A Dirty Dozen with STEVE HARRIS from HILLBILLY VEGAS – February 2026

Photo credit: Joe Ward

According to a recent press release: “Southern Rockers Hillbilly Vegas are sharing their new single & video for ”I Hope You Know.”  The track is the 1st single from the Oklahoma based band’s upcoming album A La Mode, which is slated for release in May via Quarto Valley Records. “I Hope You Know” is a song about the chaos of a relationship that’s deteriorated to the point of no return. The song is driven by guitars with a southern style, rocking blues groove – with just the right touch of grit that the band is known for.” We get singer Steve Harris to discuss new music, influences, and more…

1. Tell us a little about your new single “I Hope You Know.” What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through? Are there any hidden nuggets you put in the material that only diehard fans might find?

There are probably things in there that diehards and definitely family and friends might recognize. But I have never been big on planting hidden meanings. I would rather listeners find their own life in the words. If the song becomes about their story instead of mine, that is when it is really doing its job.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

Before I could sing or play a note, I was a TV kid watching nonstop reruns of The Monkees and The Partridge Family. Micky Dolenz and David Cassidy were the first people who made me want to be a musician and a performer. I did not understand any of the reality of it…  I just knew they looked cool and I wanted that feeling. So I always give the TV guys credit – that is where it started.

3. Building on that, are there specific songs, albums, performers, or live shows that guided your musical taste?

Once my ears actually got involved, it was Paul Rodgers (Bad Company, Free, The Firm). That voice and that feel were everything to me. But I was also a pretty goofy kid, so David Lee Roth appealed to me in a different way. It definitely was not about his voice, believe me. It was his attitude and personality. I remember thinking what if you could combine the soul and power of Paul Rodgers with just a little of that DLR humor and swagger – that mix really shaped what I wanted to be as a frontman.

4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

I was lucky enough to already cross that one off the list. Paul Rodgers and I sing together on the new album, A La Mode, that comes out in May. He was everything you would hope: Incredible voice, total pro, and just a great human being. That was definitely a full circle moment for me.

5. What is your favorite activity when out of the studio and/or not on tour? What do you like to do to unwind?

I love being on tour, but when you first get home you have kind of got scrambled eggs for brains. You have been on a schedule where someone is always telling you where to go, when to eat, who to talk to, what time to be everywhere. Then suddenly you are home and you do not have to be anywhere or talk to anybody. There is definitely a decompression period. But once I am through that, my wife and I really love to travel. Our travel is completely different from band travel. Because of tight tour schedules, You do not actually see much on the road, unfortunately. You just take mental notes of places, so we go back later and experience them for real.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who would never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

Honestly, all the comparisons surprise me. There are times in the studio where I will think, okay, this is the one. They are definitely going to say I lifted this from somebody. And then reviewers come back with a totally different reference I never saw coming – so who knows!?!?  To me, it is just rock and roll. There is definitely a Southern flavor in there, but there is also some of that second wave British Invasion influence too, because those bands were incredible. At the end of the day, it is just real music made by real guys who genuinely love what we do.

Hillbilly Vegas – I Hope You Know – Cover Artwork

7. When your band is hanging out together, who cooks, who gets the drinks in, and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

I have got to be honest – it is not really like the movies for us. For the most part, nobody is breaking out an acoustic guitar. We are all kind of tired from long days. Everybody in the band can cook, but Stacy probably excels the most, so he ends up in charge of the meals when we are together. As far as drinks go, nobody really drinks much in this band anymore. That has not always been true, but it is now, and it is honestly fantastic. We can just sit around, recap, decompress. It is a really good group of guys to spend time with.

8. When was the last time you were starstruck and who was it?

I was pretty starstruck when I realized my friend Johnny “Big” Schoen, Ted Nugent’s bassist, had also played on a lot of classic cartoon theme songs. Once I knew that, I could not un-know it. I remember looking at him on tour thinking, okay, rock and roll is impressive, but cartoons, that is legendary territory!

9. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?

The best part of being a musician for me is storytelling. I come from a long line of preachers, and although I never felt called to that path, I believe I share that same gift: Communicating with people through story. Songs are how I do that. If music were taken away, my dream would be cartoon voice acting. Before I ever wanted to be on stage, I just wanted to be the voice of Shaggy on Scooby-Doo.

10. What is one question you have always wanted an interviewer to ask, and what is the answer? Conversely, what question are you tired of answering?

I never get tired of answering questions. If people are curious about what we are doing, that is a good thing! The question I have always half expected but never really get is whether that band name has helped us or hurt us over the years. And I guess we will find out if anyone ever asks.  😉

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a do over, even if it did not change your current situation?

There are plenty of those, but one really sticks with me from when I was young. I got to work as a day hand when KISS came through town, and I already had my demo with me, an actual cassette tape. Gene Simmons walked in, and I somehow found the courage to walk up and ask if I could give it to him. I remember looking up at him because he is about nine feet tall in his boots, and feeling like a little kid in that moment. He took the tape and really looked it over, the cover, the cassette, even slid it out of the case. Then he smiled, slipped it into his pocket, and said, “You forgot to put your phone number on this.” I thought I was going to die. When I finally recovered, I asked if I could put it on there right then. He just smiled and said, “No,” and walked away. After that, every demo I ever made had my number and just about everyone else’s I could think of on it. Thanks, Gene!

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose, and what does that record mean to you?

I do not think I would actually want to sit in on anyone else’s recording session. What if I got there and found out they were all dicks? That could ruin the music for me forever. I would rather keep the records exactly the way they are and live in my head. Honestly, if I could go back in time, I think I would skip the studio and head straight to 1947 to see what really happened in Roswell.

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Category: Interviews