Keeping Up To Date With Steve Corona
Interview By: Ginger Coyote
I met Steve when he was playing bass with The Diesel Queens. I had done an interview with him about his career in music and married life. In this interview, I ask him questions about his offspring. I hope you enjoy it.
Punk Globe: It has been a while since we last spoke. You have been traveling the world. Tell us about that.
Thank you for having me back, It’s been a few years! Well, since the last time we spoke in 2018 we’ve traveled to a few places. In 2018 my son Austin decided to study abroad for a semester in Spain. Austin was at Berklee and they have a sister school in Valencia so we all went down there to get him settled into his room. While we were there we visited Barcelona too. Loved Spain! In 2019 after Austin graduated from Berklee we took the family to Italy. I’m half Italian but never had visited Italy before so we did the Southern leg of Italy. Rome, Capri, Sorrento and Positano. My favorite vacation of all the places I’ve been. I could be biased though. From that vacation on we started a tradition of doing these family vacations. However, we took a vacation hiatus when Covid hit for a few years, then went to Greece in 2023 and Costa Rica this year 2024. Still deciding where to go next year.
Punk Globe: I see that you have been picking up your bass and playing again. Tell us about what shows you were playing, Steve.
My long-time pal Brent, also a Diesel Queen, had been talking about playing again for several years before we finally decided to do it so last year we got together and started playing a few old punk rock cover songs. It was Me, Brent, Bill Vitale, Johnny Mojo (DQ Drummer), and Mike Fox (Los Olvidados, Hemi, Drunk Injuns). We started out strong and had probably 6 or 7 songs down, then the holidays hit in 2023 and we decided to take a break until the holidays were over. Months turned into a year and here we are, the 2024 holiday season, and still on a break. I think we’re just lazy as fuck and all we want to do now is take naps after we get off work. But I’m confident we will either get it back together or we will be talking about getting back together for the years to come.
Punk Globe: I have heard rumors of a Diesel Queens reunion do tell
Those rumors have been swirling around since 1996 and I’ll assume the rumor will still be swirling in 2026. I would do it, I’ve been working out a lot over the years anticipating one day being back up on stage wearing my codpiece again so I’m feelin’ pretty good about that. So far, crickets from the other band members.
Punk Globe: Tell us about the musical success your handsome son has achieved.
The kid is on fire! After graduating from Berklee College of Music in 2019 he moved to L.A. and started freelance producing for various bands. He played guitar with Jean Dawson. In fact, last year when they were on tour I got a call from Austin and he asked me if I would want to join them on stage and play bass on their encore song, which I did and had the time of my life being on stage with my son and a packed house at The New Parish in Oakland. I hadn’t been on stage since 1995. What a night!! Anyway, since then he started his own production company with a school friend who studied music at NYU. They just produced 4 songs on Halsey’s new record “The Great Impersonator” and a myriad of other notable artists. Last month they signed a production contract with Sony Music. We are over the moon proud!
Punk Globe: Musical Talent runs in the Corona genes. When he was growing up, did he reach out to you to learn to play bass?
I wish I could say the music genes run in the family, but if they did, it wasn’t from my side. I started the Diesel Queens without knowing which end to blow into the bass. I started the band because I wanted to be up on stage, play punk rock music, wear cool outfits, and flex my muscles for the chicks. I wasn’t interested in being a good musician so I just learned our songs and played on a 3-string bass (took off the g string because it was useless), and that’s pretty much it.
Punk Globe How do you feel that you were a part of his musical ability?
The only thing that I contributed was turning him on to punk rock and rockabilly music when he was younger. Also, I paid for his Guitar Hero video game which is where he got started on his musical journey. The kid went from beginner to expert in a matter of a few weeks, so we decided to get him a legit guitar to see if his professional Guitar Hero experience would translate onto a real guitar and it did! The second he picked it up, he knew how to play it. I’m pretty sure he was born with ”the gift”, whereas I only got “the looks”.
Punk Globe: In our last interview you mentioned your lovely daughter wanting to be an actress. Tell us about how the process is coming along.
“Yes, one of Alexa’s dreams since she was young was to be an actress. She had moved to Los Angeles and has been living there for the last few years. However, her career goals have shifted a bit and she is now working in the fashion industry and dabbles a bit in makeup artistry (she graduated from Makeup Designory in 2016 with a certificate in Professional Make-up Artistry.) Although acting is still something she would like to maybe pursue one day, she plans on taking acting classes soon, so to be continued
Punk Globe Has she relocated to Hollywood? She has the looks to go far.
Not Hollywood-bound yet. Stay tuned.
Punk Globe: I would like to congratulate you and your wife on having well-adjusted children. Tell us how you did it so well.
I think there are two parts to that question. A balanced co-parenting approach and the second thing is luck. We were lucky to have kids who were cool and respected us, and vice versa. I was more of the liberal parent and Sheri was more of the disciplinarian. I think it was a good balance. Also, we were both heavily involved with the things our kids were interested in, whether that was sports, music, tv shows, etc. I think we have always tried to stay relevant to the changing times and trends that our kids were into. I remember when I got into punk and had my hair dyed, wore my leather jacket and boots, that whole time my mom and dad had no identity with my lifestyle. I grew up in a very dysfunctional home, probably the reason I got into punk and a lot of trouble in the first place. I wanted to make sure that would never happen to me if I was ever a parent. Our kids grew up in a loving household with supportive parents and also we were not just parents but friends as well. Turns out, it worked out pretty well and we’ve always been extremely close. But, I want to add, we are not perfect, we have had our problems like everyone else. Social media can be deceiving.
Punk Globe: Thank you for the interview it is always fun to hear about the adventures of the Corona family Happy Holidays! Any final thoughts for the readers
The last time PG interviewed me was 6 years ago at age 54, now I’m 60. No health issues. Eating a good diet and exercising have become my main hobbies. I’m still doing some photography but have been a little lax about it. Life continues to be good for me and doing the best I can. Both kids are living in L.A. and we still chat and trade Instagram memes all the time. I have no complaints. I want to thank you again for the follow-up interview. It’s always a pleasure catching up with you. Cheers!!
