History
So who is "Stephen A Chin"?
Stephen wrote his first song when he was 13, and entered it in the first UK Amnesty International song competition. He came second. Since then he's got better, but never quite so succesful.
As a performer Stephen has worked both as a solo artist, and within a number of bands, courting a variety of interest.
His performances have been compared to artsists as diverse as Leonard Cohen, Prince, John Martyn, and Elvis Costello, but combined into a style that is all his own.
Along the way Stephen also helped to run the legendary Virtually Acoustic Club, London's busiest open mic for singer songwriters, as well as writing a number of articles for songwriters for the Virtually Acoustic Club web site (www.viac.co.uk).
Stephen is now working on a number of studio based projects, and is always interested in songwriting colaborations with others.
What the people say
"Big Chords, Witty Banter and a nice line in shirts".
"It's like a comedy gig, with songs thrown in".
"The only reason I didn't throw my knickers is 'cause I wasn't wearing any".
"When he plays 'that' song you will fall in love".
"bloody marvellous"
His Mum says: "Not bad, but need more ridum, so people can wind up dem selves".
His Dad says: "Better than I expected"
Q&A
Q: Where did you grow up?
A: I was a "Forces Brat", so I ended up in a lot of different places, but I spent a lot of time growing up in Bristol (England).
Q: What made you realize that music was your path?
A: I can't remember ever not following music's path. I guess there were, and still are, a lot of distractions and stop offs on the way, but the path has been music as long as I can remember.
Q: How would you describe the music that you typically create?
A: My main musical things are "acoustic soul", whatever that means, and trip hop.
Q: Who are your biggest musical influences?
A: My biggest influences are quite broad. Sam Cooke, Carol King, Otis Redding, Jimmy Hendrix, Paul Simon, Ray Charles, and Willie Nelson. That will have to do.
Q: What makes your music unique?
A: I guess I'm unique as a result of my environments and influences. I spent much of my childhood driving around Europe, in the back of our car, listening, and singing along to Disco, Country and Western, Soul, Pop. I was introduced to Country by Ray Charles, Jazz by Willie Nelson, and the Beatles via Reggae. That's just wrong. But it makes me who I am.
Q: Has there been one particular moment in your musical career that you're most proud of?
A: I'll get back to you.
Q: What's next for you?
A: I'm in the process of trying to finish all of the projects that I've started in the last five years. (It's been a weird old five years.) There's an acoustic album, a pop album, a trip hop album, a jazz album, and a concept dance album. Watch this space!
The truth, the whole truth, &...
Described as the bottle that launched a thousand singer songwriters, known, admired, and respected by many of the performing songwriters in London, when he starts to play you begin to understand why. His laid back groove laden approach, coupled with his folk-funk style effortlessly underpins his writing.
Jamaican Parents with a splash of chinese, Stephen was born into Bristol’s famously eclectic cross-pollination of music. With his father in the Air force he travelled much in his formative years, at one point ‘Worlds Strongest Man’ Geoff Capes used to carry him to school.
With a questionable aptitude for music, (refused entry to the school choir, spending two years in the bottom recorder group), he eventually found his way into a church choir building his understanding of formal music, & his confidence.
All this time he was being subjected to his parents music collection. An assortment of Reggae, Calypso, Soul, a helping of Nat King Cole, a smattering of dodgy popular singles, and always country music. In addition to this, as a sickly child, many afternoons were spent at home in front of the Television, watching lush Hollywood musicals. This mish mash of musical styles was always going to lead to something different.
His fondest memories of his childhood revolved around family car drives around Europe loudly singing along to the car stereo whilst it blared a mixture of Amy Stewart, Don Williams, and Boney M.
Aged 11, back in Bristol after seven years Stephen was home, in the city that would shape his life, and the careers of many of the musical innovations of his contemporaries.
After watching Frank Sinatra playing a miserable singer songwriter in "Young at heart" on television. Stephen wanted to become a pianist song writer. However, following on from his less than succesful attempts with the recorder, his parents were reticent to splash out on a piano. However, after much badgering, by the time Stephen reached 14 he had talked them round to the guitar. He progressed at a rapid rate, suplementing his lessons with trips to the library, hunting out more...
Soon after he was informed about a song writing competion. Up to that point he hadn’t writen a proper song. So, age 14, with his first proper song he was runner up in the first ever Amnesty international songwriting competition. He has been getting better and less lucky ever since.
Sneaking into University with insufficient experience or qualifications he studied music, learning about Music Technology, Jazz, and Romantacism, along the way also discovering folk and Rock. Whilst there, in 1990 amongst the many bands he formed, was a band that mixed laid back grooves, jazzy sounds and folksy female vocals. The forerunner of trip hop? The same band also married double time live break beats with chilled out reggae grooves. The first Drum’n’Bass? However, the world wasn’t ready for them, and they drifted apart. When he left he was thought to be the person most likely to suceed in the business.
Since leaving University he has dabbled in a number of bands, and projects, as well as helping to run London’s legendary Virtually Acoustic Club. All the while honing his skills, and defining his sound.
Over the years he has worked and played with a diverse array of artists:
Jazz Trombonist Harry Brown (Jazz Jamaica),
West end Vocalist Camilla Baird (Notre Dame de Paris),
Comedy Writer Mark Rendell (RDA with John Gordillo),
Pianist Peter Chilvers (Tim Bowness and Samuel Smiles),
Electro Jazz Supremo Scott Edward (Uriel).
He’s been away from the performing scene for a while, but he’s back, and still oozing the on stage charm that confuses and seduces in equal measures. He’s the best friend you never knew you wanted, the brother you thought you’d lost, or the lover you wish you’d never spurned. An evening with Stephen is as likely to make you cry, as make you laugh. But it’s sure to make you think, and leave you feeling satisfied.