Latest News
February 21, 2024
Another amazing review for "September' from Italy! Thank you Remo Ricaldone and Planet Country for your wonderful insights and kind words in truly capturing the essence of what I set out to accomplish with this project! Here's a loosely translated version of it:
“September” embodies in the most engaging and brilliant way that 'Americana', can be balanced between rock, pop and roots, with the right reference to that songwriting which, especially in the early seventies, made us discover musicians of the caliber of Jackson Browne and James Taylor from California and the East Coast.
Steve Yanek conceived these ten songs over the period of eighteen months between February 2020 and August 2021, a period marked by forced isolation due to the pandemic that upended everyone's plans. Songs that were created by the only musician from Ohio who decided to recreate them as they were born, that is, interpreting them as a 'one man band': playing all the instruments, producing them, recording them and thus presenting us with a work that manages to circumvent the risks that a this procedure could hide a complacency that could harm the overall result.
Yanek thus presents us with a decidedly enjoyable and spontaneous album with catchy melodies right from the initial "Begin Again" led by a harmonica that gives folk-rock emotions. Songs full of stylistic references that go back especially to the sixties and seventies flow in a natural and sincere way, harmonically valid like "I Could Use A Little Rain" which refers to the first Tom Petty, to a "Summer Days" with a piano charm that does not would have escaped the previously mentioned singer-songwriters or “Catch My Fall” irresistibly permeated with 'power pop' inflections. “Carousel” is more acoustic and soft and there is no shortage of nostalgia and melancholy linked to the seasons of one's adolescence with its load of emotions, sensations that often re-emerge in the folds of this album. In “Count Every Moment” the piano is once again the protagonist in another beautiful ballad pervaded with optimism and hope, almost as a counterpoint to the period in which it was written while “Come Back In” is introspective and passionate with its acoustic colors . “You Know It's Right”, “Losing You” and “September” do nothing but confirm Steve Yanek's compositional form, proposing him as a complete and mature artist. Click HERE to read it.
February 3, 2024
I will be performing a solo concert for the Dillsburg Library Summer Concert Series on June 15, 2024. Also working on quite a few shows for 2024 with my band The Woodies. Please check the schedule and hope to see some friendly faces out there this summer!
February 1, 2024
With radio play on over 180 Americana stations in the US and Europe, I am beyond proud of this my “little green” album! And I'd like to thank everyone for their support in making this a nice little success story coming in at #34 on the RMR Americana Top Albums Chart for 2023!
January 30, 2024
A hearfelt thank you to Paul McGee for his amazing review of “September” at Lonesome Highway! Click HERE to read it.
December 10, 2023
This was a blast! Ask me a question and I will answer it. And then I will talk, and talk, and talk, and talk...and when I meet someone from my tribe I will talk some more. Thank you Big Al Weekley for letting me talk! (Click on the link below)
November 8, 2023
Thank you Relix Magazine! No links for this one - it's old school print media here folks! Please support them and pick up a copy of the Nov/Dec issue at an indie record store that sells magazines like this!
November 3, 2023
Here's a wonderful review by Paul Vine at Plastic Magazine in the UK! Click HERE to read it!
October 18, 2023
Thank you Wolfgang Giese for ther amazing review at Musik en Sich from Germany! Click HERE to read it!
October 17, 2023
ALBUM OF THE WEEK at Heimfran in Sweden this week! Thank you Peter for all that you do to promote me and my music!
Click link HERE
October 14, 2023
September debuts on four national charts!
Amazing way to debut on the Roots Charts this week! Top 10 on both the Americana and Country Album Charts, and three singles on both the Americana and Country Singles Charts! A big shout out to all of the stations playing the new album!
October 15, 2023
Here's a very profound and thoughtful review from Allen Peterson Reviews in the UK! Click HERE
October 4, 2023
Awesome review in TJPL News from London! I cannot disagree with it at all, as I truly am a folkie at heart!
Check it out HERE!
September 26, 2023
Thank you Wolfgang Reitzhammer at Cool Tourist for this really COOL review! Love this quote:
The album is dedicated to the singer/songwriter Emmit Rhodes, who died in 2020, and was called the “One Man Beatle” because he borrowed heavily from Paul McCartney’s compositional patterns. Such references sometimes shine through with Steve Yanek, but at his core he is a West Coast folkie who may one day be in the history books as the “One Man James Taylor”
Click HERE to read it
September 21, 2023
Great interview with Jeremy Bregman from Mesmerized, a very cool music blog in the UK!
You can read it by clicking HERE
September 7, 2023
Thank you Mike Davies for this lovely review in FATEA Magazine from the UK!
You can read the review HERE
August 25. 2023
September came early this year! It took 17 years to follow up Across The Landscape with the aptly titled, Long Overdue, and only 12 months to bring this album into the world. It's available everywhere music is streamed, and CDs are also available online as well as through distribution pipeline. If you have a favorite little record store, please order it through them!
August 21, 2023
Thank you John Apice with Americana Highways for an amazing review of September!
“Meanwhile, Steve Yanek fills a CD with one tailored tune after another. The man is prolific & it’s a shame that Emitt (Rhodes) never had a chance to meet him. It’s not easy to write a song with grace & power. It’s almost a contradiction but that’s what makes these tunes attractive.”
You can read it by clicking HERE
August 11, 2023
Catch My Fall is out today! This is the sixth song to be released since beginning this work in progress with the release Summer Days in 2021.
July 28, 2023
New single, I Could Use A Little Rain, is out now! This was originally released to the digital world in January of 2022 and that version has vanished from the digital world because this new and much improved version has replaced it! Same song, just remixed and remastered. Check it out on a streaming service near you!
June 1, 2023
Putting the final touches on my new album, "September," and setting everything up for an August 25th release. You can sample it HERE
April 21, 2023
There was a time around 1979 or 80 and I’m on the phone with Belkin Productions talking to one of their booking agents I’d sent a demo tape to, practicality begging him to open for an upcoming Livingston Taylor show they were putting on at the Cleveland Agora (I think?). He kindly told me that I wasn’t ready yet, but gave me the name of a new club in Parma called The Jigsaw Saloon. Which turned into a steady gig and a great experience.
I’ve seen Livingston several times over the years. Always great. Always funny. And always moving forward. Never the same show twice. And never looking back at the past. I’ve met him a couple times and he’s always been kind and gracious. Getting to open up for him last week at this amazing venue The Englewood was pretty surreal. And getting to hang out with him before the show kinda felt like meeting up with an old friend. I’ve met a lot of my heroes over the years and I’ve never been much of an autograph seeker. Just Les Paul, Croz, and Livingston. Plus my Willie Mays baseball I bought on eBay! I wore this album out when I was a teenager and again in my early 20s. So, yeah, it was kinda like a friendship all along. Thank you Livingston for a truly magical experience!
April 1. 2013
Mark April 13th on your calendars! I will be opening up for Livingston Taylor at The Englewood in Hershey, PA! CLICK HERE for tickets!
March 17, 2023
Two NEW songs from the “September” album are out today! Begin Again and Carousel CLICK HERE to go to the music page and check them out.
January 1, 2023
New Year's Resolution is to finish mixing the “September” album! It will be 10 brand new songs written during the pandemic and subsequent lockdown that followed. CLICK HERE for the digital singles as they are released in the lead up to the album release.
November 1, 2022
Long Overdue landed on the November Euro-Americana Chart in the “Ones To Watch (And Listen To)” section, which is pretty cool! CLICK LINK
October 22, 2022
You've heard of a Triple-Double in basketball, well I think we just scored a Quadruple-Quadruple on the national charts! Long Overdue is once again the NUMBER ONE album this week on RMR Americana Top 50 Album Chart! CLICK LINK
It's also the NUMBER ONE album on the RMR Country Chart for the second week in a row as well! CLICK LINK
The song Long Overdue is #1 and All The Sorrow at #2 on both the Americana Top 50 Singles Chart! CLICK LINK
and the Country Singles Chart!! CLICK LINK
October 15, 2022
Long Overdue is the NUMBER ONE album this week on RMR Americana Top 50 Album Chart! CLICK LINK
It's also the NUMBER ONE album on the RMR Country Chart as well! CLICK LINK
The song Long Overdue is #2 and All The Sorrow at #3 on the Americana Top 50 Singles Chart! CLICK LINK
As well as #2 and #3 on the Country Singles Chart! CLICK LINK
September 17, 2022
Long Overdue has climbed up to #3 on the RMR Americana Top 50 Album Chart! CLICK LINK
And three songs are still on the Top 50 Americana Song Chart as well, with Long Overdue at #5, Like Now at #12, and All The Sorrow at #13! CLICK LINK
September 10, 2022
Long Overdue has climbed up to #14 on the RMR Americana Top 50 Album Chart! CLICK LINK
And three songs have all landed on the Top 50 Americana Song Chart as well, with Long Overdue at No. 23, Like at #32, and All The Sorrow at #33! CLICK LINK
September 9, 2022
"The production is strong, his vocals shine and from the opening track – the title track – he has a brand of country-rock that sees your foot tapping along from the off. Melodically, this is a stand out collection as those choruses will get stuck in your head."
Zoe Hodges - Maverick Magazine (London, UK)
September 4, 2022
"Yanek is a first rate songwriter who seems to have just appeared on the scene. Yet he delivered Across The Landscape in 2005. So seventeen years later we have this one. Let's hope the gap is much shorter next time."
Jim Hynes - Making A Scene
September 3, 2022
Long Overdue has debuted on the RMR Americana Top 50 Album Chart at No. 25! CLICK LINK
And three songs have all landed on the Top 50 Americana Song Chart as well, with Long Overdue at No. 39! CLICK LINK
August 25, 2022
"Long Overdue represents an important step for Steve Yanek and a very pleasant ones for us listeners."
Remo Ricaldone for Lonestar Time (Italy)
"Yanek is a true inspiration to aspiring soft rock/Americana artists out there."
Tamara Jenna - TJPL News (UK)
August 16, 2022
"There is a nice mixture going on here, and fans of typical American singer/songwriter heartland pop/rock need to check out this great album!"
Gabor Kleinbloesem for Strutter Magazine (Netherlands)
August 12, 2022
"Credit Yanek with being so willing to express his inner feelings and making himself so vulnerable, all at the same time. Suffice it to say Long Overdue was well worth the wait."
Lee Zimmerman - American Songwriter
August 5, 2022
"Long Overdue goes beyond what is imagined and is a true masterpiece!"
Vitor Franceschini - Roadie Music Mag
July 26, 2022
Great review from Belgium in Rootstime - Thank you!
“We have previously compared the voice and the music of the American singer-songwriter Steve Yanek with those of his own musical idols Jackson Browne and James Taylor. With the legendary multi-instrumentalist Jeff Pevar at the helm as producer, Steve Yanek is now releasing his newest record ‘Long Overdue’ containing ten self-penned tracks that do one by one confirm his incredible talent as vocalist and composer.“ – Valère Sampermans
July 25, 2022
Long Overdue makes Lars Svensson's "Best of July" at Rootsy (Sweden) CLICK HERE FOR REVIEW
July 23, 2022
4.5 Stars for Long Overdue from Philip Varhaege with Keys And Chords (Belgium)!
July 22, 2022
Next up is Like Now! This is the third song we're rolling out ahead of the August 5th album release. Available on all global streaming platforms today!
July 13, 2022
Amazing review for Long Overdue by John Apice from Americana Highways!
"Yanek is simply adept at what he does. Whether a fully arranged assault on the senses or a simple almost lullaby-like “Goodbye,” he effectively provides the listener with exciting, satisfying melodies that are showcased superbly. Not a bad song in the bunch."
July 9, 2022
Thank you Chris Spector and Midwest Record
"Smart writing, good singing and a solid knack for corralling the elements to make it all work. Right in the pocket to power a fun night out."
July 1, 2022
New single, Long Overdue, is out today! It's the title track and features the late, great T Lavitz on piano & B3 Organ!
June 22, 2022
All The Sorrow is streaming now! This is the first single from my album, Long Overdue. New lyric video is on YouTube! Click here to watch ALL THE SORROW VIDEO
May 1, 2022 - Major Update
I've been working on two album projects simultaneously over the past two years and they're both coming into full focus at this point. The first project is called "Long Overdue," and we are currently looking at a n August, 5th release. It's a collaboration of sorts with my friend Jeff Pevar, who's producing it, and will include 3 songs from a session we did several years ago with Rod Morgenstein (Winger and Dixie Dregs), and the late T Lavitz (Dixie Dregs). Plus several new songs that include Billy Payne (Little Feat) and Kenny Aronoff (John Mellencamp). To preview a few songs from this project click here LONG OVERDUE. More info coming soon!
The second project is called "September," and it's a collection of brand new songs written over the past two years and recorded in my studio and I've been releasing songs as digital singles since August, 2021. Although I will continue to post songs from this album here SEPTEMBER, the plan is to officially release the album in January 2023.
April 14, 2022 - Recording has been completed on Long Overdue. Ten songs to mix and master and artwork to complete!
February 18, 2022 - New single, Count Every Moment, coming next week on February 25th!
January 17, 2022 - Lots of new music planned for 2022 CLICK HERE FOR STORY from Hemifran.
January 14, 2022 - I Could Use A Little Rain will be released in two weeks on January 28th.
December 10, 2021 - You Know When It's Right is out on December 17th.
August, 1, 2021 - New single, Summer Days, August 6th.
January 25, 2020 - Hemifran has featured Across The Landscape as Album of the Week! CLICK HERE FORSTORY
January 21, 2020 - Great review in Altcountry.nl for Across The Landscape from the Netherlands CLICK HERE FOR STORY
December 14, 2020 - Check out this cool review in Rootstime by Valére Sampermans! CLICK HERE FOR REVIEW
December 13, 2020 - Great review from Blue Desert is up! CLICK HERE FOR REVIEW
December 11, 2020 - Across The Landscape has been repressed and released in Europe by Hemifran - CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE