by Nancy E. McCarthy
When keyboard/vocalist Joe Stehle founded the soul/pop band The Sideways in 2018, he envisioned a transitory musicians’ collective. Stehle, from Cazenovia, connected with many accomplished musicians when he moved to Rochester in 2015 to attend Nazareth University School of Music. It was fun back in the day to have people drift in and out of the group, but as the band’s sound tightened up and evolved, Stehle leaned away from the collective concept.
Most of the band’s line-up has been solid for a while. Today’s The Sideways players include founder and front man Stehle, Nazareth alumni buddies Shawn Brogan (guitar) and Lincoln All (drums) plus Arjun Baxter (bass), Matt Hawke (trombone) and Matt Erman (saxophone). “The band is absolutely killer,” said Stehle. “I am happy to be playing with all of them.”
The Sideways performs original songs primarily written by Stehle (Brogan contributed a tune) and they mainly play in Rochester and Buffalo – though they’ve toured from Vermont down to Kentucky.
“We’re a pop/soul band with funk and disco influences,” Brogan said. “Joe’s voice and songwriting is very based in soul music, but we package it in a pop format and bring elements of funk and disco to get people dancing.”
“When I’m drumming on stage, I love to look around at the audience and make sure people are dancing and/or nodding their heads,” All added. “If they are, that tells me I’m doing my job right.”
Ashley Engstrom, a Rochester music teacher, streams The Sideways’ original tunes in between attending their live shows.
“Whenever I hear The Sideways come up on my playlist, it feels like an instant party,” said Engstrom. “I can’t help but sing along and dance around.”
You can find The Sideways playing at music festivals such as Rochester International Jazz Festival, Lilac Festival and, this July, at Downtown Summer Block Party in Watertown. Appearances at Rochester live music venues include Essex, Three Heads Brewing and Flour City Station.
“The Sideways is a fresh burst of intricate sounds, laced in many genres,” said Matt Green, Flour City Station’s co-founder and talent buyer. “Their music breathes life into any room they play.”
Early days
Stehle began playing piano at age 5. “We were always a family that loved music and had a massive record collection: lots of classic rock and jazz records, as well as a lot of folk,” he said.
Stehle’s grandparents, Don (trumpet) and Dot (clarinet) funded his lessons. His dad (guitar) and mom (bass/vocalist) bought a $50 upright garage sale piano so Stehle could practice. His three siblings also played instruments or sang.
Stehle took piano lessons up through his teen years and also played guitar and cello. His middle school and high school music teachers encouraged him to join all the school ensembles, which Stehle did. “My favorite was always the jazz band where I was given the opportunity to sing as well as play keys,” he said.
The community of Rochester-based musicians can feel like a large ensemble at times (or “a little big town” as Stehle said). For example, The Sideways is not Stehle’s only music project. He plays and records, along with The Sideways’ bassist Arjun Baxter, with Grace Serene and the Super Clean plus Spooky and the Truth. Two other Spooky band members – Andrew Nittoli (drums) and Riley Fressie (vocalist) – also own Upstate Music Group (UMG), a booking and management agency. UMG manages The Sideways and books its shows.
“At a certain point, most gigging musicians, bands, studios and venues get to know each other because of the fact that Rochester isn’t a major city,” said Nittoli. While Rochester doesn’t compare to booming music industry cities such as Nashville, NYC or LA, it does have a thriving music scene on a smaller scale.
Songs and records
The Sideways released two EPs in 2020. “fair weather,” released on October 13, 2023, is its first full length LP with 11 songs. Stehle, the main songwriter, usually brings the band a basic form of lyrics, melody and chords, and then the players fill in horn arrangements, guitar or bass riffs, dynamics and grooves.
All produced, mixed and played on “fair weather.” It was recorded in his home studio in Rochester. “Lincoln did a great job with this album,” said Stehle. “This is the first time we’ve been this dialed into a sound.”
All teased out a bigger and more robust sound out of the “fair weather” record than previous releases. “I think I helped tighten the arrangements a bit in a way that everything has a purpose on the record,” he explained. “Tonally I was able to get a more hi-fi sound, with full bass and clear high end energy, as well as making sure everything felt as dynamic as possible to keep the album sounding exciting.”
All produces many local musicians and groups including Brogan’s former band Animal Sounds. He’s also played a producing and/or mixing role with Public Water Supply, Bug Day, Charlie Reitz and A Girl Named Genny. These are just more examples of the Rochester music scene’s “little big town” collaborations and overlaps.
The band is excited to build upon its regional following but also is looking to attract more listeners. “The long-range vision for The Sideways is going to be to perform more in front of new audiences as well as to try to break into new markets along the east coast,” Nittoli said. “We will also be focusing on booking the band at more festivals in the upcoming year.” The band plans to record more material in 2025 as well.
The Sideways is definitely moving forward!
Follow The Sideways on Instagram @sidewaystheband. Find the band on Facebook at The Sideways. The “fair weather” LP is out on all music streaming platforms.
