Steven Severin
| Steven Severin | |
|---|---|
Steven Severin in June 1986.
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Steven John Bailey |
| Also known as | Steven Severin |
| Born |
25 September 1955 Highgate, London, England |
| Genres | Post-punk, gothic rock, alternative rock, new wave |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, bassist, songwriter, producer |
| Instruments | Bass guitar, guitar, keyboards, piano, synthesizer, mellotron, sitar, organ |
| Years active | 1976–present |
| Labels | Polydor, Geffen Records, RE: Records, Subconscious Music |
| Associated acts |
Siouxsie and the Banshees The Glove |
| Website | Steven Severin official website on Bandcamp |
Steven Severin (born Steven John Bailey, 25 September 1955, Highgate, London), is an English musician, composer, bassist, producer and co-founding member of Siouxsie and the Banshees. He took the name "Severin" from the Leopold von Sacher-Masoch character who is mentioned in the Velvet Underground song "Venus in Furs". After the split of Siouxsie and the Banshees in 1996, Severin created his own label RE, and released several instrumental albums via his official website. He regularly performs live in solo, playing music over footage of silent films.
Severin—who was known as Steve Havoc when he joined the band— was the co-founder. He was a full contributor to Siouxsie and the Banshees' musical output from the first release (the B-side to the top 10 single "Hong Kong Garden" was the Severin-penned "Voices".) Although the entire band often was credited for songwriting, the lyrics were usually indicated as the work of only one or two members. Severin would contribute lyrics to a great many of the album tracks, singles and B-sides produced by the band. He also initially wrote many of the songs recorded by the band, composing earlier versions that the band would work upon in the studio with every member then contributing. In the same way he would add his input into potential tracks contributed by Sioux or others.
He recorded eleven studio albums with the group. Since their split in 1996, he has been supervising the entire back-catalogue, choosing extra-tracks for reissues.
During his tenure with Siouxsie and the Banshees, Severin was also involved in records by other bands, often with Banshees connections. Altered Images had toured as a support act for Siouxsie and the Banshees and Severin produced their first two singles "Dead Pop Stars" and "A Day's Wait". He also produced the majority of the album Happy Birthday (all 1981). The only track not produced by him was the title track (which also formed the intro and coda), which became the band's breakthrough hit.
In 1982, he produced, and played bass on, the Lydia Lunch EP The Agony Is the Ecstasy and in 1983 co-wrote the song "Torment" with Marc Almond on the latter's LP Torment and Toreros (by Marc and the Mambas).
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