On the outside, it resembles an unassuming garage in a typical nondescript Southern California suburb. However, the inside harbors a world of music, creativity, laughter, and a little enlightenment. Singer, songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist, jack-of-all-trades, and “sleep-deprived dad” Steve Dukeheart fondly refers to this place as “Song Lab.” Flanked by flashing monitors, bleeping electronics, an arsenal of instruments, a green screen, (and a puppet or two), he satiates an “unquenchable thirst for making weird stuff in his garage” by writing and recording quirky pop anthems and filming, directing, editing, and starring in accompanying videos all under the same roof.
From this place, he broadcasts Song Lab—a 52-week music video show—where he will release one song and visual on a weekly basis throughout 2020 via Bodan Kuma Recordings.
Subscribe on YouTube to watch the project unfold.
“This is literally my lab for sound and visuals,” he explains. “It was serendipity, because we stumbled upon renting the only house on the entire street with a big garage, which was purely by accident. I’ve got a green screen and a recording studio next to the dryer. The garage can be super hostile. In the summer, it’s sweltering. In the winter, it’s freezing. The lightning and electricity are terrible. It’s lonely, but it’s mine. It represents me in the sense I’m like The Terminator. If I get an idea, I don’t stop until I fulfill it—no matter the obstacle. It’s all a part of my dedication to these harebrained schemes!”
Another harebrained scheme gave Steve the confidence to launch Song Lab. After attending Berklee College of Music for songwriting, he spent a decade on the road before joining a handful of bands. Settling in Southern California, he decided to fulfill his urge to make music on an ambitious scale. Hence, the #GimmeAMinute Project. Beginning in September 2018, he wrote, produced, and recorded and shot a video for a 60-second original composition once a week on Instagram. As it neared completion, he attracted a faithful fan base and caught the attention of Bodan Kuma Recordings who offered him a deal, encouraging Steve “to produce these tracks fully.” Following a triumphant downtown Los Angeles gig to celebrate the end of #GimmeAMinute touted by LA Weekly and more, he opened up Song Lab on January 3, 2020. The music coincides with the spirit of the visuals.
“I call it, ‘Orthondontist’s Office Rock’,” he smiles. “I spent a lot of time there as a kid. They play all of the dad rock with an edge like Phil Collins, Heart, Chicago, Don Henley, Paul Simon, and Stevie Wonder. I have visceral memories of reading Popular Science in the waiting room and hearing all of these seventies and eighties staples.”
This energy courses through the first single “Travel With Me.” A slinky guitar riff and steady beat underline his hypnotic verses before building towards an expansive and entrancing hook with an invitation. “It’s an opening statement for listeners and viewers,” he says. “I’m asking them to come with me on this journey for the year.”
Whether it be the shuffling stomp of “Dance To it” or catchy curiosity on the chorus of “Give Me The News,” the project hints at the depth of his personality, often deploying humor to tackle serious or deeply personal material. It closes out on Christmas Day 2020 with “Joy.” On the track, he picks up his “original elementary school instrument” (the baritone horn) and fashions an emotional and ebullient holiday gem dedicated to his daughter.
“Her name is Joy,” he goes on. “So, the project ends on a few very happy coincidences. The last Friday of the year is Christmas Day. I’m going back to how I started with a brass arrangement. It’s about the most important person in my world.”
In the end, Song Lab might be a place you never want to leave.