Stevan is ready for the crash.
Hailing from Wollongong, Australia’s steel city, the rising singer and songwriter has some steel of his own.
A self-taught producer and multi-instrumentalist, he caught the attention of the music industry in these parts just as the pandemic shut-down touring.
Fast forward three years, and a new opportunity to prove his mettle on the international stage, through a new global partnership unveiled today (June 14) by Warner Music Australia and Purple Phase, the Aussie label for which he’s the first signing.
The first release through that arrangement is “Crash,” an infectiously upbeat and bouncy number, accompanied with a self-directed video alongside Stevan’s friend Christopher Kidallpark.
“Crash” finds a feature role from Virginia-based indie artist Tommy Richman, and sets-up Stevan’s forthcoming EP, which will drop in due course.
“I am unbelievably excited to be sharing Crash with the world,” Stevan tells Billboard, following its premiere Wednesday night on the triple j network. “I feel the most free I ever have artistically and I feel the track sums up that feeling completely. I’m so excited to start to my partnership with Purple Phase. It already feels like a family.”
Purple Phase is the brainchild of the Margin brothers, Zaac, Sam and Elliott, from the popular indie rock act The Rubens, along with their managers Greg Carey and Michael Ridgewell.
Crash
With Stevan, and now support from WMA, the label’s team has high hopes.
“We couldn’t be more excited to announce Stevan as our first signing to Purple Phase,” reads a statement. “He grabbed our attention with his early releases and we’ve remained avid followers of his career ever since, even managing to spend weeks on the road touring together.”
“Crash,” the note continues, “is a perfect example of Stevan’s relentless creative energy and progression as an artist/producer, further elevated by an attention-grabbing feature by Tommy Richman.”
Stevan will road test “Crash” and other works when he performs at Splendour in the Grass next weekend in Byron Bay, and on a six-date national tour kicking off Aug. 28 at North Wollongong Hotel.
Watch “Crash” below.
