Stephen Colarelli

Stephen Colarelli is a singer-songwriter from Michigan, USA. His music incorporates elements of Americana, R&B, gospel, and rock. He released his first CD, "Time and Circumstances” in 2010 and his second CD "Better Days" in 2011.

Steve was born in Denver and grew up in Arvada, Colorado (USA)—where he spent much of his youth involved in music and exploring the natural beauty of Colorado. He learned to play the accordion at age seven and took up the guitar a few years later. He was in rock bands from middle through high school, and he began writing songs in high school. His early influences were the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Chuck Berry, and Motown groups. He went to Northwestern University, near Chicago, and was influenced by many of the city’s folk and blues artists. In college he also took up the violin and piano.

After college, Steve went to Senegal, in West Africa, as a Peace Corps volunteer. He lived in a small village working on agricultural projects. During his spare time he continued to play the guitar and write music. He formed a rock band with several other Peace Corps volunteers, and they would play for dances when they were in Senegal’s capital city, Dakar. After the Peace Corps, he earned a doctorate in psychology, began a career as a college professor and put music on the back burner. Years later, he got a call from one of his Peace Corp buddies about a reunion, and they talked about getting the band back to gather to play at the reunion. They did, and from then on, Steve has devoted much of his free time to writing, producing, and recording music.

His recording career started almost by chance a few years back. He went to Nashville on a spring vacation just to relax and listen to live music. Luckily he stayed at a bed and breakfast, The Writer’s Room—which is also the headquarters of Bryan Cumming’s recording studio, "Studio 23." A few months later, he went back to Nashville and finished most of his first CD, "Time and Circumstances." Back in Michigan, Steve worked with Andy Reed at Reed Recording Company to put the finishing touches it.

With another trip to Nashville, followed by regular sessions at Andy Reed’s studio, Steve completed his second CD, "Better Days," which was released in February of 2011. Better Days features Lasandra Gatewood and Laurie Middlebrook, two brilliant singers, doing lead vocals on four of the CD’s 14 songs.

Steve is now at work on his third CD.