LO STEELE
Courtesy of Little Village
Lo Steele loves words. And she squeezes everything she can out of them as she blends traditions of r&b, gospel and blues with sharp lyrical rhythm. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon where she was able to explore every facet of her creativity, Lo effortlessly combines her love for music, theater and writing into what The Portland Mercury once referred to as a “cure-all for listeners aching to feel seen.” She has captivated audiences from Portland to Brazil with her soulful vocals and grounded- yet playful stage presence. She has opened for Tank and The Bangas, Dianne Reeves, Esperanza Spalding and Patrice Rushen, and has garnered acclaim for her music on NPR and PBS. Lo is elated to release her new album “Only a Drop” created in collaboration with Charlie Hunter and Marcus Finnie: who once joked in the studio about her casual use of the word ‘soliloquy’ in a song they were developing. Her fierce commitment to language stands firm alongside one of authenticity and musical synergy, made even stronger by the brilliance of her collaborators. This feels like only the beginning for the young artist, who intends to continue to learn and grow in her pursuit of sharing her story: "Though I'm only a drop in the ocean of history, my song will live on in whoever is listening." -Lo Steele (Freedom Song, Only a Drop)
Artist Statement on “Only a Drop”
When we recorded our initial versions of these tracks, there was sort of an expectation that I’d re-track the vocals ‘for real’ later on. But there was something about the synergy of us in that studio together at that time. I think we all realized this was gonna be it. That’s kind of the point of this record: authenticity, truth, connection. The very first song on the record boasts “I got something you can’t recreate, cause you haven’t got the grit. I can see that you been studying late, tryna put the soul in it.” Soul can’t be manufactured, it can’t be scrutinized or over produced. Soul simply is. And your only job is to get out of it’s way.
