Aimée Steven is one of Liverpool’s most exciting emerging artists and has already impressed with her debut single My Name and is now set to perform at Liverpool’s Sound City Festival.
The 23-year-old has now assembled a backing band and launched her new single on Spotify last month. The song has also been played across radio stations such as BBC Radio 6 and has already received an extremely positive reaction across social media.
Despite always being interested in music, self-taught Aimée started making music as a hobby to help cope with her mental health issues, but only started seriously making music in the past three years.
‘I’ve always been into music since I was younger, but I was never the singer or the songwriter, I was just an admirer of music. I started writing little songs and things and then got involved in going to open mics not and really got into the music scene.
‘Having struggled with depression and anxiety, music is one of the things that really helped me. I started writing music about my issues and what I was struggling with because it helped to sing about them and connect with the songs. I’m always helping myself and helping other people find relief through music.
‘Sometimes you feel weird and like you don’t connect with the human race, but then you listen to music and you think ‘actually it is okay to feel like this, other people feel it too’.’
Aimée signed to At Large Records earlier in the year after being approached by Jon Withnall who has worked with artists such as Louis Berry and The Coral. Despite feeling uncomfortable at first, she has now made the studio her home.
‘I’ve got a lot of tracks already recorded and ready to go and we’ve been planning a lot into the future; it’s only going to get bigger. The songs are just about being real, the lyrics are real, and the melodies are real, I can’t explain it any other way. I have some softer material, as well as some heavier stuff so it varies.
‘My Name has already been released and I’ll be doing full set at Sound City, that people haven’t heard before so it’s really exciting.’
Although Aimée has been passionate about music since an early age and attended open-mic nights, she has never played a gig and is ecstatic to be playing Sound City where she will be performing new-unheard tracks.
‘I’m super excited because I never thought in a million years that I’d be playing Sound City. I went about two years ago, and if you told me then I’d be playing the festival in a few years’ time I would have never believed you.
‘I still don’t think I’ve got my head around it, it hasn’t fully sunk in!’
Not only does she love playing music, but she also believes that it is important for more female artists to become involved in the music industry. She wants to change the perception found that it’s different or edgy to have a female musician and make it more normalised.
‘I don’t think there are enough female musicians in general. I’ve got a real passion for it, being a female and putting that out there and making it normal, and not having to be branded as ‘female-fronted’.
‘There’s room for more female musicians and I’m excited to see how the scene changes, by using my voice and not being afraid to challenge things.’
Growing up in Liverpool and listening to the ever-changing music scene, her inspirations range from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and other upcoming local bands. She loves how Liverpool is renowned for its music scene and how versatile it can be.
‘The Liverpool music scene has always been great and we are known for it as a city. You can’t really get away from it when you’re here. I think a lot of the bands at the moment are really good. The music is never the same, it always changes and there’s always something new.
‘I’m really into 60/70’s music, but seeing local artists have a passion for music has really inspired me over the years. I went to see Bobby West recently and I also love Queen Zee. I think what they’re doing is politically (as well as musically) is really great.’
