Steve Pedersen

Last updated

Steve Pederson is an American guitarist from Omaha, Nebraska. He left Cursive in 1998 to attend law school at Duke University in North Carolina, after graduating from Creighton University with a degree in political science. At Duke, he started the band The White Octave, which released two albums and appeared on a few samplers. When Pedersen graduated, he returned to Omaha, Nebraska, started Criteria, and began working at Kutak Rock LLP.

Contents

With the help of some friends, he wrote ten songs in a friend's basement, where he also lived for a short while. Their debut album, En Garde was released on Initial Records. En Garde became a very underrated album, probably due to lack of promotion. Pedersen soon found a job and became a lawyer. Even with a new job, he still found time to play a few shows here and there.

After Initial Records disbanded, Criteria needed to find a new record label. Hometown friends Saddle Creek Records took them in and re-released En Garde in 2005, as well as a new album, When We Break . Since then, Pedersen quit his day job to focus full-time on his music.

Album appearances

See also albums under Criteria, Cursive, Slowdown Virginia, and The White Octave.

With Cursive

With Criteria

Other

See also


Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saddle Creek Records</span> American record label

Saddle Creek Records is an American record label based in Omaha, Nebraska. Started as a college class project on entrepreneurship, the label was founded by Mike Mogis and Justin Oberst in 1993. Mogis soon turned over his role in the company to Robb Nansel. The label is named after Saddle Creek Road, a major street that cuts through Midtown Omaha, and the beginnings of a scene whose members included Justin's brother Conor Oberst, Tim Kasher, and others. Collectively, they were known unofficially as the "Creekers". Saddle Creek first appeared in print on a show flyer, offering to "Spend an evening with Saddle Creek" Saddle Creek became an incorporated entity as a result of a class project on entrepreneurship. Distribution is handled by Redeye Distribution.

Smashmouth was a band formed by guitarist Steve Pedersen, who was also in another band called Slowdown Virginia from Omaha, Nebraska at the time. He recruited bassist Bart Volkmer and drummer Clint Schnase. It was a trio that had grown out of a four-piece called Gravy Train that had originally included Ted Stevens, who had left the band when he moved to Lincoln, Nebraska to attend University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Smashmouth was the first band to feature Pedersen's songwriting skills.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conor Oberst</span> American musician (born 1980)

Conor Mullen Oberst is an American singer-songwriter best known for his work in Bright Eyes. He has also played in several other bands, including Desaparecidos, the Faint, Commander Venus, Park Ave., Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, Monsters of Folk, and Better Oblivion Community Center. Oberst was named the Best Songwriter of 2008 by Rolling Stone magazine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cursive (band)</span> American indie rock band

Cursive is an American indie rock band from Omaha, Nebraska. Stylistically described as emo and post-hardcore, Cursive came to prominence with 2000's Domestica and found commercial and critical success with 2003's The Ugly Organ. The band has released eight studio albums, a compilations album, and a mix of singles and EPs since 1997. They have released recordings on several labels, including 15 Passenger Records, Saddle Creek Records, and Big Scary Monsters (UK).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Kasher</span> American musician

Timothy J. Kasher is an American musician from Omaha, Nebraska, and is the frontman of indie rock groups Cursive and the Good Life, both of which are on the Omaha-based record label Saddle Creek Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Todd Fink</span>

Todd Fink is the lead singer of the band The Faint. He attended Omaha's Westside High School.

Slowdown Virginia was an indie rock band from Omaha, Nebraska. Formed in 1993, the band recorded and released one album, Dead Space, on Lumberjack Records in 1994, the predecessor to today's Saddle Creek Records. After playing an influential role in inspiring the later formation of other Omaha bands like Bright Eyes, The Faint, and Desaparecidos with their energetic live shows and recordings, Slowdown Virginia broke up in the spring of 1995. A month after breaking up, Kasher, Maginn, and Pedersen regrouped with a new drummer to form Cursive. Omaha's mixed entertainment venue Slowdown is named in honor of the band.

<i>A Christmas Album</i> (Bright Eyes album) 2002 studio album by Bright Eyes

A Christmas Album is the fifth album and first Christmas album by Bright Eyes released in 2002. The proceeds of the album go to the Nebraska AIDS Project.

Matt Maginn is a musician from Omaha, Nebraska. He plays bass guitar in the indie-rock band Cursive and is a frequent contributor on a number of Bright Eyes records. He was also a founding member of Slowdown Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A. J. Mogis</span> American guitarist

A.J. Mogis is a musician from North Platte, Nebraska. He currently plays bass guitar in the indie-rock band Criteria. His brother is Mike Mogis. Together, they founded Presto! Recording Studios and have recorded almost all the albums released by Saddle Creek Records as well as albums by friends' bands. They were also members of Lullaby for the Working Class. Criteria has so far released two albums.

Clint Schnase is a musician from Omaha, Nebraska. He played drums in the indie-rock band Cursive from 1995 until late 2006. He also recorded and toured with Bright Eyes, Lullaby For The Working Class, The Good Life, Smashmouth, Gravy Train, Gymnastics, McVoy, Dumb, Race For Titles, My Fellow Acrobats, The Brigadiers, Pinkerton

<i>Such Blinding Stars for Starving Eyes</i> 1997 studio album by Cursive

Such Blinding Stars For Starving Eyes is the first full-length album from Omaha, Nebraska band Cursive. Unlike Cursive's later releases, which were released by Saddle Creek Records, this album was released by Crank! Records.

The White Octave was a rock band from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The group was founded shortly after Steve Pederson left Cursive, and was initially a trio with Lincoln Hancock and Robert Biggers before Finn Cohen was added on guitar. They released two full-length albums and appeared on several compilations before finally breaking up. The founding member, Steve Pedersen went back to his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska to form the band Criteria. Robert Biggers and Finn Cohen went on to form The Nein. The group reunited to play in North Carolina in 2014.

<i>Lagniappe</i> (album) 2005 compilation album by Various artists

Lagniappe is a compilation album released by the Omaha-based record label Saddle Creek, after the events of Hurricane Katrina. It is a benefit album, and all profits from its sale are donated to the Red Cross' relief efforts in New Orleans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Criteria (band)</span> American indie rock band

Criteria is an indie rock band from Omaha, Nebraska, formed in 2003 when ex-Cursive founding member Steve Pedersen returned to his hometown after graduating from the Duke University School of Law. He spent six months in a friend's basement where he wrote all ten songs for his new project's debut album. He recruited the help of some old friends, A.J. Mogis on bass guitar, Aaron Druery on guitar, and Mike Sweeney of Beep Beep on drums. Their first album, En Garde, was released on his previous band's label, Initial Records.

<i>En Garde</i> (album) 2003 studio album by Criteria

En Garde is the debut album of indie-rock band, Criteria. Formed by one of the founding members of Cursive, Steve Pedersen came back to his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska after graduating from Duke University. He recruited the help of old friends, Aaron Druery, A.J. Mogis, and Mike Sweeney. Originally released by Initial Records, it was re-released in 2005 when the band moved to Saddle Creek Records.

<i>Dead Space</i> (album) 1994 studio album by Slowdown Virginia

Dead Space was the only album released by the Omaha, Nebraska based rock band Slowdown Virginia. Distributed by Lumberjack Records in 1994, copies of the album spread locally on compact disc. Slowdown Virginia broke up shortly after the release of the album, with three of the four members forming the band Cursive a month later.

Ian M. McElroy is a musician from Omaha, Nebraska, who played keyboards for Desaparecidos from 2001 to 2003 and was one of the founding members of the group. He played keyboards for Bright Eyes at one time and contributed to Criteria's album En Garde. Bright Eyes, Sorry About Dresden, Cursive, and Desaparecidos performed at a benefit concert for his brother Collin in 2001. McElroy's rap project, Rig. 1, is signed to Team Love Records, and released Above the Tree Line, West of the Periodic in 2008. Ian is also the cousin of indie musician and fellow Desaparecidos member Conor Oberst.

Music in Omaha, Nebraska, has been a diverse and important influence in the culture of the city. Long a home to jazz, blues, funk and rock, today Omaha has dozens of subgenres represented, including Latin, alternative rock and hip hop. Omaha's historical music contributions include being the home of a thriving African American music scene from the 1920s. More recently, it is home to indie rock's "Omaha Sound" and the birthplace of one of pop music's most successful producers, Terry Lewis.

Ladyfinger (ne) is a four-piece musical outfit from Omaha, Nebraska. The (ne) at the end of their name is a reference to the official abbreviation for their home state of Nebraska, as such the band's full name is typically pronounced as "Ladyfinger Nebraska". They were obligated to add it to their band name in order to avoid copyright issues.