Louder Than The Music

With a brand new EP released this month, British three-piece rock band The Steels are back with their impressive blend of rock worship. LTTM caught up with the band to ask them what inspired the 'Luminous' EP and where they're heading next.

Tell us a little bit about your new EP 'Luminous' and what the inspiration behind
it was?

Luminous is a collection of seven great songs, that we hope will inspire lives of love that reflect God as He really is and bring light to the darkness. This is the first recording we have produced entirely ourselves because we wanted a challenge, but also the freedom to be creative and have control. We are so proud of the finished EP.

Which is your favourite track on the EP and why?

My personal favourite track is The Finish, the final song. It is an epic ending to the EP that starts small and takes you on quite a journey. I feel it describes God's love for every single one of us in a refreshing way.

What's your song writing process?

When writing I always start by strumming on a guitar and often a chord sequence will give birth to a melody. I record as many ideas as possible and any that still sound good a few days later I start to work on further. Matt often helps with lyrics and we make sure we stick to a theme, and it has to be something we feel passionately about, otherwise the song is pointless. Then begins an endless process of jamming and tweaking, until the song is recorded and you have to let it go.

If you could work with any songwriter, who would it be and why?

For me personally it would be Chris Martin. I'm a huge Coldplay fan, and I think the melodies he writes are incredible. His lyrics have even improved on their most recent album!

How would you describe your style of music and what are your influences?

I would describe our music as catchy rock/pop and our main influences are bands like Switchfoot and Relient K. Sound wise, we probably fall somewhere in the middle of them two. We were also helped out by YFriday massively in our early days and owe them a great deal.

How would you define success in your career as a band?

We have always defined success as whether we feel we are making a positive difference in people's lives through what we do.

In your opinion, what makes the perfect worship song?