Steven Drozd
Encyclopedia
Steven Gregory Drozd is an American musician
. He is a multi-instrumentalist
and lead guitarist for The Flaming Lips
.
band and later played piano in various country honky tonk groups. While attending Eisenhower High School
in Lawton, Oklahoma
, he played percussion in the school's marching and symphonic bands. After discovering punk rock via the "Repo Man" soundtrack he formed a new wave trio, "The Defect Files" with bassist Kelly Colbert and drummer Todd Balcom.
Noted influences include Czech polka, John Bonham
, Ringo Starr
, Nigel Olsson, Mac McNeilly, Dale Crover and Stevie Wonder
.
During live performances, he typically plays lead guitar (usually with a Fender Jazzmaster
or a customized single neck Epiphone G 1275) and keyboards, often alternating between the two during the same song. Drozd also sings background vocals, often in falsetto.
His drum kit includes vintage Rogers drums, and 1970s Ludwig Supraphonic chrome snares.
His home studio/recording gear includes a 1967 Gibson 330, 1967 Gibson Firebird, 1966 Fender XII, 1972 Fender Telecaster Deluxe, 1980 Ovation Viper among various other keyboards and effects pedals.
's From a Basement on the Hill
, Jay Farrar
's Sebastopol and ThirdShiftGrottoSlack and Steve Burns
' Songs for Dustmites. Steven is featured on online release of Cake
's B-sides and Rarities (2007).
Drozd recently recorded and released a single with Maynard James Keenan
of the Elton John
song "Rocket Man" as part of his soundtrack for the documentary The Heart Is a Drum Machine.
(2008), he plays Major Syrtis, the main character of the film.
Drozd has appeared on Noggin's Jack's Big Music Show, with Daily Show host Jon Stewart
, and original Blue's Clues
host Steve Burns
.
As depicted in the film The Fearless Freaks, Drozd struggled with heroin addiction for much of his time in the Flaming Lips.
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
. He is a multi-instrumentalist
Multi-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
and lead guitarist for The Flaming Lips
The Flaming Lips
The Flaming Lips are an American alternative rock band, formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1983.Melodically, their sound contains lush, multi-layered, psychedelic rock arrangements, but lyrically their compositions show elements of space rock, including unusual song and album titles—such as "What...
.
Early life
The son of musician Vernon Drozd, he grew up in Houston with three brothers and a sister. From the age of ten, he played drums with his father's polkaPolka
The polka is a Central European dance and also a genre of dance music familiar throughout Europe and the Americas. It originated in the middle of the 19th century in Bohemia...
band and later played piano in various country honky tonk groups. While attending Eisenhower High School
Eisenhower High School (Lawton, Oklahoma)
Eisenhower Senior High School is one of three public high schools and is located in west Lawton, Oklahoma. It was the second high school built in Lawton, Oklahoma in the early 1960s....
in Lawton, Oklahoma
Lawton, Oklahoma
The city of Lawton is the county seat of Comanche County, in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Located in the southwestern region of Oklahoma approximately southwest of Oklahoma City, it is the principal city of the Lawton Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, he played percussion in the school's marching and symphonic bands. After discovering punk rock via the "Repo Man" soundtrack he formed a new wave trio, "The Defect Files" with bassist Kelly Colbert and drummer Todd Balcom.
The Flaming Lips
He joined The Flaming Lips in 1991 as a drummer. While his style is deeply influenced by the big drum sounds of the 1970s, his time spent with his father's polka band helped him develop a sense of taste and syncopation, allowing for transitions through an articulate and dynamic touch. His thick grooves, with episodes of odd-time funk, are interspersed with straight ahead rock, mixing and jumping between various genres.Noted influences include Czech polka, John Bonham
John Bonham
John Henry Bonham was an English musician and songwriter, best known as the drummer of Led Zeppelin. Bonham was esteemed for his speed, power, fast right foot, distinctive sound, and "feel" for the groove...
, Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
, Nigel Olsson, Mac McNeilly, Dale Crover and Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
.
During live performances, he typically plays lead guitar (usually with a Fender Jazzmaster
Fender Jazzmaster
The Fender Jazzmaster is an electric guitar designed as an upmarket sibling to the Fender Stratocaster. First introduced at the 1958 NAMM Show, it was initially marketed at jazz guitarists, but found favor among surf rock guitarists in the early 1960s...
or a customized single neck Epiphone G 1275) and keyboards, often alternating between the two during the same song. Drozd also sings background vocals, often in falsetto.
His drum kit includes vintage Rogers drums, and 1970s Ludwig Supraphonic chrome snares.
His home studio/recording gear includes a 1967 Gibson 330, 1967 Gibson Firebird, 1966 Fender XII, 1972 Fender Telecaster Deluxe, 1980 Ovation Viper among various other keyboards and effects pedals.
Other musical ventures
Besides his work with 'The Lips', he heads a side-project, The Paris Gun, where he plays guitar, keyboards, and provides vocals. He has appeared on a number of recordings of other artists including Elliott SmithElliott Smith
Steven Paul "Elliott" Smith was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and resided for a significant portion of his life in Portland, Oregon, where he first gained popularity...
's From a Basement on the Hill
From a Basement on the Hill
From a Basement on the Hill is the sixth and final studio album by the late singer-songwriter Elliott Smith. Released posthumously on October 19, 2004 by ANTI- Records in CD, double LP, and digital download, it peaked at #19 in the US and #41 in the UK....
, Jay Farrar
Jay Farrar
Jay Farrar is an American songwriter and musician currently based in St. Louis, Missouri. A veteran of two critically acclaimed music groups, Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt, he began his solo music career in 2001...
's Sebastopol and ThirdShiftGrottoSlack and Steve Burns
Steve Burns
Steven Michael "Steve" Burns is an American entertainer. He is best known as the original host of the long-running children's television program Blue's Clues.-Early career:...
' Songs for Dustmites. Steven is featured on online release of Cake
Cake (band)
Cake is an American alternative rock band from Sacramento, California. Consisting of singer John McCrea, trumpeter Vince DiFiore, guitarist Xan McCurdy, bassist Gabe Nelson and drummer Paulo Baldi, the band has been noted for McCrea's sarcastic lyrics and deadpan voice, DiFiore's trumpet parts, and...
's B-sides and Rarities (2007).
Drozd recently recorded and released a single with Maynard James Keenan
Maynard James Keenan
Maynard James Keenan is an American rock singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, winemaker, and actor. Originally from Ohio, Keenan spent his high school and college years in Michigan. After serving in the Army in the early 1980s, he attended Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids...
of the Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
song "Rocket Man" as part of his soundtrack for the documentary The Heart Is a Drum Machine.
Film productions
In the Flaming Lips' film Christmas on MarsChristmas on Mars
Christmas on Mars is a science fiction feature film from the Oklahoma psychedelic alternative rock band The Flaming Lips, written and directed by the band's frontman, Wayne Coyne and featuring the entire band in the cast, as well as many of their associates, including Steve Burns, Adam Goldberg,...
(2008), he plays Major Syrtis, the main character of the film.
Drozd has appeared on Noggin's Jack's Big Music Show, with Daily Show host Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart is an American political satirist, writer, television host, actor, media critic and stand-up comedian...
, and original Blue's Clues
Blue's Clues
Blue's Clues is an American children's television show airing on the Nickelodeon family of channels. The show premiered on September 8, 1996 and airs on Nick Jr. and other channels, although production of new episodes ceased by 2006. Versions of the show have been produced in other countries,...
host Steve Burns
Steve Burns
Steven Michael "Steve" Burns is an American entertainer. He is best known as the original host of the long-running children's television program Blue's Clues.-Early career:...
.
Personal life
He is married to Becky Stokesberry and they have a son, Daniel James Drozd (born September 22, 2005), and a daughter, Charlotte Michelle Drozd (born February 26, 2008).As depicted in the film The Fearless Freaks, Drozd struggled with heroin addiction for much of his time in the Flaming Lips.
External links
- Official Flaming Lips site
- Steven Drozd Fans
- The Steven Drozd Appreciation Club (not currently being updated)
- Steven Drozd's Maritime Mixtape
- Official Paris Gun site (not currently being updated)