TOWNE consists of Pennsylvania-bred, music theater geek Steevie Steeves and straight-from-Kentucky, former The Pink Spiders-bassist, Jon Decious. The two talents unexpectedly crossed paths at Skip Ewing’s Horse and Writer Seminar in Wyoming where they immediately connected musically. Not long after they met, they realized they both lived behind the liquor store on 8th in the heart of Nashville, yet they had to travel thousands of miles to find out they were meant to make music together.
The result of Steevie and Jon’s musical fate is both enchanting and wicked. Formerly a couple, TOWNE decided to end their romantic relationship to make the band their main focus. The resulting music is emotional, dramatic and raw— a soap opera, if you will. According to the band, if Fleetwood Mac, Adele and OneRepublic were to somehow make a musical baby, the result would be TOWNE. You can hear what they mean in their debut EP, Games We Play, out now!
In this interview spotlight, we chat with Jon about this powerful duo’s new project, the digital music world, influences and more.
Full Q&A along with links and the video for The One I Love can be found below.
TOWNE will be playing a full-band show at the Basement in Nashville on February 9th!
Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)
We’re both from super small, rural towns. Steevie grew up in Blairsville, PA (about 45 miles east of Pittsburgh) and I started off in Monitcello, KY (about 45 miles east of another town you’ve never heard of).
Our music is really an accurate reflection of who we are and where we’re from- small town rural country kids that dreamed of living in the city. So, there’s a lot of rock and pop mixed into what we do but its all rooted in country…that’s why we call ourselves “TOWNE”- we’re somewhere in the in-between.
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to stay the course?
It all started with a love for our parent’s record collections, no doubt. From there, we each got involved in music in our schools— Steevie got heavily involved in musical theatre productions in the 8th grade and I started my first garage band around the same time…eventually we both landed in Nashville and decided to take a chance at making music full-time.
As far as what motivates us to stay the course, I think it just comes down to a deep, inexplicable love for music and performing. It sounds crazy but, if you’re gonna really give it a go, you gotta be a little…crazy, that is…it’s not like there’s any money in it.
Tell us about your latest single, “The One I Love”.
“The One I Love” came about just as we were finishing recording our EP, “Games We Play”. Steevie and I started this conversation about a poem on a napkin that she had kept in her wallet for years. We wrote the song and really didn’t think much of it until we played the demo for a few friends and they freaked out and said, “You guys HAVE to record that song!”. So we did. Ever since then, the song had kind of taken on a life of its own and became an anthem for all kindsa different people with all kindsa different interpretations of what the song means to them. It was the first time either of us had written a song that struck a chord with so many, so it’s become really special to us.
Did you set out to accomplish anything specific with your debut EP, Games We Play?
We set out to tell the story of Steevie and Jon, above all else. In the past we’d made some recordings of some songs that I still think are really good. But, good songs pale in comparison to a great story. So, we decided to make this project focus more that. Thankfully, it seems to be connecting with folks.
Do you face any challenges as an indie musician in a digital age? On the flip side, how has technology helped you (if it has)?
The musical challenges in the digital age are, like with anything else, a blessing and a curse— depending on how you look at them. If the ultimate goal is to stand-out and get noticed, you’ve got to find a way to be unique and do something no one else can do, which is to be yourself.
We’ve trial and error-ed for a while now, and are just beginning to find our sound and our voice. It’s been a frustrating trip at times, but so worth it.
Where can we follow you online and hear more music?
You can find us at www.townemusic.com and on Twitter and Instagram at @townemusic – we also on Facebook, of course.
Anything else before we sign off?
We’ve been writing our asses off and are heading into the studio in February, so be on the lookout for new music in 2017! If you’re in Nashville, catch us at the Basement on February 9th! Thank you for having us!
