On The Phone With... Charlie Steady
When I first heard Charlie Steady’s music, it was through a couple of tracks that ended up on a few of my playlists. “Once Upon a Time I Fell in Love” (which found its way onto his upcoming release) and “Long Night’s Moon” were a couple of my favorites. He’s also got a couple of Christmas songs that made it onto my Christmas playlist. So I was excited to finally get on the phone with him and talk about music, local shows, what’s coming next, and how this whole Charlie Steady project got started.
Turns out, Charlie Steady isn’t his real name. “I was born Charlie Steadyus Maximus,” he joked. “No, I’m just kidding. My real name is Seth Craig.” The stage name came from a mix of personal references, his initials reversed (S.C. becomes C.S.), and a childhood nickname. “Charlie came from being called Charlie Brown a lot as a kid,” he said. “I guess that’s a compliment because, you know, pop culture, but at the same time, I’m not too sure.” The “Steady” part was partially influenced by a famous pop singer (who shall remain nameless) but he goes on to say, “I really like how it’s just simple. I was like, I could use Steady too. It’s sort of like a motto. I try to live steadily.”
He grew up in Fresno, playing bass in pop-punk bands before forming a high school group called Cecelia Road, which played original songs and played a few local shows. “That was really the first time I tried to consciously write on my own,” he said. “I didn’t find my voice in the band, but I found it after, when I was doing the Charlie Steady thing.” His first solo release was Tenderfoot in 2018. One of his first shows included opening for an Eagles tribute band at a winery. “Very strange, but that was the first one I did.” Since then, he’s released EPs, a few Christmas songs, including “A Very Steady Christmas,” which was recorded during COVID. “My motto is like, okay, let’s do a Christmas song every two, three years or something,” he said, which I’m totally going to hold him to. He’s also released some singles which will appear on his upcoming release.
His upcoming album, Magpie: The Adventures of a Musical Monomyth, scheduled to be released on July 25th, is a massive double album with 27 songs, clocking in at 88 minutes. “It’s an alternative indie art rock album. It’s very much a concept album,” he said. “It does have a narrative about a character named Magpie who goes on a musical journey. It's been really quite a passion project. I've spent, you know, the past three, three and a half years working on it on and off just while working and doing all this stuff. It’s 88 minutes, 27 songs of blood, sweat and tears and passion. And I'm very proud of it.” He’s been releasing singles from the record since 2021, but finished the second half just this spring. “Compared to my first, I think it’s a big jump in maturity and writing and concept.”
The album was recorded at home, a fully DIY effort. “I did vocals in a garage, ” he said. “I have nice gear, nice microphones, I pad the room and everything.” He even traveled with a portable mixing board to record friends who played or sang on the album. “It was really, very DIY. But I think the fidelity is still there.”
If you’ve seen him live, you’ve probably noticed the outfit. “I like dressing up for shows,” he said. “It’s kind of like a suit of armor for me. You have to be confident to wear mustard-colored pants into a bar where everybody’s kind of just very casual.” Over the years, the look has evolved from dress shirts and ties to colorful pants and rotated combinations depending on the show. “That’s my Charlie Steady outfit. Always.” It also works as branding. “People remember it,” he said. “I’ve been working on that for years.”
Live shows are sometimes solo, sometimes with a rotating group of musician friends. “My drummer and bass player do the gigs all the time,” he said. When I asked him which local bands he liked right now he said, “Gerry, my guitarist, he’s in Seven Asterisks. He’s busy, but always down to play when he can. And I like going to see them” Unlikely and From Flowers to Flies are two other local bands he really enjoys. “From Flowers to Flies, it reminded me of Tom Waits, mixed with jazz fusion. We don’t really have a band like this here.”
He has a wide variety of musical influences. He mentioned Beck, David Bowie, Wilco, The Beatles, and pop-punk. “I like pop music, I love classical, I love listening to jazz. But my comfort food with music is definitely alternative, and indie. Beck or Bowie, or Wilco,” he said. “I really love Beck. If someone asked me to describe my music, I’d say it’s like if Beck and David Bowie had a baby,” he said. “I like music where I can keep discovering little bits and pieces every time I listen. One Beck song he’s always wanted to cover live? “I have thought about singing Deborah, but more so maybe going to Goldstein’s for karaoke and being like, ‘Hey, DJ, put on Deborah.’ Nobody wants to see this, but we're going to do it, because I love that song. If that song comes on in the car or something, I'll be singing it at the top of my lungs.” For the record, I’m also a big fan of Beck and I definitely want to see this.
He’s also a Beatles fan. His favorite record? “Probably Revolver. Rubber Soul to Sgt. Pepper is when they were at their best.” He covered “Come Together” at Goldstein’s and has performed Beck songs like “Lost Cause” and “The Golden Age.” “Some of my favorite songs, I didn’t really like them at first. Then something clicked the second or third time. I love music like that.”
When I asked about favorite local venues, he shouted out The Great Room. “That was the first show I did after COVID,” he said. “It’s always just a good vibe there. I don’t think I have a favorite, but I feel the most comfortable in that space.” He’s hoping to play at Summer Fox sometime soon and we talked about playing shows outside Fresno. “I’ve only played outside of Fresno once, solo acoustic in Morro Bay. But I’d love to do something in SLO or SoCal.”
Charlie books his own shows, usually reaching out with an electronic press kit and live performance links. There’s a solo acoustic show coming up within the next few months, but nothing else booked officially. For now, he’s focused on the album rollout, including a teaser video the week before the release. “I did that with my first album too—I go hard on the music videos,” he said. “That’s kind of what I’m working on now.”
So what’s next for Charlie Steady? He’ll be performing at The 101 for their September acoustic show, so keep an eye out for that one. Magpie: The Adventures of a Musical Monomyth comes out July 25th on all streaming platforms. If you’re new to his music, start with “Songstress,” which is available to stream now. “The Big City,” “Schmuck,” and “Magpie” will be available next week and they’re just a few of the highlights from the upcoming release. And yes, I did get a sneak preview of the full album, and you won’t be disappointed. I have a few of my own favorites from the album, but I don’t want to spoil it! So be prepared to dive into it next week. “It’s an experience,” he told me. “That’s what I tried to do.”