John Stevens |
As U R (pronounced As You Are) are from the "City of Sails",otherwise known as Auckland, New Zealand.
John Stevens and Brett Rogerson formed this musical partnership in 2002 with the aim of creating music with depth and atmosphere, using acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards and percussion.
They produce song arrangements inspired by the crafted musical landscapes of such artists as Peter Gabriel, Roger Waters, Sting and other icons of the 70s and 80s.
John Michael Stevens was born in Brighton, England and started his musical DIY habit at an early age. By age 14 he had built his first electric guitar. Sadly, and understandably, it was not a quality instrument. His inspiration had been pictures of classic guitars like the Hofner Verithin, the Vox teardrop shaped electric, the Watkins Rapier series, and models by Burns which he had found in an old instrument catalogue.
As songwriter-in-chief, for his first band 67 Listeners, and playing keyboards and guitar, he played many gigs in New Zealand in the early 80s, his favorite venue being 'The Gluepot' in Ponsonby. During this time he acquired his longtime passion for audio engineering, often being called on to rig the P.A. system or fix somebody's guitar lead at short notice. He also extended his DIY skills by building an electronic keyboard from a kit. Dubbed 'The String Machine', its polyphonic choral sounds worked well against the monophonic lines of his Korg MS10 synthesizer.
He returned briefly to the UK in 1984 to work in audio and video production and installations.
Among his projects were 8 track audio systems, multi-screen slide shows and theatrical lighting rigs for the NASA Pavilion at the Paris Air Show, and maintenance work on several high power projectors used on Frankie Goes to Hollywood's tours of Europe and Japan.
Since returning to NZ he has performed in several bands as guitarist and vocalist, has composed and recorded radio jingles and video soundtracks. He has worked in sound production for a TV drama series, and on a short film by Nikki Caro, director of such films as Whale Rider.
In 1993 he released his first full-length solo album on cassette 'The Call of the Waitakeres'. This totally instrumental ambient album is a departure from his usual style, and was inspired by the beauty and tranquility of Auckland's Waitakere Ranges. Its gentle relaxing melodies are ideal for meditation and yoga, and it is John's goal to soon re-master the album for CD release.
Brett Rogerson was born in Wellington, New Zealand. He started learning the piano at aged 7 but preferred watching "Lost in Space" to practicing. An interest in the guitar surfaced at school when that seemed a lot cooler than blowing into a recorder.
His parents bought him his first electric guitar at the ripe old age of 12, a Gemking semi-acoustic with starburst finish, and a 10 watt amp. Much to his parents' displeasure, Brett felt that he sounded better when he played louder.
The amplifier had wonderful sustain and grunt when tipped face down into a beanbag. After tuning became a big problem, the next guitar, a Carlos (Les Paul copy) came on the scene. A friend broke this one, (the head detached from the neck). This friend used car body filler to reattach it, and had the friend not confessed, Brett would never have been the wiser. His final electric was an Ibanez (Stratocaster copy), dark brown with a black scratchboard.
His first band was "Ian Goffe & The Gunk". All friends from school, they played covers from ELO to Citizen Band to The Members. At one stage, Ian Goffe was offered money by Brett's parents to stop singing.
Brett tortured the band with his forays into electric guitar-land and soon realised that his potential lay with the acoustic guitar. After hearing Bruce Cockburn, he left the electrics behind. (Much to the relief of the 'Gunk'). A final nail in the coffin came when he saw his beloved Gemking guitar being thrown out of a van window in a video by NZ band 'Garageland'.
Now that Brett was introduced to the music of Bruce Cockburn, his love of the acoustic guitar flourished. He taught himself many Cockburn songs, and started writing with another friend from university.
His first acoustic guitar was bought for $4, was resistant to tuning and eventually was on-sold for $1. His next guitar, a 12 string Aria, buckled under the pressure of the strings and ended up as a 6 string. This lasted 10 years until Brett moved to England. There he bought his first cutaway guitar from another friend. Unfortunately, this friend's three year old child broke the guitar in two.
The guitar he has now has been in his possession for 15 years - a Takamine EN30C. This was an engagement present from his ex-fiance; she kept the ring, he kept the guitar. Not full-size, this guitar was touted as being a classical/steel cross, however, sound wise, it was much better as a steel string.
After the move to England, he paired up with a classical guitarist who helped Brett to wean his little finger off the scratchplate. Brett joined a group in England called the Carol Sargent Band. His musicianship progressed in the company of better musicians and he extended his repertoire to bass.
In exchange for decorating his bass tutor's studio, he got lessons at the Bass Institute in Wapping (London). Jaco Pastorius became his new hero. His first bass was a defretted Fender Jazz. Unfortunately it was the eighties, and feeling a need to start slapping, he sold the Jazz and bought a fretted bass (he can't remember the make), but on leaving England he left it to Wormwood Scrubs Prison.
Back in New Zealand, Brett joined a Smashing Pumpkins/Pearl Jam covers band (called 'Hi Speed Bark') on bass. "The gigs ran very late", remembers Brett, "and during one of the slower numbers I nodded off between bars". It was through this band that Brett met John, and As U R gradually came into being.
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