L-R: Mike Kirick, Steph Pappas, Ted Looby
WORDS BY TOM PROCTOR, PHOTO BY JAMES LOCKRIDGE.
Steph Pappas, joined host Brent Hallenbeck on 'Rocket Shop', Big Heavy World's local music radio hour on 105.9FM The Radiator. Steph's next local show is 7pm December 31 at Fletcher Free Library as part of First Night Burlington
Listen to a replay here or via Rocket Shop Radio Hour on iTunes or Subscribe on Android

Steph Pappas is a legend on the Burlington music scene; prolific, inventive and hard to ignore, she has evolved and transformed throughout her musical tenure. For three decades she has traversed through multiple genres and reinventions, while steadfastly sticking to the badass, rock chick, psychedelic Cowgirl persona she passionately embodies. Churning out multiple albums covering everything from girl-group rock, folky blues and a dash of metal country she’s kept her fans guessing, and with her love of bringing new sounds and musicians together we can still expect a few more twists and turns to come.

Pappas joined Big Heavy World last Wednesday for a live session, accompanied by Michael Kirick on the washboard and Ted Looby on acoustic guitar. We catch up with her in the Big Heavy World green room to discuss her ongoing transitions, creating new memories and which artist she best identifies with out of the plethora of big names she’s been compared to. Let me shed some light on the woman known as “Jimi Hendrix’s little sister”.

TP: Steph, on your website you mentioned you felt that you’re on the second part of your music career, referencing a similarity to the Old Testament and the New Testament. What created the split and what changed in the intervening time?

SP: I’ve been wondering if my music career is in sections or if it’s one big conglomerate. I feel the younger years, the younger Steph Pappas is different than the older Steph Pappas, or is it? I’m not quite sure yet.

TP: How do you feel it's differed if there is a break, in what way has it changed?

SP: Just age. (Laughs.) Kinda like the Bible, I did refer to that right? The Old Testament and the New Testament. What’s the difference between the old and the new?

TP: Well, one angry God and one generally nice God.

SP: Yeah, that’s about right. I was more fire and brimstone back then, I remember beating up club owners and stuff.

TP: So you’ve mellowed out a lot, and become more forgiving?

SP: Let’s see...You know what it is, you look younger and then you look older all of a sudden. I think that's really the only difference. Maybe that’s what I was thinkin’ of, I don't know. I’m supposed to know this aren't I? (Laughs)

TP: You mentioned you have felt some of your older dreams have faded to be replaced with newer ones. So what are the dreams that are beginning to fade and what are the newer ones that are emerging?

SP: I always wanted to go to California - just like Ted, he always wanted to go to California, so we both went together. You have simple dreams like that and they've actually been accomplished, so I wrote a song about it called “The Lombard Street Rendition”. All I wanted to do was drive up and down Lombard Street, and that came true. These are simple dreams.

I have to make new memories now. All the old stuff, a lot of it really happened, the stuff that I dreamt up, it came true. Like touring and living in Austin, Texas. So now what am I gonna do now? Everyday's a new day for me. I wanna make new memories, go on another tour so I can have that as another memory for later. My former classmates have found me on the internet and have said to me “God y...