Brighton-based Paul Steel (20) is picking up new and enthusiastic fans by the cartload, including XTC's Andy Partridge, High Llama's Sean O'Hagan, legendary Brian Wilson collaborator Van Dyke Parks and Brian's current band Wondermints. Recent support slots with The Bees, Sean Lennon, Aqualung, Jim Noir, Ed Harcourt, David Ford, Heavy Blinkers and Duke Special; and recording sessions with Craig Silvey (Magic Numbers, The Coral), Simon Lord (Simian, Bent) and Charlie Francis (High Llama's, REM) have continued to build the buzz. Paul's style has been compared to contemporary psychedelic pop artists Super Furry Animals, Grandaddy and Sufjan Stevens. Full Biography... ...show more

Brighton-based Paul Steel (20) is picking up new and enthusiastic fans by the cartload, including XTC's Andy Partridge, High Llama's Sean O'Hagan, legendary Brian Wilson collaborator Van Dyke Parks and Brian's current band Wondermints. Recent support slots with The Bees, Sean Lennon, Aqualung, Jim Noir, Ed Harcourt, David Ford, Heavy Blinkers and Duke Special; and recording sessions with Craig Silvey (Magic Numbers, The Coral), Simon Lord (Simian, Bent) and Charlie Francis (High Llama's, REM) have continued to build the buzz. Paul's style has been compared to contemporary psychedelic pop artists Super Furry Animals, Grandaddy and Sufjan Stevens. Full Biography...

Every budding musician has their idol; someone who their every note is indebted to, someone who intrinsically shaped their musical landscape, whose music they felt was 'life changing' the moment they laid ears on it. But not every budding musician comes home from college one day to find an answer phone message from said idol telling them to keep up the good work. Such was the situation a young Paul Steel found himself in after sending XTC's Andy Partridge a letter of adulation along with some of his music. "I got in from college one day and there was a message from Andy Partridge.

I just couldn't believe it, I rang him straight back and we chatted for ages, and the whole time I was shaking like a leaf." At a plucky 16 years old, it was just the boost of confidence Steel needed. Growing up in coastal Worthing as an XTC and Radiohead addict, his first foray into the world of music was hardly the earth-shattering debut one would hope for. "Me and some mates formed a band, we took it very seriously but all we did was imitate Radiohead songs. We never got any gigs, Worthing doesn't really have much room for teenage indie bands, and I was always throwing myself about the stage and stealing the limelight." He explains about his music career in its earliest stages, adding somewhat needlessly "We weren't very good." But his first stunted experience fronting a band- 'I can't tell you what our name was, it's too embarrassing"- set in motion years of experimenting with music in that den of creativity for musicians everywhere: his bedroom. ...show less