Welcome to the second instalment of Dominique Octave Presents…
This blog series is transparent interviews with amazing people who have forged a path to success and are trail blazers in their own right. Each interview will take you behind the scenes of the interviewee’s story – some of the highs and lows, the process and advice to inspire you on your journey.
Introducing Steve Octave (My Uncle)…
Steve started learning Piano at an early age and went on to study up to Grade 7 before obtaining a music scholarship at the London Academy of Music at 13. At 17 Steve played first show with Mark Morrison, and then went on tour with All Saints where he met K-Gee. They started working in the studio on All Saints albums and multiple other records. Steve later moved to NYC and started working with Artists like Jazmine Sullivan, The Dream, Kelly Roland and Melanie Fiona. In 2015 he moved to LA, worked with artists from Bibi Bourelly (Writer of Rihanna’s “Bitch Better Have My Money) to Stacy Barth (Artist/writer of “Beyoncé’s Brown Skin Girls). Today, Steve has been out of the live music world and has been back in the studio. He says, “It’s time to make music that makes me happy with friends that are on the same vibration…”
What instrument do you play – when did you start and how did you start?
I started with piano around the age of 5 or 6, then around 2004 picked up the Bass, self taught. In the last couple years I’ve been learning to play guitar properly. I started because it would take long to get parts back from guitarists, and often they didn’t voice chords the way I wanted. So instead of other guitarist’s interpretation of chords I created my own.
When did you know that music was the career you wanted to follow?
Me and a couple of the boys at church (Ian Pitter & John Jackson) had a lil church band, called Keynotes (I think it was so long ago). One day Pitter got a call to perform with a known group. That’s when I realised it could be a thing. Ian got me my first gig.
What was your first gig, do you remember how much it paid?
Non church gig? Well it was so long ago… I think it might have been Mark Morrison TGI Friday 1999, the day he was released from jail lol. I’d never met him before that! The gig paid £350 and I got a TV royalty. This was shortly followed by working with All Saints. I first started working with them in a live capacity and then I produced for them. I continued to work with All Saints from 1999 to 2006. I produced on their last 3 albums and some of their solo albums also.
You quickly went from musician to music director, what was that journey like and if you were to advise a musician who is looking to be a MD, what would you say are the key skills that an MD needs to have?
It took me a while to become a MD, I was happy working under great MDs and learning the process at the same time. I definitely wasn’t ready for my first MD gig. The MD got fired and the artist manager asked me if I could MD. At the time I said nope because I couldn’t and didn’t want to. The same management company asked me to put a band together for Estelle and that’s when I started getting MD gigs basically. In terms of skills that an MD needs – leadership is key, communication, and knowing how to choose the right people because it is not all about their playing ability. You are responsible and it is important to know and understand everyone’s parts. There have been times that I have had to fill in if for example, the keys player didn’t show up… You have to be ready at all times. You are the first one in and last one out. You are the mediator between the band and artist. I would also say it is essential to know how to programme. When I got into MDing I had to programme the show myself, often there wasn’t budget for a programmer just band and MD.
What was the best gig you played or MD’d and why?
Hmmm that’s a hard one. There are so many. Hmm. Can I say a few? Ok Jazmine Sullivan… I feel like that was one of my first real R&B gigs and I could finally creatively be free musically. It was my first time working with US musicians also. I have always had to do RnB for UK listeners, but I could be more free because US urban live and UK urban live are two different sounds. I had a great band and Jazmine is amazing.
Also Melanie Fiona, because I love working with great artists, she is a great singer and a friend.
Covid has hit the live music scene really hard, leaving many out of work, but online has provided a great space for networking: can you give us 3 networking tips/ways musicians and creatives can get themselves out there?
Bring your craft online. Clubhouse, Youtube & Twitch, but I’ll especially say Clubhouse, it’s a great online network platform. With Twitch, there are a lot of producers and songwriters on there. If you want to get closer to them you have to use tokens and that is how they get a form of payment, for example if you want to respond you have to buy 100 tokens. So Twitch is potentially another way to make money. Also Instagram, putting yourself out there and connecting with people, using all the live and video tools to boost engagement. Collaboration with other people is key too, everyone helps each other, it’s team work.
You have been in the production/writing game for a while now, what is a song that people wouldn’t know that you worked on?
Ok I’ve been in it for a while but I’ve been a part timer lol. I played bass on Chris Brown’s “Yo”, and produced the title track on Rod Stewards album, Human. I also played on Stand Up by Jessie J, Rumours for Damage and produced for boy band Blue. I have also operated in the K Pop world. I managed an artist called Chris Wu. He was in a boy band called EXO and I A&R’d his album, got Jhene Aiko and a bunch of other producers on there too.
Would you say that production is something every musician/singer should have in their arsenal as a skill?
Hmmm not really… Production is a whole other skill set. But if you have time to dive into it, Yes. Because if you can produce a body of work by yourself, it’ll save having to rely on other people to do it for you! I do not think you can go into production lightly. It is a skill that also needs 10,000 of your energy, plus time too. However, I do think you should know the simple basics, for example, you should know how to record yourself and send it back to a producer, that is the world we live in now, everything is online.
To be candid with us, what was a real low moment in your career and what advice would you give to musicians/creatives who may find themselves in a similar situation?
When I moved to New York, it was initially a high but I don’t think I was even nearly prepared. I only knew a handful of people so it was like starting again… But then I did the same thing I did when I was in the UK…Networking, being seen, being heard. I had to be a doer because no one else could help. The lows don’t last if you put the work in. There are too many doors for them all to be closed. Keep going. When I pushed through the lows, I ended up doing all the main shows eg David Letterman, and all the Barclays centres – it was great. When UK acts like Rita Ora or Little Mix would come to the US, I would put a US band together for them. It worked both ways though, because when a US artist would come to the UK, I would put UK bands together, it is a balance. When Jazmine Sullivan came to the UK to tour, I put a UK band together.
Money, wew its why people don’t tend to do this music thing full time… What are sources of income musicians/creatives should be looking into?
Man, This is down to what ppl are willing to do. I have several jobs within the same industry and they are all things I like doing. You have to be a chameleon. Think about what your ultimate goal is and how you can monetise on the way. I would also say to learn the stock market and crypto currency, get involved.
How about getting gigs for mid and after the pandemic, what are some tips on securing and keeping gig(s) for consistent income?
Things are very uncertain right now. But stay active, communicate and stay in touch with people, be seen and be heard.
So, what is next?
New ventures have been fun! I have co-founded a Black & Brown Owned music tech company called SSTM with some partners. More to come (@wearesstm). Also production has been amazing, I have been working with folk such as Masego (credits on his recent EP, song called Polygamy), Alex Isley and India Shawn. 2021 will be a great year for releases.
Thank you sooooo much (Uncle) Steve for being so transparent.
If you enjoyed this blog and want to hear more from Steve comment below. In the meantime you can follow him on the below:
Instagram – @steveoctave
Clubhouse – @steveoctave
Twitter – @RealOctave
YouTube – Officaloctave
I will leave you with:
A song we did together…more to come. Dominique Octave X Steve Octave – 8:38 (the intro for my EP Adore You) – https://open.spotify.com/track/6yHXrTYlFqpHewybMaiUEg?si=piswbeJWSWeKu-v-za4p6w
And one of my favourite arrangements Steve put together, he is also playing bass here – Jazmine Sullivan – Kiss From a Rose (cover) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDBQbiVyrqg
