A radiant, open-hearted body of work, Steph Strings’ debut album Feel Alive, out today, captures her at her most confident and expansive.
Weaving together folk, rock, country, and pop with her trademark intricate guitar work, percussive flair and emotionally resonant songwriting, the album transverses themes of gratitude, longing, freedom, and self-belief, inviting listeners deep into her inner world while offering moments of reflection, release, and pure joy.
Created alongside producer Tim Hart (Boy & Bear), with additional collaborations from Alice Ivy and Jared Adlam, Feel Alive is both intimate and cinematic. A record that mirrors Steph’s journey from bedroom musician to global touring artist, without ever losing its sense of vulnerability or wonder.
To celebrate the album’s release, Steph gave Rolling Stone AU/NZ an exclusive track-by-track rundown.
Steph Strings’ Feel Alive is out now.
“Gratefully”
After 7 months of touring the world, I finally slowed down and taught myself how to become grateful for the mundane. I wrote ‘Gratefully’ on my old, dusty guitar. I remember sneezing from all the dust particles flying through the air as I strummed and plucked the ancient strings. That’s where the lyric ‘the dust on my guitar flies away’ comes from, which also was a metaphor, explaining how I’ve shedded old thoughts and beliefs in order to become more grateful.
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This is definitely the happiest song of the album and is on theme with some of my older tracks like “Dusty Road” and “Follow The Sun”.
“Devil Woman”
My family were having a wild night in Brunswick East, I was strumming the guitar whilst my older relative Billy was jamming on the harmonica. During this crazy party, I came up with the chords for “Devil Woman”. Months later I was playing in front of 5,000 people at Edmonton Folk Music Festival in Alberta, Canada and decided to play the song for the first time. I got Kim Churchill up on stage and the two of us set the crowd on fire. That was the moment when I realised “Devil Woman” is ALMIGHTY.
I drew inspiration from various villains in my life and villains in the books and movies, to try to exaggerate the idea of what a Devil Woman really is. I actually recorded this track twice as I felt like the first version didn’t ‘slap’ hard enough, as I wanted it to feel like how it felt at Edmonton. The finished song was recorded and produced by Jared Adlam who is a country/pop legendary producer. Between the two of us, we created a truly compelling cowboy track that has quickly become the crowd favourite and the powerhouse of the album.
“Waterfall”
This is the only ukulele song on the whole record! The main melody of the ukulele is from my very first viral Instagram video I posted back in 2020, which has always stayed in my head as an earworm. Every time I tinkered with the tune, I felt like I was sitting underneath a waterfall. I really wanted to portray this feeling within the lyrics and the spacey reverbs. This is the meditative/hippie track of Feel Alive.
“Melbourne Blue”
My personal favourite of the album. This is the first big step out of my comfort zone – never in a million years did I think I’d be singing a power ballad on a grand piano, with a live band! If Missy Higgins and Julia Jacklin had a child, this song would be it.
I wanted to perfectly encapsulate the all-consuming darkness that Melbourne occasionally has, which I personally experience in the uber or the tram ride home after a night out. I made sure to mention some of the iconic Melbourne spaces such as Hope St. Radio, The London Tavern, and the 109 tram down Whitehorse Road. There’s even a line about “footy games and buying everyone a round” which will resonate with the Melbournites.
My primary producer (Tim Hart) and I recorded this song in the most lively way possible – no click, fully live and basing the tempo off the feel and non-verbal communication in the studio. This song really breathes, I think that’s why you can feel this song immensely.
“Again”
My partner and I were staying in an Airbnb in Byron Bay the night before Byron Bay Blues & Roots Festival 2025. We were both upset, discussing how it’s really sad when I go away on tour as we really miss each other. However the upside is that when we do reunite, it’s one of the most magical experiences as it feels like we’re going on first dates with each other all over again!
We wrote this one together in the Airbnb, and it was one of the easiest co-writes I’ve done in a long time. I wanted to keep this song really effortless and real, just like our relationship. We went back to basics in the studio; just vocals, my foot tapping on the floor and of course, my Pratley guitar.
“Three Wishes”
I met up with fellow Melbourne musician and producer Alice Ivy to make “Three Wishes”. We hit it off immediately, writing and recording this song over two days in her studio in Northcote. From the beginning, we made it clear that we wanted to combine my earthy tones with Alice Ivy’s electronic/pop sound. We did this by making our own beats, putting effects on the banjo and layering lots of both her and my vocals to create a richer sound.
This song is all about regret and acceptance, dealing with losing a friend but being able to come back together knowing that forgiveness is the only way forward in relationships.
“Rockstar/Gypsy”
I remember walking into the studio with Tim saying “I want to be silly today”. That’s exactly what we did. When we made “Rockstar/Gypsy”, it felt like I was a little kid again, dressing up as Elvis Presley, pretending to be a rockstar. It’s another one off the record that is a new soundscape for me due to its rock elements, but it’s still got that blues & roots vibe that I know very well. My favourite part about “Rockstar/Gypsy” is that it has massive main character energy and I really feel like I can let my hair down when I play it!
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“Blood & Bone”
During 2025 we moved out of our family home and I spent about 4 months touring North America. The combination of both these times led me to the idea of “Blood & Bone”. This is the first song I wrote for this album, it’s all about missing my family when I’m on the road. I absolutely adore my job, being a musician is the BEST thing in the world, however I am constantly battling these feelings of longing. For me, the whole song feels like a plane waiting on the tarmac and then finally taking off into the sky.
“Heaven”
This was by far the hardest song to record. I hadn’t finished writing “Heaven” when I entered the studio with Tim. It was a real bonding exercise; trying to come up with the final pieces of the puzzle. “Heaven” is a conversation with the people that have passed away in my life and wondering how they are now. We wanted to keep the song very real and grounded, so we decided to record the whole song live, without a click track. I remember trying my best not to audibly cry whilst Tim drummed along to the beat of the song. I think a lot of people are going to struggle not to cry when they hear “Heaven”.
“A Storm In April”
I’m called Steph Strings because I’m a guitarist, but for the first time ever, I’m putting the guitar aside and releasing a fully instrumental piano piece. This is the biggest leap into the unknown for me! I started writing this song nearly ten years ago, it’s taken me this long to be able to play it properly. I’ve always known I was going to release this, but I was waiting for the perfect moment. To add to the magic of “A Storm In April” I got my friend Josh Luke Rea to add his beautiful cello to the track, which really gave the song the full storm feeling. Looks like I’m going to have to start sourcing grand pianos and cellos in all my venues now!
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“Feel Alive”
I can usually tell if a song is special if my family knocks on my door and yells out “that sounds great!”. The chorus and melody was written in my bedroom a couple years ago but it wasn’t until a writing session with Tim that the full song came alive. We wanted this song to feel as if life is giving you a warm hug and telling you it’s a blessing to feel every single emotion. It’s a perfect conclusion to the album, which encapsulates all the songs in one. There’s so much variety in the 12 songs on this record, just like what the 12 months of a year feel like. Coming up with a title for an album was hard, until I realised these songs are all about learning to Feel Alive.
“To Be Loved”
The final track on my debut album is this gorgeous love song “To Be Loved”. My favourite tea is Bengal Spice by Celestial Seasonings, something my partner and I make every single night before we go to sleep. I often compare our love to the taste of the tea, which is why the song starts with “Cinnamon, ginger, honey and gold”. In the studio, I wanted to recreate the relaxed, homely feeling of the song, so I recorded the whole song barefoot, laying on the carpet with a cup of tea. You can really hear the love and calmness in “To Be Loved”, which is why I wanted this song to conclude the album and make the listeners feel the strength and peace of what it means to love and to be loved.
