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CROWDED HOUSE WITH ATTITUDE!

Former FM duo return with a summery new sound

With tongue firmly in cheek, Steve Overland announces: "I don't want to be Paul Rodgers anymore, I want to be Neil Finn." Since the demise of the UK scene veterans FM, Overland is keen to put the past behind him and is now embracing a new style of music that his former drumming cohort Pete Jupp - also formerly of FM - describes as "less Crowd of Thorns, more Crowded House."

"Eleven years is a long time, and as much as FM tried to make each album different, that style of songwriting wasn't coming naturally anymore," explains Steve. "Japan kept saying, "We want more of this heavy AOR," and my heart wasn't in it. So we all parted amicably, and everyone's doing well. We all knew it was time, all it needed was someone to admit it."

So Terraplane's Danny, Luke and `Arry - now with Thunder, of course - are the last survivors of an 80's Melodic Rock scene that sank like the Titanic, consigning Tobruk, Shy and Airrace to a watery grave.

"All power to Thunder for surviving all those musical fads," Steve says. "People had high hopes for FM, too, and for a while it looked like we were gonna be the English version of Bon Jovi, but when it doesn't happen you just have to put it behind you."

"If your third album comes out on a major label and doesn't go through the roof, you're over," agrees Jupp.

"FM thought we'd be really clever and walk out after the second," grins Steve, referring to the band's decision to leave Epic after 1989's `Tough It Out'. A year later, it was `Why did we do that, then?!'"

Overland and Jupp have now formed So!, and those days seem a million light years ago. "It's great to sing songs with melodies and hooklines so strong that are so strong you don't have to pad them out with `Wooaaoo-woaa!'." says Steve. "Neil Finn's one of the greatest songwriters this century, so to be compared to him is an honour. Anyone asking what our new band sounds like, it's Crowded House with attitude."

So!'s debut album `Brass Monkey' is a favourite of the Classic Rock office - a vibrant collection of colourful unforgettable tunes like `Baby Blue', the sultry Blues of `This Time' and perhaps the most Crowded House influenced tune of all, `Bittersweet'.

Classic Rock Magazine (Nov. 1998)

SO - "Brass Monkey" (So Much Music, 1999) Produced by SO SO is Steve Overland from FM's new project, together with Pete Jupp (also FM), Bob Skeat, Nigel Spennewyn and Charlie Olins. And what a project! This is a really nice CD in a great modern pop tradition. Imagine Crowded House mixing up their music with a flirt of AOR and we're quite ahead of what the guys are up to. Steve's voice is as fantastic as always, but what strikes me most is their brilliant songwriting! They're delivering hit songs made for the commercial radio, one after each other!! This album is actually something for almost all readers of Midwestern Skies. The pop nerd, the AOR freek and the modern rocker. Yupp it's like that. Listen to the harmonies in "Bittersweet" and the refrain in "Colour Of My Dreams" and you'll get the grip. Great stuff!

Pär

www.melodic.net

Observer The Mix Thursday January 10th 2001

There's a distinctive antipodean flavour to SO!'s Brass

Monkey (Prestige Elite) this debut offering from former

members of nearly men FM.

A 30-something collection of well produced high gloss

pop songs, there are echoes of Crowded House and

Savage Garden throughout, and fortunately more

house than garden.

Chief songsmith Steve Overland has gone back to

basics to rediscover his musical roots after a decade

supporting stadium stars such as Bon Jovi, Tina Turner

and Meatloaf.

The result is, by and large, impressive with highpoint

crafted efforts such as "Colour of my dreams"

and "Follow in your footsteps" and driving MOR tracks

"If you were to leave me" and "High".

Click HERE to read the Classic Rock Magazine Article.