S t e v e G a r r e t t is a new breed of singer/songwriter. A lyrical and musical purveyor of grand themes like grace, love, and forgiveness passionately and creatively woven together into a very accessible modern sound. Although he has drawn comparisons to John Mayer, Gavin DeGraw, and Damien Rice, Steve’s emotional vocals and powerful songs crackle with originality. And don’t hold your breath for trite, scratch-the-surface content. Some of his writing will leave you standing out in wide-open spaces staring up at the sky. And some of it will make you want to crank up the car stereo and find an open highway. Yes, Steve is an emerging acoustic pop rock artist, worship leader, conference speaker, and college/young adult pastor at Belmont Church, a vibrant 3,000 member church on Music Row in Nashville, TN, but with all the labels swirling around, simply calling him a worshipper would be fine with him. “I am first called to minister to an audience of One. I want to ‘entertain’ His presence – on and off stage. Out of that experience, I then have the privilege of using my artistic platform to lead people into powerful encounters with a living God!” says Steve. Over 10 years ago, this Philadelphia, PA native began spreading his musical wings. In time he was soaring to new heights, comfortably leading hundreds in worship every week at his home church, and many more in conferences and youth events on the east coast - all the while mentoring and training up-and-coming worship leaders, and frequently speaking on the topic of worship and the arts. Now based in “Music City”, Steve is pushing for even higher elevations – having just finished his first full length record ‘Eavesdropping.’ With shimmering production by Scott Williamson (FFH, Point of Grace, Lincoln Brewster) this much-anticipated disc, coming on the heels of his 2003 debut solo EP ‘So Long L.A’, is nothing short of a sonic wonder. To support the release of his new projects, Steve has already played to thousands in the USA (like playing the Gospel Music Association’s “Seminar in the Rockies” in Estes Park, Colorado, and sharing the stage with legendary performers like Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith) as well as gathering fans internationally in South America, and to a much greater extent in Europe – where he has already headlined two acoustic tours, sponsored by Campus Crusade for Christ. His favorite cut? “Of course I think all eleven songs are outstanding , but if I had to pick one I guess it would be ‘Slow Motion Surrender’ or maybe the title track ‘Eavesdropping,’ a song I wrote about my Dad’s recent battle with cancer…although another real head-turner has been ‘Holy Is The Lord’ ” says Steve. “It’s a modern worship song inspired by a passage in the book I AM written by Steve Fry in which he explores the wonder of Heaven’s unbroken song and God’s on-going response to our worship...it’s awesome to think that we will spend eternity praising God and never come to the end of who He is!” Steve continues, “In my live shows it’s a huge crowd-pleaser because people instantly resonate with it and spontaneously lift their hands and sing along ‘scratching the surface of your love for me / plunging Your depths could take eternity / but every time You show yourself to me / all I can do is worship / all I can say is holy…’ It doesn’t get any better than that!” It is live concert moments like these that so clearly illustrate how Steve seems to effortlessly blur the line between recording artist and worship leader. And he would be the first to say that he is uniquely called to do both. As such, Steve is noticeably excited about the diverse creative outlets being opened to him, such as singing lead on the rock worship tune “I Will Boast” featured on the new 2006 Promise Keepers project “Unleashed”, as well as being a guitarist / vocalist with Integrity’s PK7 BAND for some of the live Promise Keepers conference dates throughout the USA this year. Add to that numerous lead vocal appearances on Kingsway Music projects, and the 2004 Promise Keepers project ‘Uprising’ featuring his lead vocals on 3 songs – all of which highlight the softer, more intimate side of Steve’s worship style. This powerful modern worship CD also features popular worship artists such as Jeff Deyo (Sonic Flood), Lincoln Brewster, John Katina (The Katinas) and others. And if you happen to read liner notes / credits on records coming out of Nashville, you’ll discover that his background vocals are in demand on numerous pop and modern worship projects too. Most recently, before his solo venture, Steve served as the lead vocalist, guitarist, and principle writer for Pilgrim’s Progress, a pop rock / worship band he started in 1997 along with two of his brothers, Phil (bass) and Dave (drums) and younger sister Reta (vocals, percussion). Two years later they released their first independent record (produced by David Huff) and started gathering a significant fan base in the northeast playing close to 100 shows and worship events per year. Regional radio in PA and NY further fueled the buzz by getting behind a number of radio singles and helping them to score two consecutive top 5 charting singles, in a major CHR market. Steve and his band went on to open for FFH, and play numerous festivals along with artists such as the Newsboys, Steven Curtis Chapman, and more. Steve grew up in a musical family known as the Garretts. From six to sixteen years of age, he toured the eastern U.S. and parts of Europe and Canada singing alongside his four siblings and parents. During these years Steve had a growing sense that someday he would go into full time ministry, following in the footsteps of his father, a pastor, gifted preacher, and singer. “God began to place in me a huge passion for music and preaching,” Steve recalls. As a young kid on the road, in the summer of ’83, he got his first real guitar in an old antique shop near Savannah, Georgia, taught himself to play, and eventually started writing his own songs. After High School, Steve honed his preaching and writing craft by studying Theology at Valley Forge Christian College for a year, and then going on to earn a degree in Political Science at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. After marrying his college sweetheart, he was ordained, and served on staff at Praise Fellowship Church in suburban Philadelphia for a number of years, before launching out as an independent recording artist. “Now I’m on a mission to see this music flood the church, and then spill out into the streets! More than anything, I want to spread God’s fame,” says Steve. “A number of years ago I wrote a song called “Stealing Thunder” and it basically talks about how we tend to take a lot of credit for the stuff we make, when in reality, God is the only Creator that is truly original. I think worship is simply acknowledging that fact. Jesus put it this way, ‘If I am lifted up, I will draw all people to myself,’ and ultimately every aspect of my music, art, and lifestyle should do just that.”