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| origin = [[Northwich]], England, United Kingdom |
| origin = [[Northwich]], England, United Kingdom |
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| instrument = [[Vocals]], [[guitar]], [[Drum kit|drums]], [[Percussion instrument|percussion]], [[piano]], [[Keyboard instrument|keyboards]], [[bass guitar]] |
| instrument = [[Vocals]], [[guitar]], [[Drum kit|drums]], [[Percussion instrument|percussion]], [[piano]], [[Keyboard instrument|keyboards]], [[bass guitar]] |
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| genre = [[Alternative rock]] |
| genre = [[Alternative rock]], [[Electro-Rock]] |
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| occupation = |
| occupation = |
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| years_active = 1988–present |
| years_active = 1988–present |
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| label = Ancient B |
| label = [[Rough Trade Records]], Ancient B |
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| associated_acts = [[The Mystic Deckchairs]], [[The Boo Radleys]], Breed, [[Placebo (band)|Placebo]], [[Love Amongst Ruin]], [[Polaroid Kiss]], [[Six by Seven]] |
| associated_acts = [[The Mystic Deckchairs]], [[The Boo Radleys]], Breed, [[Placebo (band)|Placebo]], [[Love Amongst Ruin]], [[Polaroid Kiss]], [[Six by Seven]] |
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| notable_instruments = [[Yamaha Drums|Yamaha Maple Custom]]<br />[[Gibson Les Paul Custom]] |
| notable_instruments = [[Yamaha Drums|Yamaha Maple Custom]]<br />[[Gibson Les Paul Custom]] |
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}} |
}} |
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'''Steven James Hewitt''' (born 22 March 1971) is a [[drummer]], [[singer]], [[guitarist]] and [[Producer (music)|producer]]. He is the drummer for [[ |
'''Steven James Hewitt''' (born 22 March 1971) is a [[drummer]], [[singer]], [[guitarist]] and [[Producer (music)|producer]]. He is the drummer for Electro-Rock band, [[Polaroid Kiss]], and the [[frontman]] of his own band, [[Love Amongst Ruin]]. Hewitt is best known for his tenure as the drummer for [[Placebo (band)|Placebo]] between September 1996 and October 2007.<ref>http://www.kerrang.com/blog/2007/10/placebo_part_company_with_drum.html</ref> He plays drums and guitar [[List of musicians who play left-handed|left-handed]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://funkyoudear.com/2011/03/08/love-amongst-ruin/ |title=Love Amongst Ruin @ Pub Mac Carthy, Nancy (+interview) |publisher=Funk You Dear |date=8 March 2011 |accessdate=2011-10-18}}</ref> |
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==Playing career== |
==Playing career== |
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; with Love Amongst Ruin |
; with Love Amongst Ruin |
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* ''[[Love Amongst Ruin (album)|Love Amongst Ruin]]'' (2010)<ref name="discogs" /> |
* ''[[Love Amongst Ruin (album)|Love Amongst Ruin]]'' (2010)<ref name="discogs" /> |
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; with [[Polaroid Kiss]] |
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⚫ | |||
*''The New Coliseum'' (Expanded Compilation) (Album, August, 2013) ; Live Drums |
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*''Pay Your Dues'' (Single, 2014); Live Drums, Release via [[Rough Trade Records]] |
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⚫ | |||
; with Six By Seven |
; with Six By Seven |
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* [[Sharkboy]] – ''The Valentine Tapes'' (LP, 1995); drums on "Same Mother of Pearl"<ref name="discogs" /> |
* [[Sharkboy]] – ''The Valentine Tapes'' (LP, 1995); drums on "Same Mother of Pearl"<ref name="discogs" /> |
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* [[Sharkboy]] - ''The Valentine Singles'' (4-part single set, 1995); 8 tracks |
* [[Sharkboy]] - ''The Valentine Singles'' (4-part single set, 1995); 8 tracks |
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⚫ | |||
*[[Polaroid Kiss]] - ''Pay Your Dues'' (Maxi-Single, 23 June 2012); live drums on ''Pay Your Dues (Album Version)''<ref>{{cite web|title=Polaroid Kiss - Pay Your Dues|url=http://www.discogs.com/release/3811176|publisher=Discogs.com}}</ref> |
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⚫ | |||
===Producer=== |
===Producer=== |
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*LYS - ''Go Your Own Way'' (2013, album, with Paul Corkett); 6 tracks |
*LYS - ''Go Your Own Way'' (2013, album, with Paul Corkett); 6 tracks |
Revision as of 18:55, 19 March 2014
Steve Hewitt | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Steven James Hewitt |
Born | 22 March 1971 |
Origin | Northwich, England, United Kingdom |
Genres | Alternative rock, Electro-Rock |
Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar, drums, percussion, piano, keyboards, bass guitar |
Years active | 1988–present |
Labels | Rough Trade Records, Ancient B |
Website | www |
Steven James Hewitt (born 22 March 1971) is a drummer, singer, guitarist and producer. He is the drummer for Electro-Rock band, Polaroid Kiss, and the frontman of his own band, Love Amongst Ruin. Hewitt is best known for his tenure as the drummer for Placebo between September 1996 and October 2007.[1] He plays drums and guitar left-handed.[2]
Playing career
Beginnings and influences
Hewitt was inspired to become a drummer after watching Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor performing Ace Of Spades with Motorhead on Top Of The Pops.[3] He "hassled" his parents to get him a drum kit[3] and when they did, he taught himself to play.[4] Hewitt also acknowledges drummers Phil Rudd (AC/DC) and John Bonham (Led Zeppelin) as influences.[5] Hewitt was musically active at school, drumming and putting on performances.[6] He lists some of his influences as The Cure, Depeche Mode, The Smiths, AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Thin Lizzy, Led Zeppelin,[4] Jimi Hendrix, Radiohead[7] and Can.[8]
Early years (1988-1996)
Hewitt began his career in the northwest of England, playing with his brother Nick in Misadventure, before leaving in 1988 to join The Mystic Deckchairs. Hewitt joined fellow local musician Tim Burgess in Electric Crayons, prior to Burgess joining The Charlatans in 1989. Hewitt joined Breed at the age of 17, linking up with the band for a German tour after spying an advert placed by the band in Affleck's Palace.[9] Following the completion of the tour, Hewitt joined The Boo Radleys on a temporary basis[9] and played on the band's 1990 debut album, Ichabod and I. Hewitt rejoined Breed in 1991, releasing the albums Grin in 1991[10] and Violet Sentimental in 1993.[11] Breed found commercial success elusive (despite a support slot on Nick Cave's Let Love In tour) and following a disastrous gig at the Bull & Gate in London in 1996, the band split.[9] While in Breed, Hewitt also played for house act K-Klass.[9] The need for money during these years saw Hewitt take on session work in London, recording jingles[9] and appearing on releases by Baby June[12] and Sharkboy.[13] Breed reformed for a one-off gig at Lock 17 in Camden Lock Market, London on 6 December 2004.[14]
Placebo (1996-2007)
Hewitt met Brian Molko in 1991 through his then-girlfriend[15] and was invited to drum on demos for Molko's band Placebo, though Hewitt wasn't able to join the band due to commitments to Breed.[16] The band earned a record deal with drummer Robert Schultzberg, who appeared on the trio's 1996 debut album. In the autumn of 1996, tensions between Schultzberg, Molko and bassist Stefan Olsdal saw Schultzberg leave the band.[15] Breed's breakup around the same time saw Hewitt accept the invitation to join Placebo permanently.[17] Hewitt appeared in the video for the band's 1997 Nancy Boy single with his face blurred out, because he was still under contract to a different record label. After completing touring for Placebo, the band wrote and recorded their second album, Without You I'm Nothing, released in October 1998. The first official Placebo release to feature Hewitt was the Pure Morning single, released in August 1998. Hewitt drummed and contributed to the songwriting[4] on subsequent albums Black Market Music (2000), Sleeping With Ghosts (2003) and Meds (2006) with the band. On 1 October 2007, it was announced via the official Placebo website that Hewitt had parted company with Placebo due to personal and musical differences.[18] Hewitt's final recorded performances for the band were the b-sides Lazarus and UNEEDMEMORETHANINEEDU, released on the Meds single in October 2006. Hewitt was replaced in 2008 by Steve Forrest, the band's first right-handed drummer.
Love Amongst Ruin (2007-present)
Feeling "betrayed" after leaving Placebo[3] and faced with a decision to go to the pub or the studio,[19] Hewitt returned to his home studio and began creating "a new band, a new album and a new sound".[20] He contributed drums, guitars, piano and lead vocals to the album and enlisted Jon Thorne and Donald Ross Skinner as collaborators.[4] Hewitt felt that he had captured his best ever drum sound on the album.[21] The untitled band was named Love Amongst Ruin[22] in late 2009 and assuming frontman duties, Hewitt made his first public appearance since leaving Placebo on January 14 2010 at Eurosonic Festival in the Netherlands at the band's debut gig.[23] Love Amongst Ruin's self-titled debut album was released on 13 September 2010. The band embarked on UK and European tours during 2010 and 2011, making appearances at Sonisphere Festival,[24] Reeperbahn Festival,[25] Fête de la Musique[26] and supporting Feeder on their February 2011 UK tour.[27] Hewitt began writing the band's second album in January 2011.[3]
Six by Seven (2012-present)
Hewitt befriended members of the band Six by Seven when they toured as support for Placebo in 1998. In 2012, Hewitt and Six by Seven frontman Chris Olley were reintroduced by mutual friend Steve Hove (then-guitarist for Love Amongst Ruin)[28] and began rehearsing new material for Olley's project (The Death of) Six By Seven.[28] The material they wrote eventually saw the project morph into a reformed Six by Seven.[28] Hewitt was announced as the band's new drummer in August 2012.[29] The band entered Moles Studio in Bath in January 2013[30] to record the band's seventh album. Olley stated that Hewitt "won’t do more than what sounds good. So if the first two songs on the album have no snare, he’s gonna put all his efforts into playing the kick and ride. He does what all great drummers do, adds to and supports the songs".[31] The album, titled Love and Peace and Sympathy, was released on 16 April 2013 and the band embarked on a UK tour in the summer of 2013,[32] which included a slot at Glastonbury Festival.[33] Hewitt's year was ended by a broken arm suffered in October 2013, which caused him to miss an in-store signing at Fopp in Nottingham[34] and a performance at Soundedit Festival.[35]
Production career
Hewitt served as one of the producers for Love Amongst Ruin's debut album and brought in Paul Corkett to co-produce the album. Corkett had previously worked with Hewitt as the producer on Placebo's Black Market Music. While touring Love Amongst Ruin's debut album, Hewitt struck up friendships with French and Italian bands Lys and Spiral 69. Serving as an executive producer, Hewitt and Corkett oversaw the production of six songs on Lys' debut album Go Your Own Way (2013)[36][37] and the entirety of Spiral 69's third album Ghosts in My Eyes (2013).[38][39] Hewitt is working on Lys' second album, along with Paul Corkett and Love Amongst Ruin member Donald Ross Skinner.[40]
Personal life
Hewitt was born in Northwich, Cheshire, England[41] and attended Weaverham High School.[6] He has a daughter named Emily.[42] Steve's brother Nick Hewitt recorded additional guitars for Love Amongst Ruin's debut album.[20] Prior to joining Placebo, Hewitt worked in a music shop and as a drum teacher, joiner, forklift truck driver and as an apprentice for Williams F1.[9]
Equipment
Hewitt's setup for Placebo's 2006-07 Meds tour included:
- Drums - Yamaha Maple Custom
- Cymbals - Zildjian
- 12" A Custom Splash
- 13" A Custom Hi-Hats (secondary)
- 14" A New Beat Hi-Hats (primary)
- 14" A Custom Crash
- 16" A Custom Crash
- 18" A Custom Crash
- 18" A Custom China
- 20" A Custom Crash
- 22" A Custom Ride
- 21" A Sweet Ride
Vic Firth drumsticks (size 1A).
Discography
Albums
- with Boo Radleys
- Ichabod and I (1989)[43]
- with Breed
- Grin (1991)[43]
- Clawfist – The Peel Sessions (Breed and Gallon Drunk) (1992, EP)[43]
- Violent Sentimental (1993)[43]
- with Baby June
- Need to Need You (1993)[43]
- with Placebo
- Without You I'm Nothing (1998)
- Black Market Music (2000)
- Sleeping with Ghosts (2003)
- Meds (2006)
- with Love Amongst Ruin
- Love Amongst Ruin (2010)[43]
- with Polaroid Kiss
- The New Coliseum (EP, 11 July 2011); live drums on all 4 tracks[44]
- The New Coliseum (Expanded Compilation) (Album, August, 2013) ; Live Drums
- Pay Your Dues (Single, 2014); Live Drums, Release via Rough Trade Records
- Weakness of the Beautiful Souls (Album, 2014); Live drums, Release via Rough Trade Records
- with Six By Seven
- Love and Peace and Sympathy (2013)
Collaborations
- Sharkboy – The Valentine Tapes (LP, 1995); drums on "Same Mother of Pearl"[43]
- Sharkboy - The Valentine Singles (4-part single set, 1995); 8 tracks
Producer
- LYS - Go Your Own Way (2013, album, with Paul Corkett); 6 tracks
- Spiral 69 - Ghosts in My Eyes (2013, album, with Paul Corkett)
References
- ^ http://www.kerrang.com/blog/2007/10/placebo_part_company_with_drum.html
- ^ "Love Amongst Ruin @ Pub Mac Carthy, Nancy (+interview)". Funk You Dear. 8 March 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
- ^ a b c d http://www.completemusicupdate.com/article/ssq-love-amongst-ruin/
- ^ a b c d http://www.mudkiss.com/stevehewittinterview.htm
- ^ http://guestlist.net/interviews/1869/love_amongst_ruin___placebo_interview/
- ^ a b http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/10133073.print/
- ^ http://cambridge.tab.co.uk/2010/09/13/tab-interview-steve-hewitt/
- ^ http://www.musicvita.com/music-freak/interviews/6541-the-music-freak-interview-with-steve-hewitt.html
- ^ a b c d e f http://www.drummerszone.com/artists/profile/1498/steve-hewitt#biography-tab
- ^ http://www.discogs.com/Breed-Grin/release/505964
- ^ http://www.discogs.com/Breed-Violent-Sentimental/master/88394
- ^ http://www.discogs.com/Baby-June-Need-To-Need-You/release/1603619
- ^ http://www.discogs.com/Sharkboy-The-Valentine-Tapes/release/2533296
- ^ http://community.livejournal.com/steve_hewitt_/5113.html#cutid1
- ^ a b http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Placebo-Biography/3ECAB98DE613670B48256A2500150190
- ^ http://www.thenitmustbetrue.com/shewitt/shewitt.html
- ^ "Steve Hewitt artist, artist pages, artist news". Drummerszone.com. 22 March 1971. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
- ^ PlaceboWord: News Archive
- ^ http://www.placebo.su/en/articles/voice-from-the-dark-side.htm
- ^ a b http://loveamongstruin.livejournal.com/1045.html#cutid2
- ^ http://www.musicradar.com/rhythm/steve-hewitt-love-amongst-ruin-has-my-best-ever-drum-sound-266071
- ^ Reid, Sean (20 August 2009). "Ex-Placebo Drummer Forms Love Amongst Ruin". Alter The Press!. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
- ^ http://eu.virtualfestivals.com/eurosonic-noorderslag-2010/lineup/
- ^ http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/tag/love-amongst-ruin/
- ^ http://www.reeperbahnfestival.com/en/meta-navi/archive/archive-music/artists-2010/
- ^ https://www.facebook.com/events/112739628814158/
- ^ http://www.alterthepress.com/2011/02/love-amongst-ruin-to-support-feeder-and.html
- ^ a b c http://www.scenenotherd.org/2013/06/snh-interviewss-i-x-b-y-s-e-v-e-n.html
- ^ http://chrisolley.wordpress.com/2012/08/31/steve-hewitt-joins-six-by-seven/
- ^ http://chrisolley.wordpress.com/2013/01/27/day-one-moles-studio/
- ^ http://rocksucker.co.uk/2013/05/interview-six-by-seven.html
- ^ https://www.facebook.com/sixbyseven/posts/10151732726286670?stream_ref=10
- ^ http://chrisolley.wordpress.com/2013/06/06/glastonbury-festival/
- ^ https://www.facebook.com/sixbyseven/posts/10151904112036670?stream_ref=10
- ^ http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=3dae8cadcf7579aa12e3b1864&id=12eeb0320a
- ^ http://moveoramablog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/music-lys.html
- ^ http://www.discogs.com/Lys-Go-Your-Own-Way/release/4259871
- ^ http://www.spiral69.com/bio
- ^ http://pinterest.com/giuliarocknroll/spiral69/
- ^ https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152607416844745&set=a.140915409744.128193.38136974744&type=1
- ^ http://www.angelfire.com/ak4/placebopage/Bio/Steve.html
- ^ "Steve Hewitt - Placebo Fanpage - Kostenlose Homepage". Lostrosecrazy.sebjo.de. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g Steve Hewitt discography at Discogs
- ^ "Polaroid Kiss - The New Coliseum". Discogs.com.