Kalistani Major History

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VDR releases "Re-Imagining Stepanov", Produced by Joanie Yeardly
Album offers compilation of Stepanov's unpublished work, re-envisioned
Vrassa City, Vrassa
January 8, 4909


Stepanov wrote the songs, but the Artists on "Re-Imagining Stepanov" were free to interpret them

Following the successful conclusion of the lawsuit disposing of the remainder of deceased singer Jennifer Stepanov's property, the Court in Kaliburg ruled that seven portfolios, containing more than 1000 unpublished songs from Stepanov should go to her brother, Lawrence who agreed to hold them in trust.  The surviving Stepanov expressed his intent at the time to make the songs available to any artist who wanted to record them, and Joanie Yeardly, Stepanov's close friend in the alt-folk scene agreed to work with Lawrence Stepanov to create an album, which, when released on VDR later this month, will also be Jennifer Stepanov's first album.

"She was such a perfectionist with her music," said Yeardly. "It was always a little bit of a joke with her...  'Oh Jennie, you missed a note in that last bar,' or 'Jenn, I'm not quite feeling that last little coda there...'  Sh-- like that would cause her to throw her hands up in exasperation until we told her we were just messing with her.  And even then, the songs she played on stage, half the time were completely different, rewritten entirely between sound check and the actual performance.  That was Jennie...  she had to have everything just perfect."

The perfection perhaps prevented Stepanov from ever recording a full length LP.  "She could never decide how to order her songs," said Yeardly.  "We would suggest something, she would listen to them, and then decide against it.  It got so frustrating to her, that her manager and the label and everyone else always wanted her to decide on this or that, and she just couldn't take all that pressure, and eventually, it would lead to her breaking down a bit and shutting everyone out.  In some of those times, she was using a lot of drugs and drinking a lot, and I think it was just her way of coping.  People stopped hassling her when we started worrying about her health.  And winning FOMAT was the last straw..."

Yeardly smiled, remembering her good friend and fellow songwriter.  "She was a special one.  I get up there and sing and play guitar, and all that...  I do it pretty well, and people like me fine.  But, she...  she was the kind of person you would be lucky to only have run into once in your f--kin life, man...  She was the real f--king deal, you know?  She had this natural way with music.  It tortured her, and the only real way, I think of dealing with it was to play music.  Its how she dealt with the music in her head."

Yeardly put that same care and admiration into the new record of Stepanov's music, called "Re-Imagining Stepanov", which is being released by VDR under the specific conditions of being sold at cost.  "Physical media costs money, still," said Yeardly. "I know its wild.  But electronic media costs nothing, so people can download it a million times before it costs VDR a cent.  You want a disc, pay a little bit for it.  But nobody should be denied the opportunity to hear the complexity and texture of Jennie's music..."

The record, a 16 track tableau of Republican styles and talent, was entirely compiled from music found in the portfolios now in her brother's possession.  "We let musicians go through the portfolios and discover, for themselves which songs they wanted to do," said Yeardly.  "We let bands which are known well here in the Republic AND unknown bands have a little crack at the music.  And I think we have a beautiful, and might I add, very rocking tribute to this magnificent ghost."  Once the musicians selected their songs, after pouring over the pages and pages of sheet music, sometimes for weeks on end, Yeardly got them all studio time in Vrassa City and Kaliburg, to put together the album.

Yeardly and her and Stepanov's Alt Folk associate Jorgenson provided songs to the record, as did Stepanov's friend Monica Pella, who recorded with her band Red Tone.  The Gaduri band Hola Unicorn! traveled to Kalistan just to perform one of Stepanov's compositions as a disco KME track, and the Hutori band Clash, who have since followed their Comrades The Gang and have relocated to Kalistan, are also on the record. The Lion Pack, who's lead singer Matt Forest will replace Stepanov at FOMAT XVI performs one of Stepanov's songs in a rockabilly style, and Vrassa Dub Allstars set one of her instrumental songs up as a Dub Version and recorded new lyrics for the song.  Sulari's Salgo came out of retirement to record a song which converts a furious Stepanov piano solo into a guitar shreading masterpiece, and all female pop group The Jinglies put a rock spin on one of Stepanov's tunes.  The Record also features an unreleased song by Stepanov herself, who had only 8 released singles in her career and music from newcomers The Murjras from Nevaras, Davis Dulces from Odufaray, Danica Dystemper, and the sunshine pop band from Yoshimi 10 Foot Front .  Folk Legend Tom Duckat adds a country spin on one of Stepaonv's tunes, and the Davostan-Transplanted alternative metal band Severe Biter, who is based in Dulnerstaad, which is Stepanov's hometown, spins a soft tune up into a guitar feedback barnburner.

"I will say, having heard early releases from the record," said Lawrence Stepanov, "I am rather surprised by Joanie's choices to include on the record.  I certainly have never heard my sister's music sound like this, and it certainly doesn't fit the alt-folk genre that Joanie has led for almost a decade now.  But the thing is:  this was about the tribute to Jenn's songwriting, and I am very proud and personally touched that so many artists wanted to contribute to the project to get my big sister's music out there, even if it wasn't her doing it."

"Re-imagining Stepanov" lives up to its name:  If you are familiar with her music, especially following her success at FOMAT, then you will be in for a huge surprise when listening to this record.  But understanding that all of these songs were written by Jennifer Stepanov, and knowing that this record provides a little peak into the mind of this short lived but excessively prolific and talented song writer should allow the listener to appreciate the full range and complex understanding of music that made her short career so brilliant and pointed to such potential that can only now be realized by others playing her legacy and doing it the tribute that they do.

"Re-Imagining Stepanov" is available online from the VDR website, where fans can acquire both physical media  (for pre-order, delivery on January 21) and a digital download which is available now.

Below is a Set List which can be listened to one at a time, or played as a play list on your favorite music serving platform.

"Re-Imagining Stepanov" released by Vrassa District Records  Produced by Joanie Yeardly

Whole Playlist can be obtained here

Side A
1.  Jennifer Stepanov-  "Bombshell"
2.  Davis Dulces- "You Don't Know"
3.  Clash- "The Hammer"
4.  Joanie Yeardly and the Kaliburg Philharmonic Orchestra-  "The Sacred Chord"
5.  Lion Pack- "Creature of the Night"
6.  Severe Biter- "So Much to Say"
7.  Red Tone-  "Let You Go"
8.  Vrassa Dub All Stars, with Angela Burnette, Ras Diamond and Vernie Dellarosa-  "Killer Meteor"

Side B
1.  Hola Unicorn!- "La Ingrávida"
2.  10 Foot Front- "I Know"
3.  Jorgenson- "No Love's For Sure"
4.  The Jinglies-  "Winter in High Bong"
5.  Danica Dystemper-  "Simplicity"
6.  Salgo- "25"
7.  Tom Duckat- "My Sweetest Friend"
8.  The Murjras- "Help Me Get Down"

Dedication:  From VDR, Joanie Yeardly, Lawrence Stepanov and all the musicians, and recording engineering staff, this Record is dedicated to the memory of Jennifer Stepanov and the musical traditions of the Republic of Kalistan, Jennifer's beloved home.