If you could combine the influences of John Steinbeck, Earl Scruggs, and Miles Davis and place them into a singer songwriter, the results might sound like Chattanooga Tennessee’s own Randy Steele. Since his introduction into the southeast music establishment fronting the award winning Slim Pickins Bluegrass Band, he has consistently been a part of legendary live performances on some of the region’s biggest stages. With the 2013 release of the band’s self titled album, the first taste of his songwriting skills were released to Internet and Radio programs across the nation. This ushered in show requests from North Carolina to California and ultimately a wildly successful European tour in the Summer of 2016. While these milestones were accumulating, Randy continued to write and record. In the winter of 2015/2016 he drug the band and some friends to the legendary Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals Alabama and laid down the first tracks of what would become his first solo album, “Songs from the Suck”. Released in December of 2016, the album combines the Bluegrass and Blues roots he planted decades before with a knack for poignant storytelling. The songs have a familiar sound, containing heartfelt lyrical content blanketed by interesting chord structures and slick musicianship. While continuing Banjo and Vocal duties with Slim Pickins Bluegrass Band, Steele’s addition of this solo album and subsequent live shows will be something to witness.
