By J1 Reporter Lilly Italia

Hidden within the confines of the business-bustle of Omaha, a myriad of sounds are revealed, and littered between tattered CD jackets, Omaha is deep-rooted in its distinct noise.

Although this environment has been ever-building, it was structured in the 1990s by the formation of Saddle Creek Records. This collective granted acts like Bright Eyes, Cursive, and The Faint a place on the national stage. Placing Omaha into the limelight, it gave the city a reputation for its raw, independent sound.

This unforeseen push into the mainstream was contributed to and witnessed first hand by Ted Stevens: frontman of Lullaby for the Working Class, Mayday, and most notably, Cursive’s guitarist and backup vocalist. 

“It wasn’t like there was a happening music scene that we just were born into, we kind of felt like we had to make something happen,” Stevens said. “Part of us getting our start, I would say would be definitely trying to play Creighton Prep and Marian events.”

Battling the uncertainty of a musical career, Stevens found himself confronted with the pressure to pursue a more conventional career. As a Prep graduate, he was stressed with familial expectations to oblige with a route more in tune with his private-education roots. 

While embarking upon his juvenile eagerness, this fight proved to be meaningless. As he’s aged, however, he wishes he would have believed in the opportunity for a work-music balance.  “There was room in my brain for both,” he said. 

Acquiring coursework that dips into audio and academic-filled opportunities can be grasped more heavily in college. For him, the freedoms of higher education were overshadowed by the allure of an increasingly artist-friendly atmosphere. Now, he believes the youth should indulge in each of these subjects.

But, shaping the sound of Saddle Creek, he wasn’t concerned about any odds against him. He knew he wanted to do what he loved, and in his young, ambitious energy, he believed the label was only in its kindling. Amid creating music throughout college, and upon joining Cursive in 1999, nothing could slow him down.

Along the way, Cursive, and others in Saddle Creek, found inspiration from record shops such as Homer’s, Antiquarium and Drastic Plastic to pursue their passion while taking in the DIY traditions of bands predating them.

Succeeding in doing so, Cursive has toured both nationally and internationally, charted on Billboard’s top 200 albums, and has amassed more than 71.1 million total streams on Spotify. As a whole, Saddle Creek has experienced abundant successes, selling more than a million records in its prime. 

Stevens, himself, has reached evident successes in his work.

His stylistic approaches accompany the musical-storytelling of Tim Kasher, Cursive’s frontman, to reach their audience on an emotional level. Through intricate guitar playing and supplementary vocal parts, he has added an apparent level of depth to Cursive’s sound.

Within the buzz of his guitar, he provides a steadier backdrop to Kasher’s often abstract riffs. The same goes for his vocal parts, which are often in backing, but occasionally featured in entire verses or, rarely, entire songs.

From folk-inspired sounds— which are more evident in Lullaby for the Working Class— to intricate rhythms, Stevens’ playing stands out recognizably. He has secured a spot of appreciation within those who listen to his projects.

However, despite Stevens’ and the label’s success, they continue to be proud of Omaha’s upcoming artists and evolving music scene.

“I’m always impressed when I see someone really putting in the time trying to make it work, to see them active and actually working in their own style, versus waiting for someone else to come around and show them how to do it right,” he said. 

He believes that, “There’s a place in music for you. It’s your own thing that you get to do, and don’t ever give that up. But be realistic along the way, that it’s not necessarily a career. But, you can achieve what you want to achieve. If you write the best song or the best album in the world to you, that’s meaningful. Don’t let anyone take that away.”

Most recently, Stevens has continued his music career with recording on and touring Cursive’s 2024 album Devourer, and is content with his role in music. “It’s just what I want,” he said, “When I want to be busy with it, it’s there for me. And then when I want to be done and go back to civilian life, I can do that too.”

At this point in his career, as he watches bands take inspiration from Cursive’s muddy roots, he “[…] can only feel gratitude,” he said

Check out “Up and Away” from Devourer here: