The Black Doves: Press

San Antonio, TX, May 27, 2008 -- The Black Doves were one among thousands of entries selected to perform at this years Van’s Warped Tour scheduled for July 5th at The Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in nearby Selma, TX. Since their selection, the bands website http://www.theblackdoves.com has received hundreds of new visitors a day.

Lead singer Steve Wilson says he submitted his band’s Electronic Press Kit or EPK through the musician-based website Sonicbids a few months ago with few expectations. “It wasn’t that I had little confidence in our music…I truly believe in it” Wilson said “but after doing this for 10 years, you learn not to get your hopes up.” It would seem that patience and hope paid off in this instance. The band is scheduled to play on the Kia-sponsored Kevin Says Stage, known as a launching pad for many of today’s biggest names in rock music to include My Chemical Romance and Fall Out Boy.

Other bands performing on the Kevin Says Stage include Philadelphia-based Valencia, and fellow Texans The Last Great Assault.

A voice that has a similar timbre to Bruce Springsteen brings this track firmly to the centre of my attention.
The one person and their guitar genre have always been hit or miss with me. This due to a) The person lacking the right voice or b) The guitar thing doesn't work with a lone voice.
Now Mr Wilson here has the magical blend of both. A strong (and I know I use this word a lot) and emotive voice.. It is helped superbly by a good piece of production work, which is another thing I find usually goes wrong with this genre.
I can see why he is growing in popularity. He has a solid presence, which will command and demand an audience to listen. The song is simple and a perfect vehicle for the singer to put across the thoughtful lyrics, which he does in spades..

Recommend it? Without hesitation
Rob

Steve Wilson came to my attention in April this year with an exceptional vocal performance on his track Perfect - now available at MP3Unsigned as a remastered version featuring 47 Section.
Read his biography you'll see that Steve's got quite a few musical years behind him & on listening to his voice & songs I'm sure you'll agree that he's got a long musical future in front of him too.
Steve Wilsons style is acoustic rock & I believe he rights all his own music & lyrics & plays his own instruments too. Most of his tracks online at MP3Unsigned are live recordings - the fella regularly plays live venues in Texas & Louisiana, USA - a couple of years ago he even entertained the US Troops along with 47 Section.
Steve's latest offerings on his band page are I Wonder If She Knows & Eyes Wide both tracks taken from his forthcoming EP on Statue Records.
Whilst these 2 new tracks aren?t quite as commercial as Perfect, they're both lyrically meaningful & delivered well with forceful, strong, energetic vocals.
I personally think if Steve got together with some guys, or formed his own band & got regular studio time there?d be no stopping him. Another artist on MP3Unsigned who seems to be overlooked by most -Steve Wilson definitely deserves a hearing in my opinion.
I'd like to take this opportunity to wish Steve "Good Luck" with his forthcoming 10 track EP - who knows before long he may be gigging over here in the UK & we'll get to appreciate his live performances in the flesh rather than just hearing 'em on MP3Unsigned.
-Clive aka Spyda

Steve Wilson is one of those artists just waiting to be fond by some big fat A&R rep..... lets just hope they don't corrupt his class style... 10/10

Comment by Crucial on 27 February 2004
Scott Stap needs to be looking over his shoulder..great vocals and feeling

Comment by Virus on 13 June 2004
Dude, you have a unique and highly expressive vocal style and you're also an excellent songwriter. While I don't normally go for the 'one man and his guitar' style often nowadays, you are clearly at the top of the mountain with your tunes. Keep it up!

In 1997, a new folk rock sensation arrived in North Texas. In just three short years, his fan base quadrupled, spreading like wildfire from Dallas to Austin, and eventually across the Atlantic to the UK and Asia. His name is Steve Wilson, and Venues was privileged to sample his latest EP release, The 16 Days. Not only that, but we were thrilled to chat firsthand with this amazingly genuine musician. The best word to describe Steve and his music, perhaps the only one necessary, is “inspirational.”


Steve Wilson
Steve Wilson. His name even sounds like a folk singer. Originally from Cheyenne, Wyoming, Wilson began his musical career in high school. He eventually found his way down to North Texas in 1997, where he pursued higher learning at the University of North Texas. While at UNT, Steve quickly made a name for himself with his folk tunes, performing at various hot spots in Denton such as Rick’s Place. This did not make him an overnight success, but his first record, consisting of only two songs, sold out in less than a week. This fanned the flames of his popularity, leading to a larger-than-anticipated fan base, and now, the release of his six-track EP The 16 Days.
Listening to his latest collection of songs makes it easy to understand why Steve Wilson gained such a large following so quickly. The record pulsates with musical and lyrical inspiration, the acoustic guitar matched only by the raw emotion in his vocals. For instance, the song 'I Wonder If She Knows' starts off with 30 seconds of pure acoustic, and then goes into a powerful story of two people driven by success, wondering how long it will take her to realize she's leaving him behind. It illustrates the classic story of knowing you may have to set someone free, and the angst that goes along with it. Along those same lines, the song 'These Moments' is another that speaks directly into the heart. Though the song tells of a broken-hearted romance, it does have a silver lining. Steve explained that it's about how he finally learned to let go, remembering the relationship for the wonderful thing that it was, rather than the tragic parts: “The feelings fade, but the moments linger on.” It's those kinds of sentiments so freely expressed that make this record great. Setting aside musicality and songwriting, sincerity is what makes Steve Wilson so irresistible.

As far as musical influences, Steve named Edwin McCain and Rob Thomas from Matchbox 20 as his favorites. The comparison is easy to notice, because like McCain and Thomas, Steve's lyrics come from the heart and not the head. Among other influences, Steve listed Harry Chapin and Jim Croce as others who have profoundly shaped his career. When we asked what keeps him performing for almost eight years, Steve simply remarked that it’s how amazingly receptive people have been to his music. Seeing how people react to his shows, how they connect with what's being expressed in his songs, always gives him constant inspiration. No doubt, his music will be around for a good while, since it all comes from the heart and likewise touches his fans on the same level.


If you like The 16 Days EP, be on the lookout for his soon-to-be released 10 track CD, coming out sometime in the not-too-distant future. If you’re wondering where you can see more of this folk phenomenon, catch his show at the Mug Shots coffee shop in Irving, April 29th. And if you absolutely must have a copy of The 16 Days, pick one up at the CD Release party at Hastings Records Hard Back Cafe in Denton. Steve will be giving an in-store performance there May 3rd, along with Special Guest Marshal from FAKTION.
For more information on Steve Wilson, such as CD releases or scheduled appearances, visit his website online at theblackdoves.com.

By Staff Reports


PRESS RELEASE

Steve Wilson MP3s
Best Friend's Wedding Forget Who I Am More on Steve Wilson When singer/songwriter Steve Wilson graduated from the University of North Texas in 2000, his dreams of becoming a successful musician took the sidelines for awhile. Wilson, a former paratrooper and expert infantryman, arrived at UNT in 1997 after finishing a 4-year stint in the Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division.

After only one semester at UNT, he decided to enroll in Air Force ROTC.

“After spending four years at Fort Bragg, I couldn’t wait to get out and finish college. In my second semester back at school I figured that since I spent four years jumping out of airplanes, maybe I’d take a shot at flying them.”

Meanwhile, songwriting and performing remained his first love.

“When I wasn’t studying, or doing ROTC functions, I was performing songs I’d written at Open mic nights all over the area.”

From there, he began to receive invitations and requests to play local area venues.

“I guess I became a staple at Muthers (now called The Garage”) in Denton.”

After graduating in December of 2000, he received his commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Air Force. Due to some paperwork issues however, there was a month delay between graduation and his commissioning.

“It was a difficult time because my music was starting to take off. I was faced with the decision to either decline my commission and navigator slot and chase my lifelong dream of becoming a successful musician or keep driving towards my goal of flying.”

With the decision made, he headed off to navigator training at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio.

“It was great because I could still make it back to the Dallas area to play on the weekends and I didn’t have to drive nearly as far to play in Austin, Houston and Waco where my main venues were.”

In early 2002, Wilson was stationed in Shreveport at Barksdale Air Force Base and assigned as an Electronic Warfare Officer or “E-Dub” in the B-52. Later that year, he deployed with his unit to support Operation Enduring Freedom flying missions over Afghanistan.
“We were supporting the mission in Afghanistan and then Iraqi Freedom kicked off. So for a little while there, we were flying both. It was a pretty exciting and sometimes scary thing for a 2nd Lieutenant and new aviator.”

Steve continued to write and perform while home in Shreveport and overseas. He formed a band with fellow servicemen and continues to play shows with them today.

Early this year, after returning from a second tour in support of OEF, he hooked up with veteran musician, producer and studio owner Harvey Gerst (The Byrds, Sweetwater) to record his first full-length studio CD titled “stripped”.

“This is an all-acoustic record and I’m really excited to finally have it out there. It’s something I’ve been working towards for so many years.”

Guest musicians on the CD include Scott Headstream and Zach Jackson formerly of Dallas up-and-comers Halto Bravo.

Wilson will be performing songs from “stripped” at Standard and Pours Coffee and Stocks in the Southside on Lamar on September 29th at 8pm. The show is free and all ages are welcome.

Posted by Alan

Singer-guitarist aims high

Steve Wilson chases careers in the air, on the ground.
April 18, 2005

jprime@gannett.com

When Steve Wilson, a B-52 crew member at Barksdale Air Force Base, says "let's rock 'n' roll," he doesn't always mean he's about to head off on a mission.

He could be on his way to a gig -- on the ground.

Aside from being an electronic-warfare officer, or "e-dub," with the 96th Bomb Squadron, the self-described "Air Force brat" is also a guitarist and singer. And he has just released his first studio CD.

Wilson has formed a band, "all out of B-52 aviators," and they call themselves the "47 Section," after the small stowage area a B-52 offers for personal gear.

That's why his CD -- with six songs actually the CD equivalent of what used to be called an "EP" -- is pretty much a one-man effort.

"We're deployed to forward operating areas for a while and we're gone six months, so we put together a five-man band, all out of B-52 aviators," the captain said.

Other 47 Section members are lead guitarist Brady Vauclin, rhythm guitarist John Saunders, bassist David D.C. Conley and drummer Shane Marchand.

"We're still together, but our gigs are few and far between," Wilson said.

It isn't that they don't get along, but because work comes first. There are deployments, and then training that can take people to special weapons and systems schools for months at a time.

"I play with the band when I can, but 47 Section is a side effort, apart from the solo stuff. I prefer to do solo. ... You don't have equipment setup, and the settings are more intimate when you can sit on a stool and play for people."

Wilson, 33, attended the University of Wyoming a couple of years after graduating from high school in Cheyenne, Wyo., in 1990, but one summer, bored and looking for excitement, he joined the Army.

In contrast to what he does now, he jumped out of airplanes as part of an airborne infantry unit. He served just over four years.

"I couldn't wait to get out," he said.

He left the Army as a sergeant and decided to go back to college. An older brother had been in the Air Force ROTC program at what is now University of North Texas in Denton, so that is where Wilson went. He graduated in December 2000, got his commission, and then attended navigator school at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, switching to his current specialty halfway through. As an "e-dub," he'd be on fighting aircraft; as a navigator, he could wind up on anything with wings.

"My biggest fear was being a nav on an AWACS," he said, referring to huge intelligence-gathering airplanes that often fly long missions, "boring holes in the sky for hours at a time. I'm not the calm, cool, easygoing, collected guy -- I need some kind of excitement."

Denton is also where he turned a talent for music, which he'd developed ever since getting a guitar for Christmas the year he turned 13, into a pursuit. He started playing in clubs, started getting positive feedback for original songs, and started to develop a following.

He released a CD of live music several years ago, but just issued his first studio effort on the Statue Records label. It's available at Hastings Records in Denton, online at towerrecords.com or CDbaby.com, or from his Web site, theblackdoves.com

Wilson mainly plays original tunes now, but throws a few "coffee-shop favorites" such as "The Day the Music Died" in for fun.

"He's an exciting performer, and has a very good voice," said Mark Clark, who just retired from the Air Force in January as a major. He'd been a B-52 pilot, but now owns and operates Bossier City's Moxie Java Internet cafe with his wife, Vicki. Wilson plays at their cafe often.

Oddly enough, Clark first heard Wilson half a world away, when they both were at Diego Garcia, an island base in the Indian Ocean. "I happened to go to the club there one night, heard him, liked him and now I hire him here."

In Diego Garcia, Clark said, "they loved Steve. Here? It's a matter of getting his name out there. Everyone who hears him says they enjoy his music."

Two things stand out to me on this record. The vocals and the songwriting. You cant help but pay attention when steve is singing...his voice is commanding. The songwriting is good, heartfelt, honest, but simple enough to actually understand and identify with. I would like to hear these same songs and more done in a bigger studio and with more time put into them.