Airdrie-based country musician Steve Jevne released his first song as a solo artist, "Best Friends Fall in Love,” on June 17.
And it didn't take long for fans to hear it in person, as Jevne performed the song live for the first time that same night.
“This is the beginning of everything for me – I think this is the most important part of my career so far,” Jevne said before taking to the stage June 17 at the historic King Eddy venue in downtown Calgary.
A summer love song was something Jevne always wanted to write. In crafting the track, he drew a circle with the words “summer love song” in the middle and created a web, brainstorming ideas stemming from the central theme.
“The one idea was falling in love with your best friend and then there was like 15 million other ideas that spilled over [from] that one part,” Jevne explained.
Releasing “Best Friends Fall in Love” online early on the day of June 17, Jevne, a resident of Airdrie and a George McDougall High School alumnus, packed his guitar and drove to Calgary to perform the new track during a late-evening set at the King Eddy tavern in Calgary's East Village.
“I’m very excited,” Jevne said just before his solo debut. “I think the hard part of my day’s already done. I had to do all the business and get the song out, and now it’s the party.”
Before June 17, Jevne had not sung centre stage in many years. In his previous country band, As High As We Go, Jevne sang back-up vocals while his bandmate took the lead. However, the band’s two members parted ways in April.
Although the split was “amicable,” Jevne explained the pair wanted to move in different directions, leading Jevne to launch his solo career shortly afterwards.
“I feel like my whole life has been waiting for these moments,” Jevne said. “This is the next level for me – it’s been a long time coming.”
Although Jevne describes his style as “singer-songwriter with a country twist,” his songs have a distinct punk rock feel to them. He added that is a testament to his early music career, when he performed with a punk rock band.
Jevne’s mixed-genre background was evident during his June 17 performance, where he dazzled the crowd with electric guitar riffs, before returning back to the microphone to continue his folksy songs.
Living in Alberta, Jevne said, has heavily influenced his music.
“I wrote some country songs and that was it… that’s where it stemmed from. And now I’ve got this weird country style,” Jevne added.
Jevne wrote about 95 per cent of the music and lyrics to the songs he performed during his June 17 show, according to the songwriter.
“I have songs that I’ve written [over] the last 20 years of my life ready to go,” he added.
Working in his personal studio, Jevne writes and records his songs, then sends the tracks off to be mixed and mastered elsewhere.
“This is better for me…I’m my own worst critic, I’ll sit there for three weeks and never … finish it,” Jevne said.
Although Jevne is hoping to tour with his newly released song throughout August and release a few more tracks in September, his ultimate focus is on producing.
“I’m all in with music … it’s not just performing either, I produce a lot and production’s the end game,” he said.
“I like walking down the street knowing that I wrote a song that morning,” Jeven added. “[These] little, tiny things that I can do, [it] completes me in every way possible.”
Those interested can listen to Jevne on all major streaming platforms can also visit his website at bit.ly/39EMgIU.
