Biography...
Following the demise of
Nirass,
Michael Nickras (bass and vocals) and
James Nickras (guitar and vocals) formed Stü Art in the summer of 1994. Choosing an electronic keyboard/synthesizer, "Beau Casio," to round out the band, the group recorded their first two albums (
Stü Art and
Men Attempt Trans-Atlantic Swimming Feat) over the next six months, without technically "releasing" them. Actual release came in the form of the 60 minute
Fly me a... in February '95, a compilation with one newly recorded track. Through August of that year, Stü Art recorded their third full-length (30 min) album,
My i.
At some point during this early time period, Stü Art made it's first attempt to showcase their "talents" to a wider audience by entering a Spin Magazine (we think) "worst band" competition. No response was returned from the tape submission, indicating either that Stü Art wasn't the "worst band" or that two foolish teenagers didn't know how to properly enter the contest.
In the fall of '95, Mike began his college career at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. Recording of new material would become sporadic from this point on. As such, the follow-up to
My i,
...has no feelings, was eleven months in the making when released in June '96.
Interested in a new release, the band assembled previously unreleased tracks from the sessions for each of the three prior albums. This collection became
Less Art, More Matter. The "anthology," comprised of material that had been once rejected, was a self-proclaimed "horrible album." The group included a new, unlisted piece as a fade-out.
The trio's next effort
The Perfect Response was completed in August '97. Reflecting over a year's worth of recording, the album showcases the group's changing approach in instrumentation (gradual elimination of the bass in favor of the electronic keyboard) and song creation (tracks composed almost entirely by individual members). A part of a song composed by Jim was included, unlisted, at the end of the album.
Jim started attending the University of Akron in the fall of 1997.
Finally..., the group's 8th "album," was released on Saturday July 15, 2000. Ledy Pa Records' first compact disc is comprised of material that was recorded between June and December of 1998. The album continues the new approach taken on
The Perfect Response and focuses more on Jim's writing than on any previous effort. Most releases include 3 bonus tracks (a "clean" version of the album was released with only 2).
The band joined the mp3.com community at some point following the release of
Finally.... Due to a glitch, for a few days "Better Like Us" was a top 10 single in the site's "lo-fi" category.
In the fall of 2001, Stü Art returned to the studio to record new material. The product of these new recordings was the
Chôpek Rink album. Released in August 2002, this collection was edited almost entirely on an iMac, representing a change in the band's recording and editing process. As on
Finally..., this album focuses primarily on Jim's writing and vocals. Additionally, a number of songs were recorded individually or in multiple stages, also a slight departure from previous recordings.
After the completion of
Chôpek Rink, some additional recording was done but work on the follow-up album has been on hold since 2002 due to the nomadic nature of the group's members.
In 2009, Mike began a project to digitize the band's master tapes. Beyond the simple act of archiving the material, a goal of the project was to develop a new anthology release covering the group's entire history. Also during this period, Stü Art returned to the mp3.com community.
Albums...
Imagery...
Recordings...