Since the age of 14, Bethel Steele has been writing music, which continued through high school, college and a short post-collegiate career in the sciences. When Steele moved to a small town out side of Poughkeepsie, New York the music that had been written and played behind closed doors finally showed it's face to a listening audience.
After a few months of playing in the area, Bethel recorded an 8-song EP, the result was "Beautiful Woman." "It was literally the result of an ultimatum," says Bethel about the 2006 release. "One of the bartenders where I played most often told me that he wouldn't let me perform again if I didn't have something to sell. So I recorded 'Beautiful Woman,' burnt some copies of it, used a picture of a sunset that I had taken a few weeks earlier and 'released' the CD the next time I played at that bar."
Steele's first full-length CD, "Come Home," was released in June 2009. This effort is the result of more than a year of being in and out of the studio, bringing a range of musicians and different sounds to the soulful lyrics and driving rhythmic guitar that has become a trademark of Bethel's music. The album has tastes of a country upbringing, dashes of pop and rock, but is nailed in the folk genre. "'Come Home' is a reflection on my moving to Boston," Steele reveals, "I was torn between wanting to be out in the country with the open fields and wanting to have a community to be a part of, both musically and otherwise."
Bethel has been showcased as a solo artist and as an opening act for nationally- and regionally-touring artists and has busking throughout the Boston subway system. Steele is also a member of the group JP Unplugged (www.jpunplugged.org) that hosts an acoustic music series in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts.
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