Steve Turner

Best known as the lead guitarist with grunge pioneers Mudhoney, Steve Turner has also had his share of side projects over the years, playing with nervy garage-punkers the Fall-Outs, hard-edged blues-rockers the Monkeywrench, the thunderously obnoxious Thrown Ups, and New Original Sonic Sound, an all-star Sonics tribute band featuring members of Mudhoney, Girl Trouble, and the Young Fresh Fellows. Turner also was an early U.S. champion of the work of Billy Childish, and ran the Super-Electro label to expand the audience of some of Seattle's more deserving acts. However, Turner took a rather surprising turn with his first solo album, 2003's Searching for Melody; by his own admission a longtime fan of classic singer/songwriter material, Searching for Melody was a primarily acoustic set that found Turner embracing folk-rock with no sense of irony and without his famous stomp-box collection for help. Created after Mudhoney went on part-time status following the end of their tenure with Reprise Records, Turner explained Searching for Melody's sound as the result of teaching himself to sing and play guitar at the same time, something he'd never done with Mudhoney. A follow-up EP, A Beautiful Winter, followed in early 2004, and a second full-length was expected later that same year. When not busy with his musical projects, Turner occupies himself with landscaping and gardening work.