Katy Steele | |
|---|---|
 Steele in 2017 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Kate Elizabeth Steele |
| Born | 9 September 1983 [1] Perth, Western Australia |
| Genres | Rock, pop |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, guitarist, singer, songwriter, keyboard |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Formerly of | Little Birdy |
Kate Elizabeth Steele (born 9 September 1983) is an Australian singer, guitarist and songwriter of the four-piece rock band Little Birdy.
Steele was born Kate Elizabeth Steele in Perth, Western Australia, [2] and has a fraternal twin brother, Jake. She and her brother are the youngest in the family. Her father, Rick Steele, is a New Zealand–born accomplished blues musician who still performs today, together with Katy's oldest brother Jesse on drums, in his band, Rick Steele & The Hot Biscuit Band. [3] Her older brother, Luke, is the vocalist, guitarist and songwriter of alternative rock band The Sleepy Jackson and also a member of the electronic music duo Empire of the Sun. Jake performs on keyboards with his own band, Injured Ninja. [4]
Steele grew up in the southern suburb of Jandakot and went to Mount Lawley Senior High School. [5] She first started playing in a Perth electro-pop band, The Plastik Scene, in 2001. [6]
In 2002, Steele left the band and joined Simon Leach to form Little Birdy. Steele won the inaugural Jessica Michalik Contemporary Music Award, presented by The Big Day Out on 8 March 2004. In 2004, she was also awarded the Contemporary Music Prize by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). [7] At the 2005 West Australian Music Industry Awards Steele won the WAMi for 'Best Female Vocalist'. She also recorded a version of the classic, "Six Months In a Leaky Boat", on the compilation album, She Will Have Her Way , a collection of Neil and Tim Finn songs performed by female Australian and New Zealand musicians. The song reached number 96 on Triple J's Hottest 100 for 2005
In 2007, Steele won best female performer in the Australian live music awards. [8] Katy has attracted comparisons to Kate Bush and PJ Harvey . [9]
Also in 2007, Steele was invited by Paul Kelly to open for him on his 2007 'Stolen Apples' tour. [10] Faced with a long run of solo shows, Steele set about writing new material.
In Perth I had a room which was really cool. It was a music room dedicated to writing. When I was asked to support Paul Kelly, I wrote "Confetti", "Into My Arms", "Stay Wild" and maybe six or seven other songs. I was so nervous about the Paul Kelly tour because they were theatre shows and I’d never played on my own before. So I wrote a whole bunch of songs that would hopefully sound good with just what I had — vocals and guitar.
— Katy Steele [10]
The material was then adapted and forms the basis of Little Birdy's new album, Confetti .
In 2008, Steele relocated to Brunswick, with the other band members also moving to Melbourne. [11] In early 2010 Steele announced on Triple J radio that she would be moving to New York [12] and the band announced that they would be taking some time out to pursue other individual ventures. [13]
Steele moved to New York City in March 2010 for a change of scenery, and to start work on her new solo project.
"I’ve always loved the idea of NYC. The largeness, the intensity, the struggle. A lot of my idols have either come from New York or moved there at some point, so it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. There has never really been a chance in my life before now to have a break, or to pursue other directions." [14]
In May 2010, Steele returned home for a whirlwind sold-out tour to the major capital cities. [15] She showcased her new material, along with some old classics, and stirred the audience with insights into her new life, and love, in New York.[ citation needed ]
In July 2010, Steele was back in Australia supporting Richard Ashcroft (The Verve) on the Australian leg of his tour, and upon her return to New York, she announced her appointment as the Music Ambassador for the Williamsburg International Film Festival (Willifest 2010), for which a video for her song "Sorrow" was recorded. [16]
Steele collaborated with her brother, Luke on "Good Things" as part of a Maurice Frawley tribute album. [17]
In late November 2011, Steele featured in a new release singing harmonies with Josh Pyke on the song, "Punch in the Heart". The video for the song sees both singers in a split-screen view performing twin one-take recordings singing to the camera. [18] [19]
On 13 March 2013, Steele's first single, "Fire Me Up" premiered on the Triple J radio program Home & Hosed. [20] "Fire Me Up" was also available through Bandcamp, where the track could be downloaded for free. [21]
Steele released her debut studio album, Human, on 21 October 2016. [22] The album reached No. 23 on the Australian album charts and Steele undertook a thirteen-date national tour in February to March 2017 in support of the album's release. [23]
On 29 September 2022, Steele released her first single since 2013, titled "Feel So Bad". [24]
On 31 March 2023, Steele released "Come and See Me" from her forthcoming album, Big Star. [25]
In December 2017 Steele married Scottish musician, Graham McLuskie, and in April 2018 she had a daughter, Iona. [26] [27]
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS [28] | ||
| Human |
| 23 |
| Big Star |
| — |
The West Australian Music Industry Awards (WAMIs) are annual awards presented to the local contemporary music industry, put on annually by the Western Australian Music Industry Association Inc (WAM). Katy Steele won three awards. [29]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result (wins only) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Katy Steele | Most Popular Local Original Female Vocalist | Won |
| 2005 | Katy Steele | Best Female Vocalist | Won |
| 2006 | Katy Steele | Best Female Vocalist | Won |
Little Birdy was an Australian alternative rock band formed in Perth, Western Australia, in 2002 by singer and guitarist Katy Steele, drummer Matt Chequer, guitarist and keyboardist Simon Leach, and bass guitarist Scott O'Donoghue. They gained public attention when their single "Relapse" gained popularity on alternative radio stations such as Triple J, leading them to be signed by the record label Eleven: A Music Company. They released three studio albums, two EPs, and ten singles.
Eskimo Joe are an Australian alternative rock band that was formed in 1997 by Stuart MacLeod, on lead guitar, Joel Quartermain, on drums and guitar, and Kavyen Temperley, on bass guitar and vocals, in East Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia.
The Sleepy Jackson are an Australian alternative rock band formed in Perth, Western Australia. The band's name was inspired by a former drummer who was narcoleptic. The band revolves around the distinctive vocal style of multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Luke Steele. Stemming from a musical family, Luke's father Rick Steele is a local blues musician, and two of Luke's siblings are also musicians, with brother Jesse a former member of The Sleepy Jackson, and sister Katy, who fronts another Perth rock band, Little Birdy. While a series of acclaimed EPs brought The Sleepy Jackson to a broader musical attention of Australia, it was the release of their 2003 album Lovers and 2006 second album Personality – One Was a Spider, One Was a Bird that directed significant international focus upon the band.
Joshua Jon Pyke is an Australian singer-songwriter, producer, musician and children's book author.
The Panda Band are an indie pop band originating from Perth, Western Australia. They have a reputation for combining numerous musical genres. They have toured nationally as support acts for bands such as The Sleepy Jackson, Little Birdy, The Grates and Evermore.
Kevin Edward Mitchell, also known by the stage name of Bob Evans, is an Australian singer-songwriter; Mitchell uses the name for his primary solo project. He is also the founding lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the alternative rock band Jebediah, which was formed in 1994 and features his older brother Brett Mitchell, who joined on drums before the group's first performance. Jebediah released five studio albums between 1997 and 2011, the first three of which entered the top ten on the ARIA Albums Chart.
Suburban Kid is the debut solo album by the Australian singer-songwriter Kevin Mitchell, which was released under his pseudonym, Bob Evans. Mitchell is the lead vocalist of alternative rock group, Jebediah. The album was released on 8 September 2003 on Redline Records and was co-produced by Mitchell and Simon Struthers. YourGigs website described it as "an album of youthful introspection, love and loss". Jason Ankeny (Allmusic) felt the album was "showcasing a more intimate, roots-flavored dimension of his songwriting". All the songs were written by Mitchell, although "The Hermit" was co-written with Luke Steele from The Sleepy Jackson. Luke's sister Katy Steele from Little Birdy provided backing vocals for the album.
BigBigLove is the debut studio album by Australian indie rock band Little Birdy, released in Australia on 4 October 2004. It reached number 5 in the ARIA music charts and was certified gold less than a month after its release. The album was produced by Paul McKercher at Big Jesus Burger Studios and mixed at Studios 301.
"Excited" is the third single from Australian indie rock band Little Birdy's debut album, BigBigLove, released on 18 April 2005. It was produced by Paul McKercher at Big Jesus Burger Studios, and mixed at Studios 301.
Hollywood is the second studio album by Australian indie rock band Little Birdy. The album was recorded in Los Angeles and produced by John King of the production duo The Dust Brothers and engineer Clif Norrell.
Luke James Steele is an Australian musician, singer and songwriter. Steele is the vocalist and primary songwriter of the alternative rock band the Sleepy Jackson and is a member of the electronic music duo Empire of the Sun.
"Come On Come On" is the first single from Little Birdy's second album Hollywood and was released on 16 September 2006. The single debuted at No. 18 on the Australia ARIA Singles Chart and polled at No. 11 on Triple J's Hottest 100 for 2006.
"Tonight's the Night" is the second single from Little Birdy's debut album BigBigLove and was released 29 November 2004 by Eleven and distributed by Virgin/EMI. The song appeared at No. 76 on the ARIA Singles Chart Top 100. Like the other tracks on the album it was produced by Paul McKercher at Big Jesus Burger Studios and mixed at Studios 301.
Confetti is the third studio album by Australian indie rock band Little Birdy, released on 8 May 2009. It debuted at number 6 on the ARIA album charts.
"Brother" is the first single released from Australian indie rock band Little Birdy's third studio album, Confetti. The song reached No. 90 on the Australian Singles Chart, and polled at No. 34 on the Triple J Hottest 100 of 2009. Originally offered as a free download, the song is also the fifth track on the "Summarize" single.
"Stay Wild" is a song by Australian band Little Birdy, released as the fourth single from their third studio album Confetti. It was released digitally in October 2009.
Jasmine Lucilla Elizabeth Jennifer van den Bogaerde, better known by her stage name Birdy, is a British singer-songwriter. She won the music competition Open Mic UK in 2008, at the age of 12.
Only Sparrows is the third studio album by Australian musician, Josh Pyke. It was released on the 19 of August 2011 by Ivy League Records and peaked at number 4 on the ARIA Charts.
San Cisco is an Australian indie pop band that formed in 2009 under the original name of King George, in Fremantle, Western Australia. The band are a three-piece, and currently consists of Jordi Davieson, Josh Biondillo and Scarlett Stevens. Davieson and Biondillo share duties on keyboards. In November 2011, the band was signed by Albert Productions, but moved to Island Records for the release of its debut album. In October 2012, the band described its 'vibe' as "squelchy, crispy, streamlined, hairy, indie". At the ARIA Music Awards of 2013 the group were nominated for Best Independent Release and Best Dance Release for the album; and Best Video for "Fred Astaire", which was directed by Andrew Nowrojee.
Amy Louise Billings, known professionally as Amy Shark, is an Australian indie pop singer-songwriter-guitarist and producer from the Gold Coast, Queensland. During 2008 to 2012, her early solo material was released and performed under the name Amy Cushway. Her 2016 single "Adore" peaked at number 3 on the ARIA Singles Chart and was also listed at number 2 on the Triple J Hottest 100, 2016. Her album Love Monster debuted at number 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart. Shark has won 8 ARIA Music Awards from 29 nominations, including winning Best Pop Release three times: in 2017 for her extended play, Night Thinker, 2018 for Love Monster and 2020 for "Everybody Rise".
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