Steve Gunn

From Philadelphia to Matador

Steve Gunn was born on April 20, 1977 in Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, and lives in Brooklyn. He studied art and music at Temple University before moving to New York, and was briefly a guitarist in Kurt Vile's band the Violators, the two being longtime friends from near Philadelphia. He told Relix that he toured as a bassist in a hardcore band at 15, was drawn to grindcore, then Sonic Youth, Fugazi and jazz, and played improvised guitar music in GHQ before his solo records. Michael Chapman was a mentor and friend. Wikipedia lists influences including La Monte Young, Indian music, John Fahey, Jack Rose, Robbie Basho and Sandy Bull.

His debut Steve Gunn came out in 2007, followed by Sundowner (2008), Boerum Palace (2009) and Camel Throat (2010), with the duo albums Sand City (2010), Ocean Parkway (2012), Bay Head (2017) and Soundkeeper (2020) with John Truscinski. Time Off (2013) is where, per Stereogum, he began singing. Way Out Weather (2014) preceded the Matador debut Eyes on the Lines (2016). The Unseen in Between (January 18, 2019, Matador, producer James Elkington) was recorded in Brooklyn at Strange Weather with Tony Garnier of Bob Dylan's band playing an upright bass once owned by Charles Mingus and Meg Baird harmonizing on "Vagabond"; Pitchfork gave it 7.2 and Metacritic 79. Kim Gordon interviewed him for Stereogum in January 2019. He also made Golden Gunn with Hiss Golden Messenger (2013), Cantos de Lisboa with Mike Cooper (2014) and Steve Gunn/Kurt Vile (2015).

Other You came out on August 27, 2021, and he played the Newport Folk Festival solo that July. The reflections series entry Let the Moon Be a Planet with David Moore of Bing and Ruth followed in 2023, then Music for Writers, a solo instrumental album from Three Lobed in August 2025, and Daylight Daylight on No Quarter on November 7, 2025. The Sundowner reissue from Three Lobed is announced for October 30, 2026.