Forever Five: Katy Steele

Katy Steele: voice like sunlight through stained glass, heart of a hurricane

Raised in a musical home and cracking it early with Little Birdy, it’s clear music runs through Katy Steele’s veins. And if that isn’t enough, she has a voice that sounds bigger than any room she’s in—cutting through like very few others.

Clear, expressive, in command, and utterly her own. There’s a theatrical streak to what she does, sure, but the emotion always feels real—like it’s been lived in.

Like the music she’s made with one of the country’s most beloved bands—or in her own radiant solo work—her Forever Five is steeped in melody, mood, and that restless kind of soul-searching. It’s all sharp edges and soft landings: country-tinted confessionals, fierce alt-rock pulses, poetic grit, and songwriting that stares truth in the face. These are records made by artists who hold nothing back—and you can hear that same fire in Katy’s own work: brave, bold, and beautifully bruised.

LISTEN — KATY STEELE'S FOREVER FIVE

A trio of tracks from each of Katy's choices, plus an essential five tracks with her own voice.

JONI MITCHELL - BLUE (1971)

NEIL YOUNG - HARVEST (1972)

THE BREEDERS - LAST SPLASH (1993)

PJ HARVEY - STORIES FROM THE CITY, STORIES FROM THE SEA (2000)

GRAM PARSONS - GP (1973)