STEVE WYNN
Talks about
NORTHERN AGGRESSION,
The latest album by Steve Wynn & The Miracle 3


I remember when the Miracle 3 and I entered the city limits of Richmond, Virginia last Fall, ready to embark on the recording of our first new album together in over five years.  I got on the phone with my old pal and bandmate Stephen McCarthy who jokingly warned me to "leave your northern aggression at the door."  The phrase seemed funny, ironic, apropos and, thus, naturally it became the favorite catch phrase of the session and, of course, became the inevitable title.

We were the fast-talking, hard hitting, hyped up, tightly coiled yankees (and I'm not making a baseball reference here-I'll save that for my other combo) and we were sliding into the slower, easier, drawling, mysterious Southern lifestyle for a week.  Anyone who has followed my recording history knows that I love throwing myself and my fellow musicians into unfamiliar territory, leaving open the possibility of surprise, befuddlement, inspiration and adventure.

And the results, the head-on collision of the personalities and cultures makes sense.  I thin that "Northern Aggression" is psychedelic, greasy, sneaky, manic, wise, seasoned, nervous and ragged in all the right places.  We certainly had the freedom to let it fly.  Working with the father-son engineering team of Bruce and Adrian Olsen (the former engineered both Gutterball albums, the latter was barely out of diapers at the time) allowed Jason, Linda, Dave and I the chance to work around the clock.  Bruce was behind the board at 8am every morning.  Adrian would close up shop around 2 in the morning.  I think we slept at some point amidst the down hours in between.

"Northern Aggression" is the third album that Jason Victor, Linda Pitmon, Dave Decastro and I have made together (the others were "Static Transmission" and "...tick...tick...tick").  The title is a tongue in cheek reference to what those behind the Mason/Dixon line sometimes call the Civil War, as in "the war of northern aggression."  But this was no civil war, no bloody battle, no historical reenactment.  No, this was me and the Miracle 3 doing what we do best-colliding against each other and our surroundings, not holding back and barely taking stock until all was done.  It's what we do.  To paraphrase Ornette Coleman, THIS is our Northern Aggression.  Enjoy.

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In 1982 Steve Wynn broke onto the music scene with The Dream Syndicate and "The Days of Wine and Roses" and in the years since, he has made more than 20 records, played over 2000 shows around the world and continues to evolve as a recording and touring artist.  He has also performed with Gutterball, Danny & Dusty, Smack Dab and The Baseball Project.  He has performed and recorded with Jason Victor, Linda Pitmon and Dave Decastro as Steve Wynn & The Miracle 3 since 2001.  "Northern Aggression" is their third album together.