Rising singer-songwriter Maeve Steele says she found her sound on "Riptide," a song to come off her forthcoming Overland EP. Between vivid, lyrical storytelling and a luminous, jazzy vocal line reminiscent of artists like Amy Winehouse, the singer embraces an Americana-informed, mid-tempo pop vibe in her newest track.
In this episode of Press Play at Home, get lost in Steele's mesmerizing voice as she delivers an intimate studio performance of her new song. Before a microphone, she sings, accompanied by a pulsing, rhythmic piano line and gentle acoustic guitar.
Like many of Steele's other recent releases, "Riptide" is introspective, inviting the listener to relax into her gentle vocal delivery and cinematic songwriting style. The singer-songwriter often creates songs in an intimate headspace — her May release, "Slow Down," was written in her childhood bedroom, for example. "Riptide" is no different: She wrote it in her bedroom in the fall of 2021, to the sound of rainfall outside her window.
As Steele explains, "Riptide" is from her new EP because it aptly embodies the aesthetic of her new musical chapter: Reflective, vivid and complex, it shows off her talents both as a vocalist and as a compelling songwriter.
Leading up to the release of the song, Steele teased the track on social media with a pair of visuals that reflect the dreamy, waterside vibes of the song: In one image, she poses outside at twilight; another shot shows her standing on a rocky beach, face toward the ocean spray.
Press play on the video above to get a first look at Steele's effervescent new song, and keep checking back to GRAMMY.com for more episodes of Press Play at Home.
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