s a tough question. Well it goes with the Green Day type thing.
But with Pearl Jam as well, like Vs. Albums like that first influenced me to
pick up an instrument. I felt the music. At the
time I didn’t play in a band, I played sports like
hockey and baseball, stuff like that. And that
music hit me just in the right way and just made
me think. [I was] like, ‘Dad can I have a guitar
for Christmas?’. And luckily he bought me one. I’
ve got the greatest dad in the world. You can put
that into the interview. I have the greatest dad in
the world. He bought me my first guitar.”
What was your first guitar?
“What was it? A regular, straight up made
[guitar] but I had the pick guard replaced with a
checkerboard ska-like checkerboard pick guard
on the black guitar. And at the time I was like
‘this is the coolest thing ever!’ But you know, it
looked so ridiculous.
(Continued on the next page)
time I didn’t play in a band, I played sports like
hockey and baseball, stuff like that. And that
music hit me just in the right way and just made
me think. [I was] like, ‘Dad can I have a guitar
for Christmas?’. And luckily he bought me one. I’
ve got the greatest dad in the world. You can put
that into the interview. I have the greatest dad in
the world. He bought me my first guitar.”
What was your first guitar?
“What was it? A regular, straight up made
[guitar] but I had the pick guard replaced with a
checkerboard ska-like checkerboard pick guard
on the black guitar. And at the time I was like
‘this is the coolest thing ever!’ But you know, it
looked so ridiculous.
(Continued on the next page)
