As one of the co-founders of Carsickness, one of Pittsburgh’s original and greatest punk bands, Steve Sciulli knows all about music as a dangerous space.

But if you’ve followed his 45-plus-year career here, through Ploughman’s Lunch, Life in Balance, Standing Wave, and Steve and the Millers, you know that the multi-instrumentalist also explores the opposite end of the spectrum.

“Music as a safe space” is what he calls the work Steve and the Millers, an ambient ethereal trio that finds him on dobro, electronics, flutes and terra (a type of synthesizer), joined by husband-and-wife musical therapists Bob Miller (hammered dulcimer, handpan, percussion) and Stephanie Miller (harp, percussion).

They made their live debut in the spring 2023 with a sound designed as a soothing guide through a psychedelic journey, and last year released “Skygazing,” a debut designed for just that. Put it on and you won’t even need the sky to feel like you’re floating.

In February, Steve and the Millers returned with “Etheric Sound Journeys Vol. 1,” a live recording of one of their monthly improvised music meditations at Rooted in Sound in Aspinwall.

Now, the trio adds a second studio album, on SSK Records, the label co-founded by Steven Machat, the lawyer and record mogul whose clients have included Genesis, Peter Gabriel and ELO.

“The title of the album is ‘Care,’” Sciulli says. “Is it a paradox? Is the album itself a form of care for the listeners or is it asking for care?”

Sounds like it’s a little of both.

“We want to create music,” he says, “that doesn’t ask anything from the listener and in return listeners can decide for themselves what to pull out of the created audible space. We like to call it ‘inner for your outer space.’”

“Care” originated with a sound session in July at the Mount Lebanon Recreation Center, which they used as a foundation for more musical ornamentation.

“‘Skygazing’ is considered more of an active listen,” Sciulli says. “Shorter pieces that are designed as an introduction.”

“Care” consists of longer pieces designed for inner exploration.

“There is a need for us all to slow down, connect with and care for our inner selves,” he says. “Inner reflection is more necessary now, as this can offer possible ways to move forward and to create sonic support systems.”

The trio will create “a drifting textual sound environment” at Rooted in Sound, Aspinwall, to celebrate the release of “Care” at 7 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $25; preregistration is encouraged; steveandthemillers.com.

First Published: March 19, 2025, 9:30 a.m.
Updated: March 20, 2025, 4:09 p.m.