Katy Steele strips it all back, chasing vulnerability over perfection on her latest run.
Katy Steele’s morning starts like most working parents — school drop-off, a coffee, then straight into tour logistics.
But right now, she’s juggling more than just schedules. Fresh off weeks away from home, Steele is in the middle of a full reset: stripping her music back to its bones, pushing against perfection, and leaning into something far more exposed.
It’s raw, a little uneasy, and very intentional – exactly where she wants to be.
With a final intimate performances in Perth on the 29th May, Steele’s tour has leaned all the way into that ethos – a powerful, pared-back live experience placing one of Australia’s most respected songwriters in the spotlight with nothing to hide.
HAPPY: What are you up to today?
KATY STEELE: I just did the school drop off and now I am doing logistics for the tour + creating content for upcoming shows!
I’ve been away a lot from the family home in the last two weeks so it’s been a big month.
HAPPY: Tell us a little bit about where you live and what you love about it?
KATY STEELE: I live in WA at the moment and I love it as the weather is great. I do miss Melbourne a lot but Western Australia is great for my family at present.
HAPPY: Undressed really does what it says on the tin – what made you want to strip everything right back at this point?
KATY STEELE: It is a concept I have always been drawn to. I have always written my songs in this way as I am quite old school in the way- I write I guess. I base my songs around simple chords and the melody is always the most important thing to me.
I look forward to exploring some musicality in the future volumes. More harmony, more layers. This album started as an experiment really and just evolved from there.
HAPPY: You kept a lot of these takes pretty raw – was it hard not to go back in and “fix” things?
KATY STEELE: Totally, but in true artist fashion, without a deadline you never get things finished.
So I had to adhere to that. I also believe in the art of spontaneity and trying to in some ways rebel against the perfectionism of today’s present music landscape.
HAPPY: Do you remember the moment where it clicked that this project wasn’t about perfection anymore?
KATY STEELE: It was about letting go. It’s really really hard sometimes to be so vulnerable and
it’s only now that is out- that it’s becoming more anxiety inducing!
HAPPY: You’ve called it a bit of a reset – what actually shifted for you during that period?
KATY STEELE: I just figured it would be a fun thing to try. With age you become less precious but I also really enjoy the idea.
HAPPY: You’re taking this across the country in April and May – how different does this kind of stripped-back show feel compared to your usual live setup?
KATY STEELE: It’s a really raw show. It opens yourself up to imperfection and you almost feel put under a microscope. But the intensity in that creates a very vulnerable show. It’s been so nice to be able to have such an attentive audience as it really creates a mood.
HAPPY: ‘Perfect Day‘ and ‘Because The Night’ are deeply moving cover choices – what drew you to those?
KATY STEELE: Just great songs by artists I admire !
HAPPY: There’s a lot of space in these recordings – silence, imperfections, all of it–which feels like a sign of the times – a natural reaction to the way that tech is moving – especially in music. Did that feel freeing or slightly terrifying?
KATY STEELE: I feel this is almost a reaction to the way the world is moving. It’s completely a reaction to it. I want to rebel against that cause I want to see vulnerability in music. I don’t want to see perfection. As life isn’t like that.
HAPPY: The live show’s just you and one other musician – does that change how you feel on stage?
KATY STEELE: I’m used to being in that mode as I’ve done alot of solo shows before- but it’s been great working with Jesse and we switch before our pianos and guitars and there’s also some synth and a drum machine for one tune. It’s been great to work with a seed of an idea an create something with feeling.
HAPPY: Does making something this spontaneous change how you want to work going forward, or was this a one-off moment?
KATY STEELE: No, I called this Volume 1 for a reason. I want to be a more prolific artist and this creates a way for me to do that.
I feel less pressure doing someone else’s song for some reason. I want Vol2 to explore a more ‘community’ feel.
I can imagine it being done in a lounge room with some great players, a bunch of backing singers / friends and it would be recorded all live with harmonies and imperfect moments.
Making it an experience. I may not necessarily tour every release though .. so get down to a show..
HAPPY: What makes you happy?
KATY STEELE: Love and being loved.
