Inside the bustling city of London, Amy Steele exists as a voice filled with intrigue. The 29-year-old chanteuse and medical doctor wields a powerful vocal signature that makes most of her songs feel like warm hugs on cold nights. Everything about Amy Steele’s discography shows promise, and with her upcoming project she aims to meet those expectations.
As part of her activities to usher in her comeback, the musical maverick released her Human Nature playlist — an eclectic mix of gems across Hip Hop, Afrobeats, RnB, and Blues that resonate with themes of social justice and kindness — to contribute to awareness on social justice. It features global greats including 2pac, Wizkid, Stormzy, Burna Boy and Amy Steele herself.
From her soulful debut, Memories In Watercolour, to her last record, Smoke Castles, Amy Steele has since stolen hearts with her charming melodies and lithe vocals. Long before her debut tapes or her viral music covers, Amy Steele’s becoming began during her tender childhood where family and school were her first coaches and supporters, and she tells us more about her exciting histories, creative projects, as well as her mission to inspire the next generation of conscious musicians around the world.
Can you tell us a bit about your musical background and how you got started in music?
It was a gradual start. I’ve always just known I loved music, I’ve written songs since I was a child, and sang in school plays. Then I went to the studio and recorded things. My sister then set up a facebook page for it and put the music out, and from there I was just de facto doing music whilst at medical school, and she was my manager whilst at law school. It wasn’t a choice to get started, it was just something we did and grew and realised while we were doing it, that we wanted to pursue it further.
How do you express your personal experiences and identity through your music?
The songs I’ve put out are all feelings I’ve had or thoughts I’ve had. When I’m writing them I often feel like I’m writing about a concept or metaphor, but when I look back I can always see that it reflects an instance in my life, maybe not directly but definitely in terms of the emotion, it will be one I’ve felt. So in that way my songs are all very personal and based on something I’ve lived.
How would you classify your musical style?
I make pop music with soul influences.
Tell us about your favourite music tracks to date.
My favourite songs I’ve put out so far are Saltwater, and Smoke Castles. If you wanted to get an idea of who I am as an artist in 2 songs those are the two I would say to listen to. But I’m most excited for the music that is coming up next.
What was the first album you remember owning?
At home we had a copy of Janet Jackson’s Control Album on vinyl that I used to wear out.
What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
The saxophone, and I still love the sax. it has to really work in the song so it can be hit or miss. On the human nature playlist I made, it’s on the track Blessed, that’s a great example of when it really works. I have a song with a saxophone on my upcoming project.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
When I was younger I loved all the female singers from Whitney to Mariah Carey to Celine Dion to TLC. Female powerhouse singers were definitely the soundtrack to my childhood.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
I don’t really have favourite artists or favourite genres, its more of favourite songs. I think that comes through on the playlist I’ve made, it’s quite eclectic.
You’ve recently announced new music is on the way, can you tell us a little bit about what to expect?
More up-tempo music, with heavier beats, I’ve been producing some of the tracks myself and creating with different artists, so I’m excited to share that.
What comparison and differences are there between your upcoming releases and your back catalogue?
I think my upcoming music is more rhythmic, I’ve been experimenting with more layers of percussion and the sound is more dynamic. I think some of my previous tracks were more atmospheric and lighter, whereas the new music is fuller. I’m excited to put it out.
With the upcoming release, you must have a busy schedule ahead, what are you most looking forward to?
We’re getting the point where we’re doing the visuals. That’s always exciting to see things physically come together. I’m excited to film.
What’s the music scene like where you live?
I feel like the music scene right now is quite quiet. There aren’t so many new artists with new albums coming out at the moment. It’s mainly more established artists, and outside of the rap battle we just had there isn’t so much happening right now. I think music a lot of the time music happens in cycles, so it must mean there’s more coming soon.
What are you up to right now with your music?
I’m currently working on a new project – and I’m going to be releasing a new single from it shortly.
What part of your creative process is your favourite?
I love the studio phase. When the songs are just coming together at the beginning, and you make the hook, or the first two lines and first realise you have something.
What is your biggest motivation in music?
I’m quite a perfectionist, so my motivation is always to feel I have captured the essence perfectly of what I was trying to do. So it’s a lot of drafting and re-doing until you feel you’ve got it right. I think getting it right and having the music be exactly as I imagined it should be, is my motivation.
What genre do you think you might ever try to experiment with and why?
I think my music doesn’t fit squarely into a genre. It’s under the umbrella of pop but has soul influences, electronic influences, alternative influences and my new music is still under that but also has afrobeat percussion. So I feel I am quite free with the experimentation already, I’ve done a lot of dubstep, DnB and house remixes so I definitely have been bending the boundaries of different genres. I just do what comes naturally, rather than trying to fit into a mould and that way I feel when I create I can stay authentic.
Tell us more about curating Human Nature. What drew you to those sounds?
I think music is about moving people, that’s what it does- it connects and it makes you feel. Given the year we’ve had, I feel like social consciousness is at the forefront of people’s minds. “Human nature” is a playlist I curated about those things, about being human and the ideas of justice and the issues we grapple with as a society and as human beings, and how to conceptualise those things with kindness in music.
Seems you are a core rap fan. Tell us about your relationship with rap music.
I’ve always loved rap music, it’s a part of our identity.
You also seem to tap into that Afrobeats energy as well. Tell us about that too.
Yes I’m Nigerian, so I love the dominance Afrobeats has had internationally in the past few years, it’s taken centre stage and that is amazing to see.
Who among them do you imagine a collaboration with the most and why?
Watch this space! I’ve got some really exciting collaborations on my new project, I can’t wait to announce.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
I think that being able to make music and create a project and see it all come together, from the production to the writing and then making visuals – I think that’s the best part. The doing of the thing is the most rewarding part – and having what you’ve created be a true artistic expression of what you wanted to make. And then when you put it out and there’s people that connect with it, that’s one of the best feelings.
And what is the most frustrating part?
I think that there’s no certainty. In any creative field a career is a journey that you take without a predetermined route. But I also think that’s what makes it exciting.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
I think as a person and a musician, the best advice I’ve ever had is that nothing is impossible with God’s blessings. Sometimes I might tell my team I want to achieve X and no-one ever says that’s not possible. I think it’s important to have that mindset and also to have your team and the people around you have that mindset too, no matter what it is you want to achieve.
Finally, What is your vision for your career?
I have a vision to have my music connect with as many people as possible, and to make them feel something. That would be amazing.
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