With never-ending lockdowns and uncertainty found at every news blast, futuristic soul singer Amy Steele is transporting us away from the stress of life with her comforting cover of well known classic, “Our House”. With golden strings and synths, Amy’s vocals glide overs over the smooth production, offering us an emotional interpretation of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s iconic single. Taken from a recent series of covers that the singer has been working on during lockdown, “Our House” is an exploration of the simplicity of life and how we can still find love in our everyday routines and in the people closest to us.

Speaking on why she chose this single to cover, the singer candidly revealed, “’Our House’ for me is about the simple things in life, sitting down by the fire with the people you love, and the idea that life can be so easy and good and that’s all you really to find peace and happiness. It’s a song about contentment and sanctuary, which I think at this point of the year, when we’re all confined to our homes, is such an important message and a hopeful thing to hold onto.”

Set to drop an EP titled “Memories in Watercolour” in the new year, we caught up with the north west Londoner talking musical heroes, studying while pursuing a career in music and what we can expect from the upcoming EP.

Check out the interview below…

Hi Amy – how have you been during this uncertain time? How has it impacted your music and creativity?
I think that this year has been really difficult for people everywhere, and it’s changed everyone’s plans. I had a lot of release plans for 2020 that were delayed due to the pandemic, but like everything else we’ve all had to try to stay safe, exercise patience and hope that normal life will come back soon. I think a silver lining is it’s been helpful for my creativity in the sense that it’s given me so much more time for introspective writing. I’ve been working on so much new music, which I’m really excited about and looking forward to sharing.


Where did you grow up and how did it influence you sonically? Who were your musical heroes growing up?
I grew up in north west London and went to school in Hertfordshire. I think that London itself is a melting pot with so many different musical backgrounds and sounds coming together. But I don’t think my artistry would be any different if I had grown up elsewhere. My family, we’re Nigerian so music has always been a huge part of our culture in terms of celebration and expression. But I think my sound was shaped by who I listened to growing up – which was what my mum would play – a lot of Prince, Whitney, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Kate Bush, Michael Jackson the occasional George Michael. That was the soundtrack to my childhood and those are also all my OG musical heroes also.


How would you describe your genre?
I don’t think I have a fixed genre that I’ve defined my sound as – I like to let people interpret the genre and how it sounds to them. I think it has influences of alternative pop, soul and R&B. I think that labels for music can sometimes make people define you as a specific type of artist and then they expect a specific thing from you, which I feel can then limit your expression because you feel you have to deliver on an expectation. I’d much prefer to leave it open and just make the music that comes naturally, and let the listener decide.

You’ve been pursuing your music career while studying for a degree in medicine – did that ever serve as inspiration for your music?
I don’t think medicine ever inspired my music creatively. I think it inspired me in terms of work ethic and determination. I was so adamant I wanted to make both things happen, so it was about balance and being focussed on both things. Now, after graduating, I’m fully focussed on music because that’s where my heart is.


Congratulations on your latest single “Our House”, the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young cover – why did you pick that song in particular? Why does it resonate with you?
Thank you! Our house for me is about the simple things in life, sitting down by the fire with the people you love, and the idea that life can be so easy and good and that’s all you really to find peace and happiness. It’s a song about contentment and sanctuary, which I think at this point of the year when we’re all confined to our homes, is such an important message and a hopeful thing to hold onto.

You’ve got an EP coming out in 2021 – what can you tell us about it?
So the EP is a love story about a relationship that starts and each track represents a different part of the relationship, a different feeling until it eventually comes to end. So it’s a journey really. I’m so excited to share it.


What do you want fans to take from your music?

For me, what I love most about music is that it evokes an emotion in you as the listener. Whether its happiness and joy, or a therapeutic relatable sadness, or just soothing calm. I think that’s what I want people to take from my music, just for it to move them and to make them feel something.

What’s next for you? What are you looking forward to in 2021?
I’m looking forward to the release of my covers EP. Our house is the first of five tracks that I’m putting out, all songs that myself and the producer Alex Wells have re-imagined to make them an expression of my sound. I picked songs that I felt have important messages for us, so I’m really excited to share and put the full body of work out there. And then after that, I release my EP “Memories in Watercolour”.