Michael Steer:
I have a passion for a good strong melody, no matter what the language. I love to hear a song stripped down to its basics, that’s why I like to write on the acoustic guitar, or even better when a melody pops into my head from nowhere and I know it has something special. And when that song is sung by a singer with feel, I am in heaven.
Two songs sum me up: Red red wine UB40 and Imagine John Lennon. Red red wine taught me about melodies and Imagine taught me about melodies and meaning. It doesn’t really get much better than Imagine.
In 1983 me and my school friends started a reggae band. Even though I could play the guitar, for some reason I ended up playing the drums. There were about eight or ten of us and it was multi racial, in the style of UB40 and The Specials. That went down to four or five in a few weeks. The band was called 99 Plus.
After leaving school in 1984 there were three of us. 1984 was a very important year for us because we learned about constructing melodies. We were three very passionate and focused individuals. We changed the band name to ‘And Why Not?’.
In 1988 we signed a deal with Island records and had three top 40s and a top 30 album.
I have been writing on and with my brother David for a few years but in 2018 we decided to go for it. We work really well together and we both bring our valuable experiences to the table
David Steer
My interest in music came from an early age, I was 7 years old when I decided I would like to play the drums. Coming from a gospel background, I watched musicians play every Sunday, and I was so fascinated in how it all came together and sounded fantastic.
I joined the choir to get involved with what was going on in this whole different world that existed right in front of me. I excelled in this new venture, and in a short time, I progressed to singing lead vocals in the choir. This was an amazing feeling, being only 7 years old and leading an adult choir, and singing my heart out to more than 100 people every Sunday.
At the age of 13 years old, we created a band, we practised at any opportunity given, at school and all member’s homes whether it was local or not. This is where I discovered my ability to not just sing songs, but to also write and arrange them too. It became a passion that would take over my life in a good way. I have written quite a lot of songs over the years because I played from ear most of the time. I now think it is time to embellish musical theory so I can become the accomplished musician.