Born in Oakland, CA, Steve Wold left home at 14 to a lengthy freight-train-hopping and migrant-working hobo lifestyle, before eventually 'settling' in Tennessee (via San Francisco, UK, Hawaii, Tennessee, Washington State and god knows where else – he married his Norwegian wife 25 years ago and they've lived in 56 different houses). He became Seasick Steve fairly recently, so nicknamed after an ill-advised ferry journey, and it coincided neatly with a decision to deliver his own musical goods to the world, instead of just helping others deliver theirs. He released the first album by Seasick Steve & The Level Devils in 2004, and just as things started rolling along quite nicely he suffered a massive heart attack and lost his studio. No biggie, makes for a good song or two. So the Dog House Music album was a kind of therapy, and he realised he could carry on. And so here he is, and here we are. We all love a good story and a good song, and Seasick Steve is king of the yarn, duke of the hot blues lick. It's that pure and it's that simple. |