12/10/2025
🚨 NOW STREAMING EVERYWHERE 🚨
Emerging from the gritty rock scene of Los Angeles in the early 1970s, Stepson carved a reputation as a no-nonsense hard rock band that boiled down the decade’s excess into pure, unapologetic attitude. Formed by seasoned players who had knocked around in earlier groups and picked up the raw essence of live performance on the club circuit, Stepson exploded onto vinyl in 1974 with their self-titled debut—their sole official album, but one that has lived on as a cult favorite among fans of tough, streetwise rock ’n’ roll. The lineup brought together Jeff Hawks (vocals), Joey Newman (guitar), Bruce Hauser (bass), and Len Fagan (drums), each of whom poured their collective fire into a sound that fused the swagger of Detroit rock with West Coast edge. Critics and collectors have often compared Stepson’s style to the proto-punk grit of the Stooges or MC5, meshed with the hard-driving grooves more typical of early ’70s L.A. rock. While Stepson never reached mainstream recognition, their lone LP has been rediscovered by cult audiences and record diggers who value its raw energy and unfiltered delivery. With riffs that cut straight to the bone, street-level storytelling, and vocals that teeter between a snarl and a soulful wail, Stepson has come to represent one of those rare moments when a band captured lightning in a bottle—even if only once. Today, the album remains a hidden treasure from the hazier corners of the 1970s, a testament to the era when rock bands were still dangerous, hungry, and fiercely themselves. Fast forward to 2025, RidingEasy Records has now properly remastered (by ) and re-issued this album for all to enjoy.