51. Steve Arrington

51. Steve Arrington

Author: Markly Morrison February 3, 2022 Duration: 58:16
I've known who Steve Arrington is for a little over a decade, and he became one of my favorite musicians.  But up to that point I didn't know that I already knew him... as in, he's one of the most sampled artists since sampling became a thing, so when Steve hit the snooze button on his music career in the late 1980s, his back catalog took on a life of its own.  This link (https://www.whosampled.com/Steve-Arrington/) lists Brand Nubian, A Tribe Called Quest, Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, Public Enemy and too many more to mention.  We talk about his early days in the band Slave and the blossoming funk scene in 1970s Dayton, Ohio, his following days as a pastor, and his monumental return to music, including 2020's "Down To The Lowest Terms" LP, and collaborations with Dam-Funk, Snoop, and even George Clinton and Parliament.  He also has one of the most unique voices in the zeitgeist of soul music, and as a bonus, we really hit it off.  It was one of the most fun interviews I've ever done, and I defy you to make it through listening without smiling or bobbing your head.Steve Arrington's website: https://stevearringtonmusic.tumblr.com/IG: @steve_arringtonFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/SteveArringtonMusicLow Profile is listener-supported, which means that your donations keep these engines cranking out new episodes. If you’d like to contribute, the best way to do that is by signing up for flexible monthly donations at http://www.patreon.com/LowProfile at whatever rate is in your budget. Venmo@lowpropodcastThis show also receives in-kind (non-monetary) from these independent Olympia, WA businesses:San Francisco Street BakerySchwartz’s DeliRainy Day RecordsOld School Pizzeriaand Scherler Premium Shitty American Lager from Three Magnets Brewing Co.Thanks to Nathan Berko-Gibson who has donated the artwork for all the Season Five Episodes.

There’s a whole world of essential music made by people who never became household names. Low Profile with Markly Morrison seeks out those artists, producers, and behind-the-scenes figures, blending their stories with the music they created. Host Markly Morrison, an audio journalist and musician based in Olympia, Washington, approaches these conversations as oral history-less about fame and more about the craft, the context, and the often overlooked contributions that shaped sounds we love. You’ll hear intimate, detailed interviews that pull back the curtain on influential work, paired with the tracks that define these careers. The show originates as a radio program on KAOS 89.3 FM but finds its enduring home as a podcast distributed by Ruinous Media, allowing these deep-dive stories to be savored anytime. Each episode is a chance to discover not just new music, but the rich human experiences behind it, focusing on the genuine artistry that exists far from the glare of the mainstream spotlight. This podcast is for anyone who believes the most compelling stories in music are often the ones you haven’t heard yet.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Low Profile with Markly Morrison
Podcast Episodes
89. Anne-Tina [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:18
Today, we’re examining a hidden gem from 1984 lovingly crafted by a nineteen year old keyboardist living in Denmark by the name of Anne-Tina, whose debut album was reissued in 2025 on Frederiksberg Records. To help us ex…
88. Shudder To Think [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:39
After moving to D.C. in 1985, then 16-year-old Craig Wedren helped shape Shudder To Think into a standout act within the Dischord Records scene, evolving from a raw hardcore-adjacent sound into a complex style that event…
Kento Oiwa - Olympia Music History Project [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:03
Musician Kento Oiwa interviewed by Markly Morrison for the Olympia Music History Project. Formed in the mid-1990s by Japanese immigrants Kento Oiwa and Michiko Swiggs, IQU was a group unlike anything folks in Olympia–or…
Low Profile Classic: Swamp Dogg [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:36
Swamp Dogg is coming to Olympia this weekend 7/13/2025! First, he'll be performing at Scherler Sundays, it's a free show that starts at 3pm. After that, Olympia Film Society will be hosting a free 8pm screening of the ne…
Pat Maley - Olympia Music History Project (Bonus) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:59
Today, instead of your usual Low Profile programming, I’m sharing an interview I conducted with Pat Maley in 2023 for the Olympia Music History Project. The whole transcript is available at olympiamusichistory.org . Pat…
87. Dick El Demasiado (Season Finale) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:12
When I first developed an interest in rough-around-the-edges cumbia music, a friend (thanks Matt!) introduced me to the music of Dick El Demasiado, purveyor of “cumbias lunaticas.” Over the years I’ve managed to glean a…
Olympia Music History Project: John Foster [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:53
It’s been a minute since I’ve put out a new show, and so I thought maybe I’d let you in on what has been keeping me so busy. A couple years ago, I started working on an oral history project funded by the city- appropriat…
Margo Guryan (Revisited) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:27
It's an election day bonus episode! Today we’re gonna be digging way back in the archive to episode 4: Focusing on Margo Guryan. This was recorded in early 2019, when I was still figuring out this show’s format. At that…
86. April March [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:52
If there was such a thing as the American ambassador to 60s French Pop it would have to be Elinor Blake, better known as April March. Elinor began her professional career in the world of animation back in the early 80s b…
85. Chris Schlarb of Psychic Temple [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:18
Psychic Temple is the extended-family project of Chris Schlarb, the proprietor of the retro-chic Big Ego studio in Long Beach, California. Chris is an old friend of mine, going back to the turn of the century when I live…