Fine Steps was a Sacramento-area band, described by Submerge as a "new project by Julian Elorduy," who had previously drummed for the Sacramento group Mayyors.[1] The band emerged from the same late-2000s/early-2010s Sacramento garage and lo-fi milieu as Ganglians and G. Green, and was counted among the city's "local favorites."[2] According to Ghettoblaster, Fine Steps began as Elorduy's songwriting project in 2008.[3][4]
At a glance
- Sacramento-area band; a project of Julian Elorduy, formerly of Mayyors, started as a songwriting project in 2008.[1][3]
- Self-released an album, Boy's Co., recorded at Tiny Telephone and issued on Elorduy's own Song Records,[5][6] which placed #11 on Submerge's Top 20 of 2012.[7]
- Members later helped form the San Francisco band TIARAS, alongside ex-members of Ganglians and Blasted Canyons.[8][9]
- Played Sacramento-region bills (Verge Center for the Arts; Davis Bike Collective) with local acts.[2][1]
Origin and personnel
Fine Steps is identified in Submerge as a "new project by Julian Elorduy."[1] Elorduy was an established figure in the Sacramento scene, having played drums for Mayyors and, briefly, guitar in an early incarnation of G. Green.[1] According to Ghettoblaster, Fine Steps began as his songwriting project in 2008.[3][4]
For the Boy's Co. album, Elorduy was joined by Antonio Gualco (FNU Ronnies), Dylan Craver (G. Green), Alex Soles (Ganglians), and Kyle Hoover (Ganglians).[5][4] The Free Music Archive lists the band's full lineup as Alex, Antonio, Dylan, Julian, and Kyle.[4] Members of Fine Steps were later cited as among the personnel who formed the San Francisco band TIARAS.[8][9]
Local status
Submerge treats Fine Steps as part of the local Sacramento scene rather than as a touring visitor. The band was billed at a January 2012 Verge Center for the Arts party in downtown Sacramento among acts described as "local favorites."[2] Its founder, Julian Elorduy, was a Sacramento-scene musician (Mayyors).[1] In June 2013 the band played the Davis Bike Collective on a bill with the Sacramento band G. Green and the touring Brooklyn band Parquet Courts.[1] Submerge's Top 20 of 2012, which featured Boy's Co., was framed as covering work "From local bands and beyond."[7]
Evidence quote: TIARAS "was promoted as being partly comprised of ex-Ganglians and Fine Steps members," and Fine Steps is called "a new project by Julian Elorduy," a former Mayyors member.[8][1]
Confidence: medium. No source states Fine Steps' city of origin outright, but its founder's Sacramento-scene pedigree, its inclusion among "local favorites," and its play on regional (Sacramento/Davis) bills consistently place it as a local act.
Releases
- Boy's Co. (Song Records, 2012) — recorded at Tiny Telephone studio;[5] placed #11 on Submerge's Top 20 of 2012. Submerge noted it had been "self-pressed" twice before getting wider recognition.[7] Elorduy described it as having "a special place for me because they are my songs with some of my good friends contributing their tastes and talents."[5]
Fine Steps' Bandcamp discography includes additional releases beyond Boy's Co.: Crutches, Muff On Both Sides, Songs 1, a 2011 Demo, and the compilation-style Julian – Mostly Embarrassing and Failing at Parties, as well as the All Day Long 7" and Double Virgos – Finally Found/Messed Up Again.[6]
Scene relationships
Fine Steps sat at the intersection of several connected Sacramento and Bay Area garage/lo-fi groups:
- Ganglians — Sacramento psych-pop band; shared bills with Fine Steps (e.g., the 2012 Verge Center for the Arts party) and a common pool of musicians feeding into TIARAS; Alex Soles and Kyle Hoover of Ganglians both played on Boy's Co.[2][8][5]
- TIARAS — a San Francisco rock outfit "forged from the remnants of other groups," explicitly including ex-Fine Steps members alongside ex-Ganglians and ex-Blasted Canyons personnel; its self-titled debut was released Jan. 14, 2015.[8][9]
- G. Green — Sacramento band that shared a June 10, 2013 bill with Fine Steps at the Davis Bike Collective; G. Green's lineup included Julian Elorduy at one point, and Dylan Craver of G. Green contributed to Boy's Co.[1][5]
- Mayyors — Sacramento band; Elorduy's prior group.[1]
- FNU Ronnies — Antonio Gualco of the FNU Ronnies contributed to Boy's Co.[5]