Steve Pederson is an American guitarist from maha,Nebraska. He left Cursive in 1998 to attend law school at

Duke University Duke University is a private research university in Durham, North Carolina. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco and electric power industrialist James ...

in North Carolina, after graduating from

Creighton University Creighton University is a private Jesuit research university in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, the university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. In 2015 the university enrolled 8,393 graduate and undergra ...

with a degree in

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...

. At Duke, he started the band

The White Octave The White Octave was a rock band from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The group was founded shortly after Steve Pederson left Cursive, and was initially a trio with Lincoln Hancock and Robert Biggers before Finn Cohen was added on guitar. They release ...

, which released two albums and appeared on a few samplers. When Pedersen graduated, he returned to

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...

, started Criteria, and began working at

Kutak Rock LLP Kutak Rock LLP is a US law firm, founded in 1965 in Omaha, Nebraska. it had more than 500 attorneys in 19 offices across the U.S. In 2020, Kutak Rock LLP was ranked as the 94th largest law firm in the U.S. based on number of attorneys and 124th ...

. With the help of some friends, he wrote ten songs in a friend's basement, where he also lived for a short while. Their debut album, '' En Garde'' was released on

Initial Records Initial Records was an independent record label in Louisville, Kentucky, that was founded in 1992. The label released music by Falling Forward, Boysetsfire and Ink & Dagger, and created the annual weekend long music festival, Krazy Fest. Hist ...

. ''En Garde'' became a very underrated album, probably due to lack of promotion. Pedersen soon found a job and became a lawyer. Even with a new job, he still found time to play a few shows here and there. After

disbanded, Criteria needed to find a new record label. Hometown friends

Saddle Creek Records Saddle Creek Records is an American record label based in Omaha, Nebraska. Started as a college class project on entrepreneurship, the label was founded by Mike Mogis and Justin Oberst in 1993 (as Lumberjack Records). Mogis soon turned over his ...

took them in and re-released ''En Garde'' in 2005, as well as a neW album, ''

When We Break ''When We Break'' is the second release by indie-rock band Criteria. It was released August 23, 2005 on Saddle Creek Records. The CD-release party was held in Omaha, Nebraska on August 20, 2005 at the Sokol Underground. Facing New York and loc ...

''. Since then, Pedersen quit his day job to focus full-time on his music.

Album appearances

With Cursive

*''

Such Blinding Stars for Starving Eyes ''Such Blinding Stars For Starving Eyes'' is the first full-length album from Omaha, Nebraska band Cursive. Unlike Cursive's later releases, which were released by Saddle Creek Records, this album was released by Crank! Records. Track listing ...

'' (1997,

Crank! Records crank! A Record Company was an independent record label which was started by Jeff Matlow in September 1994. The label "played a huge role in the spreading of emo in the mid-’90s", according to ''Alternative Press (magazine), Alternative Press'' ...

) *'' The Storms of Early Summer: Semantics of Song'' (1998,

Saddle Creek Saddle Creek Records is an American record label based in Omaha, Nebraska. Started as a college class project on entrepreneurship, the label was founded by Mike Mogis and Justin Oberst in 1993 (as Lumberjack Records). Mogis soon turned over his ...

)

With Criteria

* Criteria - '' En Garde'' (2003,

) * Criteria - ''

'' (2005, Saddle Creek) * Criteria - ''Years'' (2020, 15 Passenger)

Other

* Bright Eyes/

Britt Daniel John Britt Daniel (born April 14, 1971) is an American musician. He is the co-founder, lead singer and guitarist of the rock band Spoon, as well as the co-founder, guitarist, bassist, and singer of the band Divine Fits. Daniel also founded numero ...

- '' Home Volume IV'' (2002, Post-Parlo) *Produced and sang on "The Ice Storm, Big Gust, and You" on

Tilly and the Wall Tilly and the Wall was an indie pop group from Omaha, Nebraska. Their name originated from a children's book called ''Tillie and the Wall'', written by Leo Lionni. They are particularly noted for having a tap dancer, Jamie Pressnall, provide pe ...

's ''

Wild Like Children ''Wild Like Children'' is the debut album by Tilly and the Wall. The album was recorded in the basement of Steve Pedersen's house, and was the first release of Team Love Records. The CD-release party for the album was held in Omaha, Nebraska ...

'' album, released in 2004 on

Team Love Team Love is an independent record label based in New Paltz, New York, founded by Conor Oberst and Nate Krenkel in 2003. It has released albums by several other recording artists. Team Love also released the documentary film by Roy Germano, Th ...

. The album was recorded in his basement. *Produced The Lovekill's ''These Moments Are Momentum'' album, released in 2006 on

Eyeball Records Eyeball Records is an independent record label originally established in NYC out of Apartment 4C on 14th St at Avenue A by Alex Saavedra and Vincent Li. The label later moved to Kearny, New Jersey. Eyeball has released albums by artists such as ...

. The album was recorded in his basement in Omaha, Nebraska, as well as Presto! Recording Studios in Lincoln, Nebraska.

External links

Criteria official websiteCriteria on MySpaceSaddle Creek RecordsVideo Interview with Steve Pedersen
American lawyers American rock guitarists American male guitarists Duke University School of Law alumni Living people Musicians from Omaha, Nebraska Saddle Creek Records artists Team Love Records artists Cursive (band) members Criteria (band) members Year of birth missing (living people) Creighton University alumni {{US-rock-guitarist-stub

Album appearances

With Cursive

With Criteria

Other

See also

External links