Steve Hartsoe mixes the honesty of a veteran singer-songwriter with the raw angst of a garage rocker, creating a sound that brings to mind the rough, emotional grit of influences including Tom Petty, Son Volt and R.E.M.
The Raleigh, North Carolina, artist’s latest album, “King of Small Talk” (released April 29, 2022), features the title track plus “Your Time Now” and the album’s first single, “Ocracoke” (Watch video). Kevin McNoldy from Cphonic Studios in Raleigh mixed and mastered the album.
Hartsoe wrote all eight songs and handled most of the guitar, bass and vocal duties alongside son Eli Hartsoe on drums, with contributions from McNoldy, former Luke Bryan band members Dave Ristrim and James Cook, local bandmate Wahba and others.
“King of Small Talk” is Hartsoe’s sixth solo album, following “Live at WHUP” (2021), “Gaslighted” (2020), “The Big Fix-Deluxe Edition” (2017), “The Big Fix” (2016), “Neo-Traditional” (2014).
As a band member (Hartsoe is also lead singer/guitarist with the California-based alt-rock band London Down) and a solo artist, he has shared the bill with such notable artists as Todd Rundgren, The Tragically Hip, The Smithereens, Chris Isaak, Mudhoney, Chris Knight and Dan Vickrey (Counting Crows).
