Seasick Steve

Born in Oakland, California, in 1951 as Steven Gene Leach, later known as Steven Gene Wold, Seasick Steve developed a rough blues rooted in country blues, boogie and blues rock, with playing centered on guitar, slide, harmonica and minimal percussion. Before emerging under this name, he worked from the late 1960s as a musician and sound engineer in the United States and later in Europe; in the early 1970s he played bass in Shanti and went on to take part in other projects, including the group Crystal Grass in France. Later based in the Olympia area near Seattle, Seasick Steve produced and recorded several independent‑scene artists, among them Modest Mouse for This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About in 1996. The name Seasick Steve gained traction in the mid‑2000s after a spell in Norway and the releases of Cheap (2004) and Dog House Music (2006). His visibility grew particularly in the United Kingdom following a televised appearance on Jools Holland at the end of 2006, after which he became a regular presence on club and festival stages. His subsequent discography includes I Started Out with Nothin and I Still Got Most of It Left (2008), Man from Another Time (2009), You Can’t Teach an Old Dog New Tricks (2011) with John Paul Jones, Hubcap Music (2013), Sonic Soul Surfer (2015) and A Trip A Stumble A Fall Down On Your Knees (2024).