The Stedwells

With their 2018 EP, Rochester rockers The Stedwells announced they were coming of age with the title I’m Too Tall For My Time Machine These Days. It begged the question, what happens now that they’re all grown up? What comes next for the trio after “Body Shots” and “Pipe Dreams”? The answer came this fall in the form of their new EP Hideout.

When you’re too tall for your time machine, you’re finally mature enough to play in the big leagues. This time they’ve gone with not just one, but two Grammy-winning engineers – Stephen Roessner (Recording Engineer) and Dave Collins (Mastering Engineer). They also had assistance from award-winning Mixer Joseph Chudyk.

Even without the glossy sheen applied by the dream team of audio engineers, brothers Ryan and Brendan Warren and their friend Alex Durr work together like a well-oiled machine. The new songs play to their strengths. Anchored by a rocking beat, they dig into high energy riffs reminiscent of The Black Keys, The Strokes, and even Arctic Monkeys (minus the cheeky lyrics). Over the top of the instrumentation, lead vocalist Ryan serves lyrics with catchy pop hooks that will have you singing along in no time. - NYS Music

>> If you have not had the privilege to put this new EP to your ears now would be a good time. This album is a hook machine, grabbing you by the nose and leading you into a grove of fruiting rock n’ roll Elms and Oaks. These hooks aren’t just radio friendly pop hooks, they evoke the soul of rock, a sound like the Black Keys or the Arctic Monkeys. If you’re still reading and haven’t turned on The Stedwells 'Hideout,' it’s appreciated.

It’s hard to believe that The Stedwells come from our backyard. Rochester, New York isn’t necessarily the home of rock and roll, even though the House of Guitars has been a staple here for what seems like since the dawn of man, but they’ve found a niche in 'Hideout.' They sound comfortable, driven, and emotive. It has a timeless feel, but acts as a commencement for the trio's capability. The very first track on the album, the aptly named "Wake Up," is a pure rock gem and every bit as catchy as anything currently making regular play on the radio. There’s a J Roddy Walson and the Business feel to this track, a Led Zeppelin tasty hook with a pounding beat that you can’t help but love. It’s complete with a searing guitar solo that cuts like a knife into the heart of the tepid, flaccid, radio friendly pop rock of the modern age.

The next two tracks on the album show off the trio’s songwriting abilities. “Wrong” sounds as if it
should’ve been the best song off The Strokes second album, with a catchier and juicier melody than
anything 'Room on Fire' produced. There’s telephone reverb on the vocals that gives the garage rock
sound a nod, but probably takes a little too much attention off of the falsetto in the chorus, an at once
familiar and unique voice that need not feel so hidden. “You Could Have It All” is up next, and if you
make it this far into the EP and you’re not already frothing at the mouth to see this band live than this is the track that’s going to do it. It’s not just catchy, but it's sincere. It's a burst of feeling from the chest, with a slow rolling drum beat and sticky ghost notes on the snare that start the track, eased out with a melodic bassline and warm guitar line.

"Burn Me Down," the fourth track, shows off versatility, a well written and anthemic punk rock song, and the shortest on the album. It’s fierce and angry but there’s still a touch of vibrato hung on the end of each vocal phrase that proves it’s a controlled burn, hotter than hell. This is the only track where
production muddles the impact of the track, a wispy reverb floating in the air that could have been
traded for a crisper sound, a crackling of firewood in the winter air. But the sound is warm enough to
blend to the rest of the album to make it seamless as it heads into the last track.

The title track to the EP, "Hideout," is a bouncy pop leaning song that could have been slowed into a
ballad. The track has a personal feel, something specially created to reach out to someone. It has a movie magic soundtrack quality that encompasses professional songwriting at its acme. It’s unclear if this track has a special meaning to the band and that’s why the EP is named 'Hideout,' or if it’s too confessional to talk about, but the feeling remains: cards played close to the vest with a heart on the sleeve, and it’s damn near perfect. The truth probably doesn’t matter, it’s a staunch ending to the album, and leaves you wanting more, the perfect anchor to a great album.

The Stedwells are poised to be a great rock band and 'Hideout' proves they’re well on their way. They’ve started a journey here and it feels powerful and prideful. This isn’t a hobby, these aren’t guys waiting for their break, they're in full stride and about to burst wide open. Get on the bandwagon and get into this album and into their next show before you can’t get in the door. - Floated: Alternative Culture Magazine

I'm not sure if it was the intention of The Stedwells to relinquish control to the music on their new EP "Hideout." It's not like they're fighting with the music, it's just that they've just got a tiger by the tail. The performance on this record is tight and lean as hell. The Stedwells are at the top of their game.

It's maximum star-struck, action-packed rock 'n' roll. The Stedwells play it out as if it was powerpop, but it's got too much bravado to give credit to the sugar. No, that would be too easy. The trio has clearly tapped into something classic and timeless, and rendered it unto the hungry masses. They sound like The Strokes. Five cuts and not one clunker on this platter. Be on the lookout for the impending Stedwell Mania. It's inevitable. - CITY Newspaper

Get your garage rock groove on with a tasty new tune from Rochester’s The Stedwells. The three piece outfit’s latest single is a heavy handed alarm clock rounded out with droning chords and an infectious riff. Ryan Warren brings belts out desperation in a vocal performance that plays right off of the high energy guitar groove and it’s a rock jam in every sense.

The Stedwells are slated to drop their Hideout EP on November 22nd, with assists from Grammy-winning engineers Stephen Roessner and Dave Collins. - Buffablog

Rochester doesn't have palm trees. It doesn't have sunshine, and it doesn't have a Planet Hollywood. But Rochester has that sound unique unto itself - call it "the Rochester sound." That rootsy, jangle-pop joy is being championed by an ever-growing number of locally based artists who reverently and referentially abscond with one or two aspects of indie jump and jive, and take a monkey wrench to it.

These bands have as many commonalities as they have differences- artists like The Demos, Mikaela Davis, Dangerbyrd, Ben Morey, Maybird, KOPPS, and Joywave, to name a few. They're the kings and queens of the scene and sound.

Joining them in the ranks of the illustrious is a fairly fresh-faced, three-piece band full of hooks and horsepower called The Stedwells. Founded in 2016, this trio delivers maximum rock 'n' roll stacked with full-throttle thrills. Two parts garage rock, one part pop, one part wow, shake well, and you've got The Stedwells.

Flash back to New Zealand, where brothers Ryan and Brendan Warren were feverishly writing songs.

"We went to New Zealand on a working holiday visa and worked there for a year," Ryan says. "There was this guy named Brendan Milward we were jamming with in Rochester. He was from New Zealand. The initial plan was to go down there and make music with him, but when we got down there he got approved for a visa in America. It all started with us wanting to be in a band together. The base of it is we just want to have fun with our friends."

Other than busking and the occasional open mic, the Warren brothers didn't perform all that much while on the other side of the globe. They were there, in New Zealand, to write songs. It doesn't necessarily seem like a practical move, until you hear the music.

The Stedwells, with Ryan Warren on guitar and vocals, his brother Brendan on bass, and Alex Durr on drums, definitely tip the indie pop scale.

"I think it's an indie, off-the-cuff sound," says Ryan, "which fits the definition of the Rochester sound. I think we're a very eccentric city, and the sound seems to be growing to encompass more sounds and types of music. Rochester has a broad selection of music."

Upon listening a little closer to The Stedwells' sound, there is some heavier stuff brimming just below the surface, along with a decidedly English slant, not unlike bands like The Jam. The emphasis is put on the songs - not how they are played, but how they are. And, according to Ryan, it's important to save them as they get fleshed out and turned into actual songs. Like brothers will do, Ryan and Brendan finish each other's sentences.

"Usually it comes from me and my brother jamming," Ryan says as Brendan chimes in with "We still have flip phones and we'll use those to save an idea."

Symbiotically, this flies even for drummer Alex Durr, who hangs in the balance of the fraternal songwriting dynamic of the band. The Warren Brothers see him as just another brother.

"I like to consider myself the adopted brother," Alex says.

Ryan says, "He's really the only one I say 'I love you' to."

"Sometimes, I say it back." Alex says.

The trio begins work in the studio on EP numero dos this winter, promising a little more cohesiveness and weight than on last year's eponymous release. And the trio is softening its reluctance to add additional tracks, citing the difficulty it sometimes poses live.

"Being a three-piece is great," Brendan says. "But in the live aspect we sometimes want more."

"Sometimes it's kind of hard to pull that off," Ryan says. "We don't mind adding more parts in the studio, because at the end of the day, it's still us."

The Stedwells, with Ryan Warren on guitar and vocals, his brother Brendan on bass, and Alex Durr on drums, definitely tip the indie pop scale. - CITY Newspaper

The Stedwells were the perfect rock n roll stars with incredible stage presence! Fans started gathering around the stage as the boys walked on. The Stedwells always put on such an energetic set, once again blew me away! If you are a fan of Catfish and the Bottlemen then you are in for a treat, The Stedwells’ modern take on rock and roll gave them a fun and energetic sound that kept the audience headbanging throughout their set! - Floated: Alternative Culture Magazine

What we have here is a fantastic pop record full of chunky guitars, big drums, and streamlined vocals just this side of an urgent plea. The Stedwells — brothers Ryan and Brendan Warren on guitar and bass and drummer Alex Durr — is powerful in its indie pop approach. It doesn't, however, horse it into the boat; nothing sounds forced. The temptation is still there once this eponymous, five-track EP starts to ping-pong in the caverns of your head and burn under your skin.

The Stedwells is very, very tight, with just the right amount of air around the notes so as not to choke the listener. But besides listening to it, the fun part about this record is trying to time-stamp The Stedwells and fit the band into some kind of timeline. You see, every band that falls in the indie rock category can be traced back to their roots and influences, especially when it is also included in a particular period of time or a movement. There are the colorful hooks of the 1980's. There's grunge in the early 1990's and the subsequent big guitar backlash a few years later. The Stedwells aren't caught in any of these parameters. They rise above. This is pure, unadulterated sing-along rock 'n' roll. - CITY Newspaper