Steven Nistor was born in Detroit. After a short stint playing piano, alto saxophone, and trumpet, he was stopped cold by a set of braces that forced him onto the drum chair. By the end of high school he was entrenched in the jazz and blues scene, as well as playing with Black Sabbath-like rock bands.



After graduating, Steven Nistor went to Michigan State University and then Wayne State University, where he played with Branford Marsalis, Rodney Whitaker, Clare Fisher, and Ben Sidran.



During this time he studied with Gerald Cleaver, David Taylor, Billy Ward, and Scott Amendola.



Since then he has been recording in New York and Los Angeles with producers Scott Litt, Steve Albini, Andy Smith, Daniel Lanois and Danger Mouse, and has toured the world with Sparks.



Steven Nistor has recorded and/or performed live with Robert Plant

Emmylou Harris, Daniel Lanois, Steve Albini, Warren Defever, Faruq Z. Bey, Alison Krauss, Sparks, Danger Mouse, Sparklehorse, Gnarls Barkley, Solomon Burke, and Garth Hudson, among others.