We recently connected with Steve McCormick and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Steve thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?
This band is a unique mix of older world travelled seasoned pros, and a younger newly starting out artist. On purpose! Playing and performing music itself is a hard craft. Most of the band have truly travelled around the world using their time and talents pursuing a career in the music industry, all the while learning many lessons, (some, the “fall-on-your-face” type!) Then we have one of our lead vocalists, only a few years out of college with a theatre degree, and hungry for what the rest of us have been chasing. When we came together, it was an absolute intention to find the best our area had to offer, and then infuse some young, new musical ideas thoughts and energy. This recipe works!! We cannot wait for you to hear and see what we mean!!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Second Wind is a Knoxville based, 8 piece Adult Rock band featuring a three piece horn section. With a full rhythm section and four vocalists, Second Wind covers a multitude of songs and genres, but they try and stay within the sector they know that their audience loves. Soft Rock. From Chicago, Earth Wind and Fire, Steve Winwood, and others; to Aretha, Stevie Wonder, and some Guitar rock, Second Wind covers the bases. They have been coined by some as Knoxville’s answer to Chicago! As a larger band with horns, that’s something most local audiences don’t get to see every week; sometimes only once a year. But Second Wind bridges that gap. Couple that with the vibrant energy of their powerhouse female vox, and it’s a recipe that everyone loves. Pro musicians from many genres have come together to create this collection of talent and experience, to generate a sound and feel you will love. Now in the throws of writing their next album of originals, “Breezers” ( Second Wind Fans) are anxiously awaiting it’s release!
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
Boy, that’s a great topic! I’m not sure how any of us can distill that down into a few words but; a story. My spouse loves to sing, loves music, loves to paint, I feel she’s very artistic. But she absolutely hates the spotlight, the attention, the focus to be on her. That has translated over the years into her deep desire to not perform ever, cannot bear the thought of any of her family performing for her “fear” that one of us may fail, fall, sing flat, choose the wrong color etc. It’s interesting as she’s so good, has a great eye for fine and gross detail. But, cannot handle the spotlight. As creatives, we crave that focus, as I feel we have something to say, to share. We (Second Wind) just finished a new tune, and it’s absolutely a story of two friends sharing their success after a fear of failure. I think as humans we all want to be heard, to be recognized as having something to say. I think that art whatever the medium or style, can help us to do that. So for the non-creatives I say, we “creatives” are probably trying to convey the exact same messages that you have also, but without fear of the critique. Who cares!! The critique is both good and bad. even when people don’t agree with a stance I may take, doesn’t mean I don’t leave the audience with something to think about. Planting seeds is important, so go plant those seeds however you can. Seeds will grow. And you will be heard!
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
Yes I believe we all have that idea or goal in mind. As artists as I said earlier, we want people to feel how we feel or felt. I want my listener to hear my pain or joy, my anger, or happiness, in everything I write. The band too has a similar goal. Interestingly all independently! Yet when we come together as a unit, the message becomes very clear as each of us “feels” what’s happening and then imparts their influence onto the product. This is a great collection of artists and speaking for us all, I feel we all recognize the value we each bring to the session. Truly this band is a great example of the sum of the whole is much greater than the sum of its parts!! So what’s our goal? To get out into the universe, what probably many feel but don’t quite know how to, or cannot convey on their own!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.secondwindknox.com
- Facebook: #secondwindknox
Image Credits
Dick Shula Photography