HarpersMan's home

Born in Middlesbrough, in the wet and wild North of England. I grew up a fan of British 60's, 70's, and 80's popular music. I sat (enthralled) through the many musical's my mum loved. She tap danced round the living room, and I soaked up the music. ‘My Fair Lady’ played from the TV or my dad's jazz records without a blink. I went down to smokey London to get me all h-educated and listen the London music-scene. Sadly I was a skint student and didn't see as much as l'd hoped. But I did learn I'm not a fan of big cities. Too big, too smokey. Each to their own. I've worked in the all-consuming semiconductor industry for many decades, and I've traveled the world with that occupation. I've learnt a lot - mainly by just listening and watching the people and cultures I interacted with.

   Boise, USA is home now; there's no finer big-little city in the world. Over the years many places and events have inspired a song - from a dream, to beautiful Bergamo in Italy, or dinner with my eldest daughter. From the happiest of Ten Year wedding anniversaries, to a bad day on the footy field. (Soccer to my US friends). The muse is everywhere. Most folks simply don't notice her. Of course, my one muse is, and always will be, Susan Mary Jane - love ya.. My kids are the very best, amazing really when it's “Oh no, Dad's playing live again” agghhhhh.

I love guitar and I'd consider myself the most average intermediate guitarist in the world. Yes, I'm that mediocore. I struggle to practice. I wreck cover songs. I go sideways on everything I play. I just have to create - I end up noodling new melodies and chord progressions and seeding new songs.  My creative brain is a mess, a bit like my (old) studio, garden or garage. I didn't gig until I was in my 40's!  I have terrible, I mean terrible borderline panic-attack stage fright - but after playing a friend's house party. Friends booked me a surprise gig and let me know a few days before the show -"Hey see you friday night - you're the 3hr act at ….. " The fear turned to exhilaration on stage, and they had to drag me off stage before I made all the regulars rush for the door. Good times.

    I made a CD "A little Different" as ‘Harpersman’ in 2012 with Jason Ringelstetter at “The Tonic Room”. A good 1st effort that I'd love to tackle again one day. There's good moments on that CD, mainly delivered by the session musicians and Jason's mixing skills :-0

In 2025, I'm ready to deliver again. Empty nester, empty headed, and after building a very classy home studio, empty bank account.

  Thanks for checking-out the site, listening in, and especially if you enjoyed the work and leave positive comments. That makes it all real and inspiring for me.

                 keep checking in, keep listening, all the best, Steve

steviebowes.com