Presence - Epic Instrumental Prog Rock

10 epic prog rock tracks, designed to make you FEEL!

Huge sonic landscapes, melodic guitar playing, incredible atmosphere

New Buryin' Ground - The Grace Machine - Hard-hitting Blues Gospel Rock

During the turmoil of uncertainty that the last few years brought, we felt drawn to revisit a number of old blues influenced spirituals. We wanted to find songs that convey a powerful mixture of trial, agony and hope.

We knew we couldn’t relate our lives to the unimaginable era of black slavery, but these songs have withstood time and crossed cultures to remain as a gift for us, to draw courage in the turmoil of modern times. The narrative is hope in the face of overwhelming trial – and that’s what deeply resonated with the three of us.

We have wanted to honour the originals, but naturally bring our own interpretation to them. As we launched into the project, we were hooked and what developed was a gutsy electric blues sound that comes from the heart.

The Grace Machine is me on guitar and vocals, Terl Bryant on drums and Matt Weeks on bass. We hope you enjoy it.

Nawglan, the Sacred Nine - Beautiful Celtic Instrumentals

Legend has it that Celtic Monks used a specially prepared mixture of ashes obtained from the burning of the boughs of nine sacred trees - Alder, Ash, Birch, Elm, Hazel, Oak, Rowan, Willow and Yew. Its use in ceremonies was important, but for the monk, the collection of the wood was an act of worship. Each tree had characteristics pointing towards attributes of the Godhead, and they would meditate upon these as they harvested them. The name of this ash was Nawglan, the Sacred Nine.

I've written each track on the album to do the same, each having a distinct character and embodying different divine characteristics.

This album is perfect to sit with, to meditate with, to just BE with. It's great to have playing in the background while working, revising or reading. But if you pay it your undivided attention, it will pay dividends!

Chasing Down Wolves - Prog Folk Concept Album

"Chasing Down Wolves" is an old-fashioned concept album telling a tale. Each listener will hear a different story, but in essence we follow a Saxon blacksmith unwillingly pulled into a conflict with Viking raiders, eventually ending up in the Battle of Maldon.

"I can't relate to that!" I hear you cry! You might be surprised. Each track is a song in its own right, covering all sorts of topics. Love, family, politics, PTSD, immigration, poverty, people caught up between two sides of a conflict. Nerves before a big event. The joy of music and song, the exuberance of home-coming, the nostalgia of looking back across your life. This album is about things I've seen and experienced, stories people have told me, people I know and care about. It's about LIFE.

Here be Dragons - Swashbuckling folk rock

Here be Dragons is a strong mix of Celtic folk and good-old fashioned blues, creating intriguing stories, integrating history and nature, that will hold you spellbound.

"Truly unique, professional performance and production, a solid listen from start to finish."

Echoes of Albion - Celtic Folk and Blues

For us here in the British Isles, this album is a chance to explore some of our roots, both musically and historically. For other countries, especially if you've got Celtic ancestors, it's an opportunity to travel to a different part of the world as well as back in time!

There are 11 songs on this album, from the three peaks of Snowdon, Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis to ancient Celtic sacrifices. From the Roman Invasions to the signing of the Magna Carta. I even delve into the last hangman in England, and I explore the cultural uncertainty of the son of a Pakistani immigrant here in Leicester.

The past contains lessons that we really need to learn - some of these songs feel SO relevant today.

Theory of Ruins - Experimental Bluesy Rock

"Theory of Ruins", the context of hopeful blues, gives us reasons to move up and on. You have to go somewhere from the darkness, don't you? IS there a place to sit to rest the ruins of your pain? Not just blues, not just a Celtic revival, but a compassionate affair of the two, bringing winds from each territory to dance or fly to. 

Gentle blues licks with fierce melody guide you into Matt's vocals, deep like the roots of Tom Waits, but with the heavy-hearted tug that Nick Cave gives us. "How many souls will I have touched?". We talk about what music does to you, how it moves you. The first track blazes open with broken blues chords and a celtic undertone. The guitar playing is incredible and reminds me of old dark bar blues, the kind that leaves you in a good trouble. The lyrics keep you mindful of what the blues pushes you through, the different aches and woes, but with miles of strength.

Feels Like Coming Home - Mix of Folk, Blues, Celtic, Rock

Here be Dragons is a strong mix of Celtic folk and good-old fashioned blues, creating intriguing stories, integrating history and nature, that will hold you spellbound.

"Truly unique, professional performance and production, a solid listen from start to finish."

Blood is Thicker than Gold - Debut Album, Diverse Styles

It’s not just a matter of how masterfully he plays the guitar, remarkably so for a debut album, or how weathered his voice sounds (reminiscent of the legendary Leonard Cohen). The difference between an amateur musician and a master may be whether they simply repeat what’s come before or create something new, and Steady does the latter. On one track, he might blaze a folk-infused rock/blues trail that sounds like Pink Floyd spent a year wandering across America (see "The Roamer"). Yet he just might surprise us with Celtic sounds transformed into the meeting place for totally unexpected instrumentals (see "Romulus and Remus").

The Dragons' Refrain

The hugely successful compilation album - 70 minutes of exquisite, epic, beautiful music.

Varied in style from prog rock to folk - strong vocals and instrumentals. This has it all.

The Echoes Remain

Matt's first Free CD! While this compilation does not contain tracks from the latest few albums, it does a deep dive into my earlier work.

Great fun from start to finish.

Live at the 6 Degrees - Live Folk

A once-off, unique gig with a wonderful band of "accidental musicians"

Matt Steady, Indigo Steady, Serena Smith, Steve Fletcher, Phil Harris and Stuart Wood

Live at the Fuse - Acoustic Singer/Songwriter

Ahhh now we're going back to when my beard was red and my hair was long. Well longer anyway.

A fascinating look at a very early gig. 

Live at the Big Comfy - with Indigo Steady

A one-off covers gig with my daughter Indigo, recorded on a phone! This is probably the earliest gig I have audio from.

Sticks and Stones

My daughter Indigo started singing at gigs with me at about the age of 8, stood on a chair to reach the mic and so the audience could see her!

In the end I made her a little EP :) Aww good memories!

Rambling on the Black List

One of my favourite American singer/songwriters is Jeff Black. He laid a request for people to cover his songs, so I did! I turned it into an EP when we were fundraising to get to the European Stickfighting Championships, and we sold a bunch to help rise money. Fun times!

Story Time

This is a series of lovely children's stories that I used to read aloud to my kids. There is a 'studio version', then there is actual recordings of me and my kids reading, which is great!