MakeaStar.com: Welcome to the finals! Did you ever think you would get this far?

Steady On: We hoped so, but you never know what to expect when you put your music out there! Our friends and family like our CD, but it’s the un-objective vote that really tells the tale.


MAS: What do you think it is about your song “Hold Me Down” that it has gotten into the finals?

S.O. : I think it’s just a fun, melodic, song in kind of a classic rock style.  I must admit it’s not quite as contemporary as some stuff, but the vocal breaks are fun and I think that resonates with people.

For the Christian, the theme of “Hold Me Down” is something not often sung about: namely the frustration we can have in our desire to serve God.  We’ve seen in our own lives how we’ve gotten a clear idea of what God wants us to do (“how about form a Christian band?”) and then gotten frustrated about the timeframe in which God works (“the CD isn’t done yet?”). The truth is that serving God is not just about doing the right things, but doing them in the right way (and time). But we often are impulsive, and this breeds all manner of feelings that come from not waiting on the Lord.  This song deals with those things honestly, all the while pleading that God would “hold us down and help us understand” that the best thing is to trust and understand that His plan is perfect. I think this resonates with Christians because many of us have been there multiple times.


MAS: Have you been getting any e-mail from Fans? The Industry?

S.O. : So far none from MakeAStar, though we’ve been getting some from our website and other online sources.

MAS: What is the response to your song and your sound in general?

S.O. : When we play live, it’s usually in front of Christian audiences. For them, it seems what they comment on most is the lyrics.  People like the way we talk about the Christian life (and its struggles) in an honest and open way. Our online exposure has put us in front of a different audience, and that crowd usually responds to the harmonies melodic sense of the music.

MAS: What do you think about MakeaStar.com's Industry review service?

S.O. : We found the reviews very useful, especially this one. As with all art, you have to remember that a perspective is just that- someone’s opinion and not a fact.  However, it is the collective opinions of the masses that determine how well art speaks to people, so it’s great to have a place like MakeAStar where you can get an honest and objective viewpoint.

MAS:  What about the equal voting power being given to Fans and the Industry in the contests?

S.O. : We believe that there is a place for both perspectives, as the industry can often articulate why something will or will not be successful. However, in the end it’s all about the fans. We’ve not really attempted to make music that is marketable or had broad mass appeal. We simply hoped that it will speak powerfully into someone’s life who is where we have been.


MAS: Was getting into the contest your primary goal or were you more interested in the industry review?

S.O. : We pretty much had both goals in mind.  We’ve participated in other sites where fans vote on music or even comment on it, but this can sometimes be unsatisfying because you get a very limited quality response.  Here we’ve found useful reviews and a contest to help get us more exposure.

MAS: How did you develop your sound? Is there a primary songwriter? Is it collaborative?

S.O. : Jeff is the primary songwriter, and he and Angel pretty much set the vision for the band. The sound is basically whatever the natural progression of the songwriting is- we really try to make each song sound like its own “voice”. To that end, we don’t try to fit a genre as a group- more we decide that from song to song.  We’ve found, however, that even with that approach a “Steady On” song sounds like a “Steady On” song, regardless of whether it’s a rocker with electric guitars or a nice light acoustic folk song.  Jeff’s love (and sometimes overuse!) of vocal harmony and acoustic guitar gives our songs a lot of continuity.  Paul’s distinctive drumming doesn’t hurt either!

MAS: Any influences you care to mention? What have other people compared you to?

S.O. : Caedmon’s Call is always the reference people make with our sound, (though that usually come from our songs “I Am Free” and “Made To Honor You” rather than “Hold Me Down”, which doesn’t sound like them in the slightest). We really have no idea who “Hold Me Down” sounds like!  Big influences in the band are the aforementioned Caedmon’s Call, Rush (though you’d probably have to strain to hear it), and David Wilcox.

MAS: What do you think may set you apart from other Artists in your genre?

S.O. : Heck, I’m not sure we’re trying to be set apart. We’re just trying to do whatever God has called us to! Really our goal is just to express ourselves and our faith through the art of music. And I’m sure we’re not alone in that goal.  If we sound like every other band out there, we’re pretty OK with that, as long as it’s honest.

MAS: It’s obvious that your recorded material is great, how about the your shows?

S.O. : We get great responses to our shows. We often incorporate a lot of worship music that people can sing along with even if they don’t know our stuff, but overall people always seem to respond whether we’re doing our own tunes in a secular venue or leading Sunday morning worship. People often say they come away feeling like it’s a “worship experience”, and we think that’s awesome. If we can help people draw closer to God, then we’ve accomplished our goal.

MAS: Are you playing anywhere anytime soon?

S.O. : A lot around San Antonio and Houston. We’re leading worship in some churches and playing out in local venues. We’re not planning a world tour any time soon, but who knows what will happen in the future?  You can always check out our website for current information on the band (www.steadyon.net).

MAS: Have you released your music already? If so how, where and when? If not, do you plan to in the near future?

S.O. : Yes, we have a full length CD with 12 tracks, one of which is “Hold Me Down”.  It’s a pretty diverse CD with a lot of different sounds.

MAS: Where would you like to see your music take you?

S.O. : Wherever God wants it to go, in His timing of course! Really we’d love to be able to play music and minister to people for a living, but it’s completely up to God.  For now we just pray that our music resonates with people and draws them closer to the Lord.

MAS: How realistic is that goal in terms of the immediate future?

S.O. : If Jesus can rise from the dead, anything is realistic - it’s just a question of God’s will!

MAS: What one band would you like to follow in the footsteps of down the road to success?

S.O. : None springs to mind. I think we’re making our own path - just doing whatever God has for us next, step by step.

MAS: Any inspiration behind your band name or was it pretty much a straight forward thing?

S.O. : “Steady On” is definitely at the heart of our ministry. We know that all believers struggle within the faith, and often it’s difficult to find encouragement in a world with different values. There are many different uses for Christian music: evangelism, worship, etc. I think these are all valid and Godly, but our primary goal is one of encouragement- that believers would hold “Steady On” in the race that God has marked out for them.