In early 2014, Freddie Eggleton brought together a group of musicians to perform his music, as part of an experiment to hear his compositions in an ensemble setting. The original trio of drums, bass and guitar lent itself towards stripped back soul. Naturally, the band began to write together and the direction started to push towards a broader palette of sounds more akin to the likes of Jeff Buckley. The group soon realised that the music was in need of more depth. After discussion, they invited guitarist James Paul into the band, this proved to be a pivotal moment in the music. James’s fuller textural approach to guitar in combination with Guitarist Matt’s melodic and chordal playing cemented Steal’s new style of songwriting. This phase in Steals progression culminated in the band’s debut release. Still firmly rooted in pop, ‘Waiting Game’ felt as though a landmark had been reached, Its guitar led polyphony and intense atmosphere setting the tone for what was to come next. Fast forward a few months, and the band were writing and performing their new material in the Manchester scene. In September 2015, the group were put under the guidance of Mauricio Pauly, who pushed the band toward reperceiving their material, taking it apart and pushing the creative boundaries. The practice of this new approach saw the beginning of the band’s current phase, the result of which can be heard in Steals self titled EP, released in July 2016. The featured single ‘Do You Even Want It’ still stands as their most significant milestone, as they continue to write within this soundscape. The band signed to Northern Quarter records in June 2016 and are now working towards a new album, set to be released in 2017. Alternative band, based in Manchester. Freddie Eggleton Matthew Campbell James Paul Bradley Ingham Matt Brown