Q&A with artist Steve Weatherbie

We’re honored to be included in a recent artwork from Steve Weatherbie from Grand Rapids, MI. Read about what inspires Steve and how you can get your hands on his art!

Steve Weatherbie – “Trigger Finger”

This week, Steve Weatherbie posted a photo of his NBI-inspired art to our Facebook wall. We fell in love with what we saw and got in touch with Steve immediately to ask him a few questions. He responded to our questions and here you can read a quick interview about this independent artist from Michigan:

This is actually a self portrait representing my addiction to Music.  I’m a huge fan of headwear and have over 20 hats of different styles, colors, and materials.  Currently, my favorite hat is the No Bad Ideas Rodan Flatbill.  It fit’s great, it’s crisp looking and I seem to be wearing it in every recent photo despite all my options at home  lol.  So when I did this piece, I drew myself wearing my most comfortable, and  favorite clothing, including the NBI.  Kind of a subliminal hint that although it looks painful, I am completely at ease.

To me, counter-culture is the ebb and flow of the creative world.  It is reinvention by means of demolition and reconstruction.  In order to build something new, you must first clear the area.  This process is counter culture both artistically and socially.  In my opinion “Thinking outside of the box” was the old term for counter-culture.  But counter culture includes action, and movement, versus just merely thinking.  I have always been, and always will be a huge supporter of counter culture.

The Rodan was gifted to me by a great friend, fellow musician, personal manager, and business partner.  He was “trying his head” at a flatbill, but alas he’s more of a fedora person and it didn’t fit.  He asked if I would like it, and I scooped it up.  When I looked at the brand name I chuckled in a good way.  Seemed like a great philosophy.  I Immediately referred to it as my “thinking cap”.  Ironically, I didn’t know what the company’s mantra stood for until recently.

 

Steve Weatherbie

What’s a day in the life of Steve Weatherbie like? (work, school, life, etc – tell us something interesting about you!)

I’m originally from Windsor, Ontario Canada bordering Detroit Michigan.  I now live in West Michigan and spend roughly a third of the year working in Los Angeles.

I’m an underground hip hop, and electronic artist/producer of 13+ years under the alias “Crossworm”, and a drummer of 20+ years.  I’m an audio engineering graduate from Recording Arts Canada, in Toronto Ontario.  My main musical project is a group called “Sun Sky and Surface” in which I’m the producer/instrumentalist.  We recently finished mixing a record in the singer’s home studio in Hollywood, CA.  Actually….The singer is the very same person who gifted the NBI cap to me.

Independently, I work as an artist, designing album artwork for bands and musicians, as well as designing ad-mats for artists in the touring industry.  I’m proud to say that my designs have been displayed on every screen in every major amphitheater in North America, and magazines like Revolver and Alternative Press.

I also work for a Management firm called “Ghost Rocket Music” and we just opened a new branch called G.R.A.S.S. Roots, which specializes in artist services for the DIY musician…. We put the tools and the information into the hands of the DIY musician who desires to make a lasting career performing in the music Industry.  And this ties into the whole counter culture essence, by helping to usher a new era of control.  In my opinioin, the more control an artist has over their own career, the better off the integrity of their art is.

The President of Ghost Rocket is the same person who sings in Sun Sky and Surface, and who introduced me to NBI.  His name is Luke Danelon and he is also the US label manager for Sludge Factory Records (Founded by Adam Gontier of Three Days Grace).  I recently designed the labels logo, and I’m currently hand drawing some really awesome artwork for their flagship band Before The Curtain.  Truly one of my best pieces to date.

Seems like all I do is work these days LOL.  But I love it.

I have a portfolio online here http://www.dirtwavedesign.com but I haven’t actually started selling my own prints yet.  However I am for hire for commissions, and/or album design.  I’m willing to work with anyone’s budget.  It’s not about “pick-pocketing” for me.  It’s about creating.  I just started a facebook page for my artwork and i canalso be contacted there as well  https://www.facebook.com/weatherbieart.

Big thanks to Steve for all the NBI love he’s been spreading online! We want to thank all of our fans for their commitment – please share your NBI story with us in the comments.