Sounds Like Home: 2025 Summer Jam West Performer Mery Steel
By Philip Kim, Hilltop Arts Collective board president
Mery Steel brings raw honesty and artistic grit to this year’s Summer Jam West, happening Saturday, July 19, in Westgate Park. Known for her fearless sound and collaborative spirit, Steel will perform alongside bandmates Nick Kurth, Matthew Peyton Dixon and Milo Petruziello. Ahead of the show, she spoke with us about artistic integrity, Columbus roots and why performing in the Hilltop just feels right.
Philip: How did your journey into music begin, and what drew you to performing in the first place?
Mery Steel: I always wanted to make music ever since I was little and I’ve got a natural talent for it, so people have always taken notice. I’ve craved the spotlight my whole life.
Philip: Who are some of your biggest musical influences, and have any Columbus artists played a role in shaping your sound?
Mery Steel: I have many heroes but I don’t really model my music after them—a lot of the time I actually find myself discovering my influences from weird angles. I’m inspired by trailblazers who are chasing their own integrity. I’m a great admirer of Neil Young, David Bowie, Prince, Tina Turner, David Byrne, David Lynch… they give me the courage to pursue my vision with cojones.
But I absolutely owe my approach as a professional musician to my collaborators. They’ve been my teachers. I have to start with my band: Milo Petruziello was my second high school crush! I met Matthew Peyton Dixon on Tinder! I found Nick Kurth, Maxwell Sebastian and Henry Allen the normal way. Val Glenn and Sven Kahns from Time & Temperature (RIP). I still play with Adam Remnant (Athens via Dayton) whose last record “Big Doors” is directly influencing the album I’m working on now—Jon Helm of Old Hundred is engineer on both. David James, Counterfeit Madison, The Receiver, Sam Corlett, Paul Strawser and oh my freaking GUHH everybody I ever played with in Flotation Walls. Luke Brevoort, Brooklyn Ludlow and Pat Campbell (all former Walls) and I released a psychedelic post-rock improv record last year under Luke’s project Ultimo Maximo (search “23 Improvisations” wherever you stream, you want to hear it) that just keeps blowing my mind. My cup runneth over. This is just a partial list! It’s very moving for me to see my musical world laid out like this, so thank you for asking!
Philip: What’s your creative process like when preparing for a live show—especially one like Summer Jam West?
Mery Steel: I usually do the creative processing when I’ve written something new, and the band gets in on that when I introduce them to new work. Preparing for a live show usually looks like coming up with an appropriate set list and then practicing it.
Philip: What does it mean to you to be part of a community-centered festival like Summer Jam West, held right in the heart of the Hilltop?
Mery Steel: This is my jam. I grew up in downtown Toronto, where people worked where they live, where you didn’t need a car, where you had to talk to a bunch of strangers just to get your day done. I always felt big neighborhood vibes there, real civic pride and a willingness to pitch in. A lot of Columbus still feels very suburban and lonely to me, but here and there I feel the beating of a community heart, and I feel it in the Hilltop. It’s comfy for me, and it’s exciting too! Feels like homecoming.
Philip: Columbus has a rich and growing music scene—how do you see yourself fitting into or contributing to that creative community?
Mery Steel: I’m honestly just trying to keep up!
Philip: When you’re not making music, how do you like to spend your time around Columbus? Any local spots that keep you inspired?
Mery Steel: I spend a lot of time gardening, seeing friends and family, and taking care of my cat Dracula (he is demanding, you can imagine). I love to cook from scratch and grow as much food as I can be trusted to manage. I love to host. When I’m out, I’m at a friend’s house, a dive bar or driving somewhere weird like the Heritage Square Antique Mall, or out looking for covered bridges, or cruising 315 North at night. There’s a secret sycamore by a bend in the river up there where all the herons nest. Griggs Park on Riverside is a nice place to picnic.
Catch Mery Steel live at Summer Jam West on Saturday, July 19 at 4:30 p.m. at Westgate Park!
This article is part of a bi-weekly column brought to you by the Greater Columbus Arts Council as part of the Art Makes Columbus campaign. Explore a calendar of events, public art database and artist stories at columbusmakesart.com. To learn more about GCAC grants visit gcac.org.