Serafina Steer

Serafina Steer is a classically trained harpist and songwriter whose work bridges the gap between chamber folk, art pop, and post-punk. A graduate of Trinity College of Music, her technical proficiency on the harp is foundational, yet she frequently subverts the instrument's traditional associations with 'heavenly' or 'ethereal' sounds by using it for rhythmic, percussive, and harmonically complex songwriting.

Her career is marked by significant collaborations, most notably with Jarvis Cocker, who produced her 2013 breakthrough 'The Moths Are Real' and recruited her for his band JARV IS. Her sound evolved significantly following the 2010 theft of her harp, leading her to integrate vintage analogue synthesizers (provided by Benge) into her arrangements, a move that added a 'folktronica' edge to her work. Beyond her solo output, Steer is a founding member of the post-punk trio Bas Jan, where she explores more jagged, bass-driven textures. Critically, she is often compared to Joanna Newsom for her instrument choice, but her dry, observational lyrical style and urban sensibilities align her more closely with artists like Robert Wyatt or Stereolab. She remains a vital figure in the London experimental folk scene, known for her ability to translate classical rigor into intimate, idiosyncratic pop.