Bedroom pop producer 'owes success to Hackney's creative community'

Known by his surname, Steve Knight spent last March's lockdown in his bedroom studio perfecting his EP.

“I finished it over three to four months. I decided every day I'm gonna work on it, and get it to a point where I'm actually happy," he said.

But since moving to Hackney Downs two years ago, the 29-year-old has been producing and songwriting for other artists including Julianna Townsend, Effie and Georgia Meek.

Knight in his bedroom studio (Image: courtesy of the Artist)

He said: “It's the openness to create with anyone. There are a lot of communal creative spaces, where there were loads of jam nights. The music community here is so supportive, and it feels like people give you a chance, whereas in other places, it's more closed off and less open to trying a new kind of vibe.”

He added: “Throwing myself into producing and working with loads of other artists is probably the best thing I've ever done. 90 percent of the session is just the communication and the relationship you have with the artist, which is good because I love people and chatting. If you make someone feel comfortable then they’ll obviously do their best work.

“'I’ve made some really great friends and done some cool songs with that kind of mentality.”

Pre-pandemic, the Oxford Brookes graduate, who also has a song writing degree from the Kilburn-based Institute of Contemporary Music Performance, set up free music night the Plate Sessions at Hackney Empire.

“I felt promoters weren't doing enough for artists so I thought I’d take it on just for the love of doing it. It wouldn’t have gone so well in a different part of London.”

Knight's passion for music goes back to his school days, when he picked up his father's guitar after a rugby injury and started playing.

“He always loved Stevie Wonder and David Gilmour, so Knocking on Heaven's Door was the first song I ever learnt. And then I just fell in love with performing and writing. I think conveying an emotion in a song is the best thing you can possibly do."

His own style blends R'n'B with electronica, and over lockdown, girlfriend Pip and his housemates encouraged him to release the songs he’d saved on his computer for years.

“I never thought I could produce myself, because I'm always super critical of myself, I think all creatives are”, he admitted. "But I've had a lot of people saying ‘Enough’ really hit home for them, because they've had bad relationships that have ended.

Knight's single Enough is out now (Image: courtesy of the Artist)

“As a writer, that's one of the best accolades you can get. It's what you're always seeking out.”

Listen to ‘Enough’ here https://open.spotify.com/album/7FkMeikm8qUc5SG1sGXM3z?highlight=spotify:track:3AF8gFSzuIcfqRGpXQUdrO and follow Plate Sessions on Instagram at @platesessions