Katy Steele Unveiled: The Voice and Vision Behind Undressed

Known for her powerhouse vocals, Katy Steele strips it all back.

When it comes to defining our Australian music industry, a few characteristics come to light but none more than the big and unique voices behind the songs. Jimmy Barnes, Brian Johnson, Chrissy Amphlett, Amy Taylor, SIA, Kate Miller-Heidke, and Katy Steele are just a handful of the pipe power produced in our nation. Steele soared as the frontwoman of Perth indie band Little Birdy and in her solo career; her smoky rock rasp partnered with rounded head highs leading listeners on the most enchanting journey.

Now she is stripping it all back on her upcoming album Undressed.

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Undressed was conceived in a moment of quiet reinvention, when Steele returned to the studio unburdened by expectation or meticulous planning. What began as a private act of escapism blossomed into a bold embrace of creative freedom, allowing each song to breathe in its natural, unpolished state. The result is an album that pulses with closeness and honesty—a spontaneous, heartfelt collection defined by vulnerability, clarity, and the rare courage to let music simply be.

“Everything these days is just so produced and that’s cool but a lot of the songs even on the Little Birdy albums and my solo albums were written on the guitar and on the piano and then they had all this stuff added to them and that’s cool too for what it was. But when I play my solo shows normally I do strip them back and I think people are kind of taking to that in a more meaningful way. It’s just nice to just hear them in a different way,” explains Steele.

“A lot of this record is all about my voice. This record really is like it’s there’s nothing to hide behind and that’s the whole concept of undressed. It’s just done, no frills man.”

 

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The album sees Steele revisit old album friends from across her catalogues, along with tackling covers of Lou Reed’s  ‘Perfect Day’, Patti Smith’s ‘Because The Night’, and an undisclosed Michae Jackson number. It also sees the surfacing of two new tracks straight from an LA recording session during the making of Little Birdy’s sophomore album Hollywood. 

“There’s a song that I recorded in LA about 10 years ago, there’s actually two from that session, it was when we were recording Hollywood I had some friends over there that had a studio and recorded some songs and I sat there and just did like ten songs in one go and there’s two from that session,” she explains. 

“There’s covers in there, then the rest are like reimaginings of Little Birdy songs and then there’s versions of my own solo songs as well, so it’s like a real mix of the three.”

At its core, the album is about returning to the essence of the songs and presenting them in their rawest, most luminous form.

“For me it’s maintaining the essence of where they came from and honouring what they are, which I think are just good songs.” 

Central to this vision is Steele’s not-so-secret superpower, her voice. While always commanding, Undressed explores the wisdom in her lower register and the storytelling magic it carries.

 

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“The version that I did which was released in December for ‘Beautiful To Me’ I’ve taken that down a step on the chorus. The original is so fast – it’s been popified and when I wrote it, it was like in three / four, I have like a Fiona Apple drum sample in the background and it was like a country song. It got completely changed which is fine, but I’ve always been in the back of my mind  that that’s not really what the song was when it was written. I do the same on ‘Relapse’.

“I guess it is showcasing my voice a bit more. It has a bit more depth to it, it’s got a bit more width. The voice is stronger now and it’s got a bit more of a story in it now. It’s lives a few more years. Obviously there’s the few versions I recorded in LA but you can’t hear the difference. There’s a nervousness to it, just from being over there and just so excited to be in a different country at what would have been like what 24 years old, which makes it extremely raw.”

Steele will bring Undressed to the stage in all its stripped-back glory. She will play Northcote Social Club, Melbourne, on Friday 1 May, followed by an all-ages, bring-the-kids matinee with Didirri, The Early Show, at Geelong Arts Centre on Saturday 2 May. Prepare to strip away the rockstar and sparkling pop image of Steele as you know her and simply revel in the songs in the form they were always meant to be heard.

Head here to purchase tickets to the Geelong Arts Centre show, and for all other touring and music news for Katy Steele, head here.