Hailing from Toronto, Canada, Steve’s recording career began auspiciously by completing a class project while at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario. The resulting 5-song EP credited as Boatman ended up cracking the top 20 on the Canadian college radio charts. Seeking a fully-realized band, Steve put together indie-rock trio 4-Star Movie. The Toronto-based band would enjoy college radio airplay, national tours, videos broadcast on Canada’s MuchMusic, and an appearance on CTV’s Open Mic with Mike Bullard. They would also hold band arguments on internet newsgroups, recorded a 7” single while simultaneously shooting a music video in drummer Lefty’s living room, and once turned a show into a tribute to Bo Derek while playing a set of indie-rock Abba covers.

After two distinct permutations of 4-Star Movie, Steve moved to NYC and began playing at open mics around the city, slowly piecing together the Land Of No. The first incarnation of the band was a guitar-and-drums duo along with drummer Pete Hayes of The Figgs. Over time the band’s lineup would continue to morph, but always included top-caliber musicians. The band’s eponymous 1st record, recorded at Brooklyn’s Seaside Lounge and released on Tiny Beast Records, garnered strong reviews, and led to a session at famed Daytrotter Studios.

The group’s second full-length record “Mon Dieu” was recorded and mixed largely at their own Sunset 7 Studio with guitarist dAve Hollinghurst as engineer. The album was released on vinyl through the band’s own Later Records, and yielded two videos for “Atlantis” and “Clown’s Lament.”

Steve Shiffman & The Land Of No’s third full-length record “Double Life”, also recorded and mixed at Sunset 7 Studio, was released in February 2018 as a joint issue with the band’s Later Records and Clearly Records out of Durham, North Carolina. Videos followed for “We’re A Mess” and “Sunspot On My Mind.”

The band’s current lineup includes Steve on vocals and guitar, dAve Hollinghurst on guitars and vocals, Chris Peifer on bass and vocals, Genji Seraisi on drums, and Shawn Teague on piano/organ.

Photo by Marisa Siraisi