Steph Strings

Biography

Steph Strings is an Australian guitarist, singer‑songwriter and storyteller based between San Remo and Melbourne, Victoria, known for her percussive, fingerstyle‑driven indie‑folk sound.[2][5][6] Growing up in Melbourne surrounded by family, sport and music, she was introduced early to artists like Elvis Presley through car rides with her father and was inspired by watching her cousins jam together.[3][4] As a teenager she attended her first major concert by Ed Sheeran at 14, and she credits the encouragement and informal lessons from her dad and cousins with helping her discover the joy of jamming and exploring different sounds.[3] By her late teens she had become a multi‑instrumentalist, spending significant time busking at Camberwell Market and playing small gigs around Melbourne’s inner‑north, especially in Fitzroy.[3][4]

Strings began her professional career around 2016 and released her debut EP Allegoric Oceans in 2017–2018, a six‑track, 22‑minute collection that introduced her blend of fingerstyle guitar and indie‑rock elements.[1][3] She continued to hone her craft as a solo performer, building a following through street performances, intimate venues, and her YouTube channel, which has attracted millions of views.[1][3] Her breakout came with the 2022 single “Dusty Road,” originally written as a poem and first performed live at the Evelyn Hotel in Fitzroy; despite her initial fear of singing in public, the song went on to become her most‑streamed track on Spotify, passing a million streams and establishing her as a rising artist in Australian roots and folk music.[1][4] Alongside “Dusty Road,” songs like “Lion,” “Please Come Home,” and “San Remo” have further showcased her narrative songwriting and dynamic acoustic technique.[1][5]

Musically, Strings draws heavily on the percussive, open‑tuned fingerstyle tradition, weaving Celtic, blues and coastal indie‑rock colours into largely acoustic arrangements that emphasize rhythm and melody over dense production.[2][5][6] She cites John Butler Trio, Tash Sultana, Kim Churchill and Ziggy Alberts as key influences, and her performances often feature instrumental passages where the guitar effectively “sings” in place of vocals—a legacy of years when she focused on guitar because she was reluctant to sing.[2][3][4] Building on her early EP, she announced a follow‑up EP, Wildfire, and has expanded from local stages to festival line‑ups such as Ocean Sounds Festival and Winter Wine Festival, as well as international appearances including Les Escales Festival in France.[5] Having supported acts like The Pierce Brothers, Kim Churchill and Ash Grunwald, she is increasingly recognized as part of a new wave of Australian acoustic storytellers blending roots, folk and indie sounds.[5][6]

Fun Facts

• Before she was willing to sing in public, she developed her intricate fingerstyle technique by effectively letting her guitar “sing” the vocal melodies so audiences could sing along while she stayed silent.[4]
• Her song “Dusty Road,” which became her most‑streamed track on Spotify, started out as a poem with a whistled chorus before she adapted it into a sung piece for her first full show at the Evelyn Hotel in Fitzroy.[1][4]
• She has roots in busking at Melbourne’s Camberwell Market, where she regularly performed as a teenager and early‑career musician before moving onto ticketed gigs and festivals.[3][4]
• Her track “San Remo” was written with the hope that it would one day feature in a San Remo pasta commercial or a Phillip Island tourism campaign; it ultimately became the feature song in a Phillip Island marketing campaign, fulfilling that early ambition.[5]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• John Butler Trio - Stylistic influence on her percussive, fingerstyle‑driven acoustic approach and roots‑inspired songwriting. (General influence on her EPs Allegoric Oceans and Wildfire and live arrangements.) [Cited as an influence in interviews and profiles from the late 2010s onward.[2][3]]
• Tash Sultana - Influence on looping, solo performance ethos, and blending of indie, roots and psychedelic elements. (Reflected broadly in her solo live sets and recorded tracks such as “Dusty Road” and “San Remo.”) [Named as an influence in early‑career press and busker profiles around 2019–2020.[2][3]]
• Kim Churchill - Influence on coastal, folk‑blues songwriting and live performance style. (General stylistic reference rather than on a specific song.) [Listed as an influence alongside John Butler Trio and Tash Sultana in artist bios from early 2020s.[2][5]]
• Ziggy Alberts - Major inspiration for her mellow, coastal folk sound and lyrical storytelling; she has explicitly credited him as one of her biggest influences. (Overall influence on songs such as “Dusty Road” and “San Remo.”) [Publicly cited as a key influence in online biographies and profiles in the 2020s.[1][2]]
• Steph Strings’ father and cousins - Early informal teachers who showed her songs, encouraged jamming, and nurtured her confidence in music. (Early repertoire she learned at home and in family jam sessions, including songs inspired by Elvis Presley and other classic artists.) [Childhood and early teens in Melbourne, before her professional career began.[3][4]]

Key Collaborators

• The Pierce Brothers - She toured as a support act and regularly joined them on stage for their final song, helping her transition into a full‑time touring musician. (Live collaborative performances during their tour, including guest spots on closing songs.) [Early 2020s Australian tour dates prior to and around the release of “Dusty Road.”[4][5]]
• Kim Churchill - She performed support slots for his shows, aligning her with Australia’s contemporary roots and folk circuit. (Shared live bills and tours rather than specific studio recordings.) [Featured as a support artist at Australian shows in the early 2020s.[5]]
• Ash Grunwald - Another established Australian roots musician for whom she provided live support, expanding her audience in blues and roots scenes. (Support performances at his concerts and festival appearances.) [Early 2020s, including regional and festival dates in Victoria and New South Wales.[5]]
• Joe Miles - Manager who reached out after seeing her perform, helping formalize her career with management and booking support. (Involvement in organizing tours, including European shows such as Les Escales Festival, and releases like “Dusty Road.”) [Began working with her after early gigs at venues such as the Evelyn Hotel in Fitzroy, early 2020s.[4]]

Artists Influenced

• [[|]] - No verifiable public information was found identifying specific artists who directly credit Steph Strings as a primary influence.

Discography

Top Tracks

1. Dusty Road (Dusty Road)
2. Cradle Mountain (Cradle Mountain)
3. Wholesome Days (Wholesome Days)
4. Antigone (Wildfire)
5. LION (LION)
6. Please Come Home (Dawn Sounds)
7. Follow the Sun (Follow the Sun)
8. This Love (This Love)
9. San Remo (feat. Luke Fethers) (Allegoric Oceans)
10. Keep Trying (Cradle Mountain)

External Links

• Spotify