Merilyn Steele

Merilyn Steele is a Sydney based artist and singer/songwriter who presents a fabulous live show with her audience. Performing tried and true classics of mostly rock, folk, country, and blues loved and recognised by audiences of all ages from tweens to twilighters.

Merilyn has a driving passion for entertaining and a craving to perform. Particularly, she loves the feedback and buzz she gets from a live audience.

“You’ll understand why Merilyn Steele is more than just another girl singer.”
Rosie Adsett, Country Update
Sydney born and bred, it’s hard to figure where merilyn’s influence to be a singer/songwriter came from. Although both her Mum and Grandmother played piano, it was mostly for a hobby. It was merilyn’s dad who bought her first guitar when she was just 12 and began taking her to music lessons. From there her love of music developed. She wrote her first song at 14 and has continued ever since. The mandolin is her latest muse and Merilyn now incorporates this instrument into her shows and recordings and it proves to be of great interest to the audience.

Her musical influences include Bernard Fanning, John Butler, Green Day, Kasey Chambers, Powderfinger, Alanis Morissette, Mary Chapin-Carpenter, Bonnie Raitt to name a few.

A seasoned performer, she has been working successfully for many years in varied lineups including with resident club bands, solo at festivals, with her duo, Alter Ego, and also fronts and directs her own 5 piece band. She has performed in shows all around Australia and internationally in clubs, hotels, private functions, festivals, weddings, and cruises.

Some performance highlights include Sydney’s ‘The Basement’ with her band, Tamworth Town Hall, Rooty Hill RSL Auditorium, Mounties Club, South Sydney Juniors, Blacktown Workers Diamond Auditorium supporting Normie Rowe, New Zealand’s Bay of Islands Country Rock festival in 2014, and an award for best Rockabilly song at the Canberra Country Rock & Blues festival.

Today Merilyn continues to perform on a regular basis in local venues around Sydney and the East coast and also teaches singing, guitar and songwriting at two music academy’s in Sydney which she finds thoroughly rewarding. She continues to play at festivals around the country and is looking to perform abroad again at other upcoming festivals.

Merilyn has also put together a 70’s multi-tribute production show that further showcases her diverse, multiple talents.

“Love the roots-rock, soulful texture of “While You Can” by @merilynsteele” – Getty Images Music

Milestones and Awards

2015 – ‘Whirlwind’ listed for APRA/AMCOS Song of the Year.
2015 – Semi-finalist with TSA Songwriters contest for ‘Whirlwind’ as Best Alt Country Blues/ Bluegrass song.
2013 – WINNER – Best Rockabilly song ‘Millionaire’ (CRS169) at Canberra Country Blues and Roots festival Nov 2013.
2009 – Top 5 finalist for Lyrics Only and Contemporary Song of the Year with Katherine CM Awards NT for ‘ The Spirit of Hermannsburg’.
2009 – Top 5 finalist for Comedy/Novelty song Katherine CM Awards NT for ‘Information Blues’.
2009 – Nominated finalist with Tamworth Songwriters Assn for Children’s Song of the Year with ‘If I Were a Bird’.
2007 – Winner – Female Vocalist of The Year – Horsham CM Awards, VIC.