Oliver Steadman
Born	(1987-11-03) 3 November 1987 (age 38) Johannesburg, South Africa

Oliver "Oli" Steadman is a British-South African^[1][2] multi-instrumentalist.

Stornoway

Steadman is a founding member of Oxford band^[3][4] Stornoway,^[5][6] and through them is a campaigner with many nature conservation trusts including HIWWT, RSPB,^[7][8][9] Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust,^[10] Woodland Trust,^[11] and British Trust for Ornithology.^[12] Steadman hosts the band's Conservation Conversations podcast^[13] (whose guests^[14] have included Angeline Morrison, Bella Hardy, Rachel Sermanni, Jim Moray, David Ford, Chris Leslie, Yijia Tu, and Arthur Jeffes).^[15] He is a patron of Sam Lee's Singing With Nightingales^[16] and a regular fundraiser for conservation projects^[17] including around the Great North Wood.^[18][19]

365 Days Of Folk

In 2024 Steadman started 365 Days Of Folk,^[20][21] a spin-off of Jon Boden's A Folk Song A Day,^[22] featuring daily recordings of traditional music.^[23] Having completed an entire year of learning & recording a folk song daily the project appears to be continuing indefinitely (as of April 2026 with the publication of songs #460 & above)^[24][25][26] and now tours major folk events such as Manchester Folk Festival.^[27]

Other projects

Steadman has worked as a studio producer for artists including Nick Cope,^[28][29] and as composer / musical director at the Stephen Joseph Theatre,^[30][31][32] also serving as manager to many artists,^[33] including Willie J Healey,^[34] The People Versus,^[35] Blue Bayou,^[36] and Balloon Ascents / NEVERLND.^[37]

In 2013 Steadman founded Count Drachma,^[38][39] performing at festivals from WOMAD^[40] to WOOD to Festival N°6, co-headlining London's Southbank Centre with the Mahotella Queens,^[41] and filming a documentary with The Guardian's Education channel.^[42] It was a vehicle for importing the isicathamiya and mbaqanga sounds of South Africa to UK audiences.^[43]

In 2014 Steadman founded music-tech startup Tigmus,^[44][45] with Stornoway's touring trumpet player Thomas E Hodgson.^[46][47]

Since 2015 Steadman has been endorsed by Aria Bass Guitars,^[48][49] touring with 2x basses Detroit 313-DR & Detroit 313-BB, and recording with FEB-F2/FL or a Mexican Fender Jazz Bass. All are strung with roundwound strings except the Fender, on which Steadman has played with exclusively flatwound strings since 2009.^[50]

In 2024 Steadman established "Traildance".^[51]

In 2025 Steadman as a Friend of Blythe Hill Fields^[52] accepted Gold and Category Winner awards on their behalf^[53] following their creation of a wildlife garden, tiny forest, cherry orchard, and newly dug pond & swales.^[54]

References

External links

• Oli Steadman on Twitter