Connecticut psych-soul outfit The Stepkids are three singer-songwriters destined for great things together. The Stepkids’ groove is a fusion of 70s soul, funk, punk, jazz, folk, West African rhythms and modern classical. This gifted band absorb it all, then produce, engineer and record something altogether new on a reel-to-reel.

There’s no singular icon, no singular sound, and no singular way of making it happen for The Stepkids. “A lot of what excites us about this band is this band itself,” bassist and keyboardist Dan Edinberg says. “It’s not just either of us; it’s about creating an entity where the entity itself is what’s important.” This is psychedelia for the 21st century, where the focus is on the whole.

“All three of us write and all three sing,” says Jeff Gitelman, who resigned from touring as Alicia Keys' guitarist to concentrate full-time on recording The Stepkids’ album. Drummer Tim Walsh continues, “There's an equal split in the creative process. Any lyric, any melody, any idea could have been done by any of us.”

This approach comes from more than a decade of musical experimentation and experience. Raised on the East Coast jazz and the R&B circuit, individual band members went on to share stages with 50 Cent and Lauryn Hill, tour internationally with indie punk band Zox, score movies and commercials, and produce solo albums. Now it’s time for The Stepkids to take their time in the spotlight.