GRAMMY-nominated singer-songwriter Becca Stevens and GRAMMY Award-winning Attacca Quartet announced their collaborative album Becca Stevens | Attacca Quartet, out April 22nd via GroundUP Music. Nearly a decade ago, Stevens was approached to reimagine a selection of her songs with string arrangements for a performance at San Diego’s Mainly Mozart Festival. It would end up being a life-changing opportunity—introducing Stevens to her future husband, the acclaimed violist, composer, and Attacca Quartet member Nathan Schram. The concert would also inspire a career-spanning passion project—one which blossomed alongside her relationship with Nathan and resulted in what will be the couple’s first collaborative full-length, Becca Stevens | Attacca Quartet. The album announcement comes with the first single “45 Bucks” and an accompanying live performance video shot at Skillman Studios in Brooklyn, NY.
Listen to “45 Bucks”
Watch the “45 Bucks” live video
In 2013, pianist, composer, and conductor Steven Prutsman proposed the initial string arrangement appearance to Becca. In collaboration with her father, composer William Stevens, they arranged material from her first two albums: 2008’s Tea Bye Sea and 2011’s Weightless. The following summer, as the festival approached, they enlisted string players from the heralded Decoda ensemble, including Nathan. There was an immediate connection between the two musicians, but it would be another year before they met again in a serendipitous twist of fate.
In 2015, Becca traveled to her hometown of Winston-Salem, NC, where her brother—producer, engineer, and composer Bill Stevens—was set to record string arrangements at his studio, Ovation Sound. This time, the stars were aligned for Becca and Nathan. While those early recordings were never released, they set the stage for Becca Stevens | Attacca Quartet and ignited a romance between the two musicians, who married in 2017.
The couple would then return to Bill’s studio in December 2018, but this time, they were joined by Nathan’s Attacca bandmates: cellist Andrew Yee and violinists Amy Schroeder and Keiko Tokunaga (whose seat is now filled by Domenic Salerni). Hailed for their stylistic versatility, the quartet was the perfect foil for Becca, who had long explored a wide range of genres—from folk and jazz to funk and pop. With more than a decade’s worth of music to choose from, the breadth of Becca’s capabilities was more palpable than ever, and the members of Attacca were ready for the challenge.
The album’s tracklist honors the project’s origins while reflecting Becca’s development as an artist. “I originally wrote ‘45 Bucks’ for my album Regina back in 2016,” Stevens explains. “The song started as an attempt to ‘take the high road’ by putting frustrations to music rather than escalating a no-win situation with a next-door neighbor, and evolved into an ode to several folks who have let me down throughout my life. When the Attacca Quartet and I were choosing songs for this album, my dad William Stevens suggested this song and said he would like to have a go at arranging it since it is outside his usual classical style and would be a fun challenge. The blend of my dad’s unique style, wittiness, and understanding of my musical voice made him the perfect candidate for this arrangement.”
Since the recording of Becca Stevens | Attacca Quartet, much has transpired. Among the highlights are Becca’s first GRAMMY® nod (2020’s WONDERBLOOM) and Attacca’s first GRAMMY® win (2019’s Orange). Nathan also released a solo debut, Oak and the Ghost, while Becca earned praise for her latest record, Becca Stevens & The Secret Trio. The quartet meanwhile continues to push their creative boundaries—particularly with their latest record, Real Life, which finds them further exploring the work of electronic artists.
Tracklist:
1. Be Still (arr. Liam Robinson)
2. Reminder (arr. Bill Stevens)
3. Canyon Dust (arr. Stephen Prutsman)
4. For You The Night Is Still (arr. Becca Stevens)
5. No More (arr. William Stevens)
6. Venus (arr. Michael Ippolito)
7. I Am No Artist (arr. Nathan Schram)
8. 2 + 2 = 5 (arr. Nathan Schram)
9. 45 Bucks (arr. William Stevens)
10. 105 (arr. William Stevens)
11. Klapp Klapp (arr. Nathan Schram)
12. We Knew Love (arr. Bill Stevens)
13. Tillery (arr. Timo Andres)
14. Traveler’s Blessings (arr. Stephen Prutsman)
