Armed with one of Australia’s most distinctive voices, Katy Steele releases the beautiful and daring new single ‘Where’s The Laughter’, the first official release to be lifted off her forthcoming debut solo album ‘Human’. The LP is set to be released in Australia October 21 via Create/Control, and to celebrate the release Katy will be showcasing her new material on the road in September with her playing shows in Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney throughout September.
‘Where’s The Laughter’ was written and recorded by Steele in the basement studio of her childhood home in Perth and co-produced with fellow Perth native Matt Gio (Abbe May, San Cisco, Birds Of Tokyo). Of working with Gio, Steele says their collaboration was inspired by experimentation and hip hop production. “We started to experiment with making our own loops out of percussive layers like clicks, claps and things really started to change feel. The sngs started to feel real and human. We were heavilty influenced by raw, organic sounding percussion and it really became a foundation for the record. I wanted tomarry that element with my obsession with the voice and gospel choirs.”
That percussive exploration also influenced the mixing of the record, as Katy enlisted Eric J Dubowsky (Flume, Chet Faker, Wafia) who’s revered touch added a contemporary dynamic that pushed the record to another level.
Human is an album filled with colour and versatility, showcasing a determined level of artistry, that is immediately obvious thanks to the sheer amount of energy Steele and collaborator Matt Gio have injected into the LP. The songs have undergone several evolutions, as Steele explains. “Some of the tunes were written in Perth on a clunky upright in my parents front room. Some were written in an underground studio in Dumbo, Brooklyn. This debut really is a snapshot of the last few years of my life.”
Since her time fronting Little Birdy, the “nation-conquering rock outfit led by one of our country’s most charismatic and gifted female musicians” (The Music) for eight-years and three wildly revered ARIA top 10 albums (Confetti (2009), Hollywood (2006) and Bigbiglove (2004)), Steele has proven herself to be an artist that has carved out a career in her own right. Human allows for an eye opening glimpse into all that Katy Steele’s journey has lead up to until now, while providing sonic clarity to the path she is set to take in the future.
Katy Steele “Where’s The Laughter” National Tour
THURSDAY 8 SEPTEMBER – PLAN B, SYDNEY, NSW
FRIDAY 9 SEPTEMBER – WORKERS CLUB, GEELONG, VIC
SATURDAY 10 SEPTEMBER – HUGS AND KISSES, MELBOURNE, VIC
SUNDAY 11 SEPTEMBER – BLACK BEAR LODGE, BRISBANE, QLD
SUNDAY 18 SEPTEMBE – MOJO, FREMANTLE, WA
www.katysteele.com
