Steve Merlin's biography:

Steve 'Merlin' Pasveer

Malden, March 5, 1973

Singer/songwriter, guitarist, bass & keys player, producer, illustrator, designer

Steve grew up near Nijmegen, living in small towns with his parents and three younger brothers. The love of listening to music, starting at about the age of four, came from his dad (and listening to radio play 'Journey Into Space' together), but granddad Jan Ceulemans and uncle Eugene were the ones in the family who actually played instruments. Then when Steve turned 17, he picked up classical guitar, studying together with brother Dennis who went to music school back then.

After a while, he started playing chords on his brother's guitar, and his mum, hearing this, was afraid that he might break the strings. So he saved some money and bought a black-'n'-white Squier Strat and a small amp.

Steve has been in various bands since he learned to play the guitar. The first -rock cover-band was named "Red Fall", with drummer Tom van Veldhoven. After a year or so Steve started writing songs, but singing he left to the band's singer at that time. In a while, he tried to sing them himself, and a couple of years later about 30 songs were finished (lyrics, guitar chords and vocal parts). Then he started recording them at home -'round 2001- while in the meantime he tought himself how to play bass guitar, e-bow, keyboards, guitar synth, and some percussion. He found out that, playing with others, he preferred playing the (fretless) bass rather than guitar, but on his own songs guitar and voice are still favourite. But he likes playing the piano more and more... He just needs some cash to buy a nice stage piano :-)

One of Steve's main goals is making songs without concessions made because of the illusion of what the mainstream of people like or don't like. Debut album Closer To The Moon sounds like what Steve wants it to sound like, no more, no less.

One other main goal is to one day record the perfect guitar solo - fitting to the song it's in, of course - telling its story and bringing on its mood with no words at all.

Other biographies:

Arno Nikkelen (bass guitar)

Arno studied bass from Pieter Douma and Anjo van den Hurk. Since 1990 he moved about mainly in funk and rock, and played with Ruby Fruit Jungle, Pazzo, Anne Haigis and Martin Hutchinson. The last ten years he's accompanied various singer/songwriters on bass and with backing vocals.

Simone Nardelli (piano)

Simone has been playing the piano since early childhood; the first 15 years she was classically orientated. She took part in several national piano competitions in Germany - her country of birth - and started singing and playing the violin. After two years of studying classical solo-piano at the Düsseldorf Konservatorium, she decided to study music-therapy in Nijmegen. Today she teaches the piano, and her interest lies rather in modern music and jazz.

Thijs Simons (perc. & drums)

As a drummer, Thijs has 25 years of experience and he's at home in various genres of music. In these 25 years he has been active mainly in live bands like Shane, One Step Beyond, Rolero's, Reflex, Strange Go and Flex. He even tributed to an Estonian songfestival song.

Besides his drumming, Thijs has been singing in quite a couple of bands, and he's running his music store 'Stockenhof Muziek' near Nijmegen.

"Grow Over It" (instr.)