DEADMAN started in 1999 by Steven Collins as avenue to explore songwriting. Having changed from a 4 person format to a duo to a 6 piece band and back to a 4 piece, the sound and message of Collins' songs remain the same. Hope, mercy, themes of life and death are staples of the DEADMAN catalog which includes 4 albums over ten years, "Paramour" (2001), "Our Eternal Ghosts" (2004), "Severe Mercy" (2008), and "Take Up Your Mat and Walk" (2009).

DEADMAN's original but familiar sound harkens back to the best of The Band, Van Morrison, The Byrds, The Faces and Early Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen while including the modern sound explortation of Wilco, U2 and The Black Keys.

Some critics have said:

"The ordinary fellow might tell his friends that you will love this record if you liked 'O Brother Where Art Thou?' And that might well be true ' but I have been in the presence of Levon Helm, and this is the real thing."

"Universal themes, great harmonies ' no wonder the houseful of musicians swishing free beer and chatting each other up just stopped doing anything else but listening intently to DEADMAN."