Singer-songwriter Steven Cade to perform in several North County venues

Steven Cade’s earliest musical memory involves his grandmother. “She was a war bride from Germany,” Cade remembers. “Her German roots introduced me to polka music and she let me hold and play her giant accordion that was three times my size. I remember loving the sounds that came out of it.”

While Cade long ago left behind his childhood days playing accordion, today he’s built an impressive career as a singer-songwriter. A country pop artist, he’s a four-time San Diego Music Award winner and is a member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music. He’s also a voting member of the Recording Academy, the organization that decides the Grammy Awards.

They’re all career hallmarks earned thanks to his unique take on the genre. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Cade was melodically inspired by both his younger years spent listening to the radio, as well as a longtime stint as a San Diego resident.

“Artists such as Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson, and The Gatlin Brothers (all inspired me),” says Cade who attended Carlsbad High School and lived in Southern California for over 20 years. “But when I moved to San Diego I was exposed to reggae, punk, rock and R&B.”

Throughout the years, Cade has also honed his craft as a songwriter and currently resides in the mecca of country music, Nashville, Tenn. “I came to Nashville to collaborate, and when I get in a room with other inspired writers it is like a hurricane of creativity,” he says of his songwriting process. “I normally come in with a title, one that I thought of or heard in conversation.”

For Cade, he gets creatively invigorated by “life experiences. My wife, my children, and the struggles I have endured while reaching for the almost impossible dream of being a well-known accomplished songwriter and performer.”

One of Cade’s hallmark songs is “What I Really Want to Say.” Recorded at the famed Castle Recording Studios in Franklin, Tenn., the track’s video has been played on the Great American Country channel. Cade calls it “one of my best live songs. It is a song written about being genuine, saying what is on your mind, not holding back the right words to say to the one you love.”

Now, Cade is set to have a homecoming jaunt around San Diego. Not only is he slated to sing the National Anthem at an upcoming Padres game, Cade is set to bring his act to Solana Beach’s Crush restaurant and wine bar on July 24, The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe on July 26, a set at One Paseo shopping and dining center in Carmel Valley on July 26, a performance at Flower Hill Promenade on July 27, and a gig at Priority Public House in Encinitas on July 28.

“I play every show like it is my last,” he says. “Recently, I took an approximate account of all the shows I have ever played since my first performance. The number blew my mind as it was well over 5,000. I also right now have 50-plus shows ahead of me, so this year I will easily hit the 200-show mark.”

For more about Cade and for full details about his upcoming tour around San Diego, visit: stevencade.com.