SongVault Artist Profile

Since late 2010, The Wheel Workers’ crisp sound and intelligent, whimsical lyrics have earned them growing recognition in Houston’s active indie rock scene. In early 2011, lead singer Steven Higginbotham composed and recorded their critically-acclaimed debut album, Unite. Andrew Dansby of the Houston Chronicle praised it as a “lush and radiant pop album.” Paul Viscontini of The Loop Scoop wrote: “The lyrics are full of ‘everyman’ struggles of day-to-day life and love… Unite is a record that will demand an audience from a hungry Houston music scene."

Following in the footsteps of socially-conscious artists like The Clash, Fugazi, and Bruce Springsteen, The Wheel Workers are unafraid to proclaim progressive values deep in the heart in one of America’s most conservative states. Jeremy Hart of Space City Rock calls “The MOP” (the opening track of Unite) “pretty freaking great,” picturing The Wheel Workers as “a quirky protest-ragtime band that’d be right at home marching on Wall Street, tubas and clarinets a-blazing, gathering people behind them as they danced their way in to tear down the financial giants.”

Since the release of Unite, The Wheel Workers have played regularly around Texas, receiving airplay on local radio stations, and opening for national touring acts such as Miniature Tigers, Elf Power and The Coathangers.

The band is currently recording their sophomore album at Sugar Hill Studios with legendary producer and engineer Dan Workman (Lyle Lovett, ZZ Top). An early demo from the album, “Chemicals,” was recently featured on The Earth Day Network’s website as a winner of their “Song of the Earth” contest. In November 2011, The Wheel Workers signed with ZenHill Records in anticipation of a national release of Unite at the end of 2011 and the release of the as-yet-untitled sophomore album in the summer of 2012.