MITCHELL STEELE CARRIES FAMILY HISTORY INTO TAMWORTH
BY MARLI RYAN
Country artist Mitchell Steele wears his heart on his sleeve and on the Tamworth stages this week, that heart is beating loudly.
Raised in remote Queensland, Mr Steele’s early life was shaped far from recording studios and spotlighted stages. He worked on cattle stations across Australia, slept under open skies, broke in horses, fought fires and floods, and lived a life defined by hard work and isolation. Somewhere between station life and long drives through the outback, he began writing songs.
That lived experience now forms the backbone of his music, with deeply personal stories delivered in the classic country storytelling style and a distinctly Australian edge.
He said there’s something about Tamworth, every time I come here, I get goosebumps. It’s the culture, the community everyone’s here for the same reason.
Mr Steele released his debut single, Worn Out West, in August last year, co-written and produced with Australian country icon Casey Chambers and producer Brandon “Dingo” Dodd. The song reflects the resilience forged through his upbringing the toughness and respect learned through isolation and physical labour.
Mr Steele said that lifestyle shapes you, it makes you resilient. It prepares you for whatever comes next.
Despite beginning to write songs at just 10 years old, Mr Steele describes his songwriting process as fluid and instinctive. Lyrics often come while driving.
He said, “sometimes I just write notes in my phone as I'm driving, I talk to Siri. Siri's my best mate. She makes a lot of notes for me. Sometimes she gets them wrong and it's a little giggle later when I read through them. But often when I'm driving, I come up with a lot of lyrics.”
Working with Chambers proved transformative. Steele said her guidance helped him move away from overly literal storytelling and focus instead on openness and emotional space.
“She told me not to cram so many syllables into one line,”
He said when writing he would try to fit everything in exactly as it happened. But leaving a song open-ended allows it to be more relatable.
Beyond music, Steele speaks openly about mental health, sobriety, and identity, particularly within rural communities where support and representation can be limited.
“I don’t think I’d change anything about my past, but I’d tell my younger self not to worry so much”.
Mr Steele has also been candid about his sobriety journey, describing it as a turning point in understanding who he is beyond the drinking culture he grew up around.
He said before coming sober, I didn’t really know who I was.
“Sobriety gave me clarity and freedom to be myself.”
As an openly queer country artist, Mr Steele acknowledges those who paved the way before him, while emphasising the importance of having open conversations.
He said life is for everyone; it takes all kinds to make a world.
Mr Steele completed recording his debut album at Rabbit Hole Studios, with Chambers and Dodd producing.
He said he hopes listeners feel less alone when they hear it. If someone hears a song and feels like it puts words to something they couldn’t explain themselves, that’s everything to him.
As the noise of Tamworth continues around him, Mr Steele remains grounded in the same values that shaped him out west honesty, resilience, and a deep belief in the power of song.