Several years after his last full-length release, East London-based folk artist Jason Steel has returned with Studies Volume 1, an intimate and raw collection of home recordings. The 6-track album, featuring four original compositions and two traditional arrangements, marks a welcome re-emergence for the singer-songwriter.
Recorded live to a single microphone in his “Record Room,” the album is a testament to minimalist production, allowing the nuances of Steel’s Martin guitar, Countryman banjo, and distinctive voice to shine. After years spent focused on teaching and DJing, Steel told KLOF Mag that “the muse has returned, and it feels good to be making music again.”
Steel’s newfound creative energy is palpable throughout this album, with the songs, rooted in traditional folk and country blues, exploring themes of memory, place, and resistance. He draws from a deep well of influences, citing everyone from banjo pioneer Dock Boggs and author Cormac McCarthy to painter Paul Klee and poet Wilfred Owen.
This eclectic mix informs tracks like opener, “The Rose of Old South Elmsall,” which Steel notes “came out of the air, easy as breathing,” weaving together his usual concerns of “Capitalism, West Yorkshire, Wilfred Owen, Leadbelly”. Elsewhere, “Oh, Happy Hour!” creates an imaginary dialogue between painter Paul Klee and Dock Boggs, with its DGDGBD-tuned melody infused with an unexpected West African highlife ring. The Cormac McCarthy-inspired “Caballo” serves as a modern cowboy song, while “Salty Red” draws inspiration from classic dystopian novels read during lockdown, adopting a cut-up technique for the lyrics, reminiscent of that used by William Burroughs. The album closes on traditional arrangements, including a heartfelt take on Elizabeth Cotten’s music, which Steel says, “I do not so much play her music as wear it.”
The album’s title reflects its mission: to capture “works in progress; home recordings and sketches; songs at risk of being ‘lost’.” The physical release is a collector’s item—a limited run of just 50 hand-printed and assembled copies. Studies Volume 1 is a beautifully stark and honest collection, a compelling snapshot of an artist rediscovering his voice and preserving fleeting moments of inspiration.
We strongly recommend you get yourself a copy.
Studies Volume 1 (July 7th, 2025) Self Released
Order via Bandcamp: https://jasonsteel.bandcamp.com/album/studies-volume-1
