Steve McEwan is a multi Grammy award-winning British songwriter, artist, and musician. His songs have been recorded by country music artists including Chris Stapleton, Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood, Faith Hill, and Keith Urban. Outside of country, he has also written with rock and pop stars such as Kylie Minogue, Roger Daltrey, David Archuleta, James Morrison, James Blunt, Jackson Browne, James Bay, and James Arthur as well as rapper Eminem. His song "Cry" with Jon Batiste won best American Roots song and Best Performance at the 2022 Grammys and he also won overall Best Album for "We Are". In 2024 he won the Grammy for Best Song For Social Change for "Refugee" with the artist K'naan.

Early career

Steve first began playing music at the age of 10 when his family relocated from Scotland to South Africa. He was just 17 when Miriam Makeba, the queen of African music, recorded his song "I Still Long for You". Lucky Dube then recorded "Khululeka" which he had co-written in an African band called Friends First. Steve then moved to London and joined World Party led by the influential Karl Wallinger. After a year-long tour, he signed his own deal with Arista. He also worked with pop star Robbie Williams, playing guitar and singing on Robbie's 1997, 1998 and 2000 albums, as well as Joe Cocker's No Ordinary World. In 2000, Steve formed his own band called UnAmerican. The group recorded its Universal/Estupendo debut album in Memphis and went on the road opening for Neil Young and Crazy Horse and The Who. During that time, Steve co-wrote songs with The Who's lead singer Roger Daltrey. He produced one of the songs called "A Second Out" which appeared on Daltrey's solo CD in 2004. UnAmerican then signed with Lost Highway and recorded their second album but it was never released.

Songwriting career

In 2001, Steve had the opportunity to write with country songwriter Craig Wiseman in London. He was then invited to a writer retreat in Nashville put together by BMG music publishing. That was where Steve, Craig and Naoise Sheridan co-wrote "Young", which became a huge hit for Kenny Chesney the following year. During that same visit to Nashville, Steve's UnAmerican songs came to the attention of Faith Hill, who recorded "If This Is the End" and "Wicked" for her three million selling CD Cry of 2002. From there Steve continued to have successful singles on country radio: Tim McGraw's "My Old Friend" and Brooks and Dunn's "That's What It's All About". "Summertime" soon followed and was another massive Kenny Chesney hit co-written by Steve, and then came the No. 1 single "Just A Dream" by artist Carrie Underwood. His regular trips to Nashville have resulted in four number 1 singles and cuts on more than 50 million albums worldwide. Steve never left his pop/rock roots as his success writing for that genre continued. He co-wrote four songs on pop/R&B sensation James Morrison's 2007 release called Undiscovered. He also wrote "One of the Brightest Stars" with James Blunt for the 2007 All the Lost Souls album and had two songs on pop star David Archuleta's debut album in 2008. Steve has co-written Keith Urban's No. 1 single "Only You Can Love Me This Way". Three of Steve's songs can be found on Carrie Underwood's 3 November 2009 release Play On, as well as other 2009 releases on Leslie Mendelson (Rykodisc), Brooke White (June Baby Records), Jesse James (IDJ/Mercury) and Foreigner (Rhino Entertainment). In 2010, McEwan co-wrote the track "Space Bound" for Eminem and also sang the hook. The song is the fourth single off the Recovery album. Currently, Steve is working on projects with Steve Aoki, K'Naan, and Jon Batiste to be released in early 2021. Steve McEwan is administered by SONGS of Kobalt Music Group.

Discography

2023 - “Trust” - Chris Stapleton 2023 - “Refugee” - K’naan 2023 - “Love Come Back To Me” - Phillip Phillips 2022 - "True Blood" - James Arthur 2022 - "Mood Swings" - Emma Klein 2021 - "Cry" - Jon Batiste 2020 - "If You Can't Say Anything Nice" - Leslie Mendelson 2020 - "Fall With You" - Emma McGrath 2019 - "A Human Touch" - Jackson Browne and Leslie Mendelson 2019 - "Sulwe's Song" - Lupita Nyong’o 2019 - "You Got This" - Kelsey Waters 2018 - Change For The Good" - The Wandering Hearts 2018 - Without You" - Anderson East 2018 - "Don't Stop" - Jon Batiste 2018 - "Low Blow" - Kylie Minogue 2018 - "Golden" - Kylie Minogue 2018 - "Stop Me from Falling" - Kylie Minogue 2018 - "Dancing" - Kylie Minogue 2017 - "I Don't Trust Myself" - Sara Evans 2017 - "Diving In Deep" - Sara Evans 2017 - "Careless Love" - Kimock 2017 - "Satellite City" - Kimock 2017 - "Jericho" - Leslie Mendelson 2017 - "Love You Tonight" - Leslie Mendelson 2017 - "I Know You Won't" - Rascal Flatts 2017 - "Forever"- Kat Edmonson 2016 - "Sober"- James Arthur 2016 - "If Only" -James Arthur 2016 - "Love And Hate" - Arrow Benjamin 2016 - "Everybody Wants To Be Loved" - Martina McBride 2016 - "Strangers" - Bobby Bazini 2016 - "Hole In The World" - Nashville Soundtrack 2016 - "Bombshell" - Ashley Monroe 2015 - "Washington State Fight Song" - Matt Nathanson 2015 – "First Flight Out" – The Shires 2015 – "If You Ever Want To Be in Love" – James Bay 2014 – "It's Not Like Me" – The Mastersons 2013 – "Blue on Blue" – James Blunt 2013 – "Trust" – Alfie Boe 2013 – "Never Like This" – Danielle Bradbery 2013 – "All Cried Out" – Kree Harrison 2012 – "Time Flies" – Kenny Chesney 2012 – "No One Will Ever Love You" – The Music of Nashville: Season 1 Volume 1 2012 – "Keep Coming Back" – Haley Reinhart 2012 – "Wake Up (Dreaming of You) – Mark Haze 2011 – "Grace" – Nerina Pallot 2011 – "Kiss Goodbye" – Little Big Town 2011 – "Tell Me I'm Not Dreaming" – Katherine Jenkins 2011 – "Stairway to the Stars" – Dia Frampton 2011 – "She's a Wildflower" – Lauren Alaina 2011 – "Tupelo" – Lauren Alaina 2011 – "Grace" – Nerina Pallot 2010 – "Space Bound" – Eminem 2009 – "I Know You Better Than That" – Leslie Mendelson 2009 – "Easy Love" – Leslie Mendelson 2009 – "I See Myself With You" – Leslie Mendelson 2009 – "So Far So Bad" – Leslie Mendelson 2009 – "If I Don't Stop Loving You" – Leslie Mendelson 2009 – "No Easy Way Out" – Leslie Mendelson 2009 – "Hit The Spot" – Leslie Mendelson 2009 – "Goodnight" – Leslie Mendelson 2009 – "The Rest of London" – Leslie Mendelson 2009 – "Out of the Ashes" – Brooke White 2009 – "Be Careful" – Brooke White 2009 – "Inevitable" – Jesse James 2009 – "I Can't Give Up" – Foreigner 2009 – "Lonely" – Foreigner 2009 – "What Can I Say" – Carrie Underwood 2009 – "This Time" – Carrie Underwood 2009 – "Someday When I Stop Loving You" – Carrie Underwood 2009 – "Touch My Hand" – David Archuleta 2009 – "Barriers" – David Archuleta 2009 – "Only You Can Love Me This Way" – Keith Urban 2009 – "Love Is the Lesson" – Billy Ray Cyrus 2008 – "I'm All for Love" – Serena Ryder 2008 – "My Hallelujah Song" – Julianne Hough 2008 – "Found" – Josh Gracin 2008 – "Just a Dream" – Carrie Underwood 2007 – "Get Out of This Town" – Carrie Underwood 2007 – "I Know You Won't" – Carrie Underwood 2007 – "The More Boys I Meet" – Carrie Underwood 2007 – "One of the Brightest Stars" – James Blunt 2007 – "If I Had Your Name" – Martina McBride 2007 – "Comin' Home" – Tim McGraw 2007 – "Under the Influence" – James Morrison 2007 – "The Last Goodbye" – James Morrison 2007 – "How Come" – James Morrison 2006 – "Stronger" – Robert Randolph 2006 – "Gotta Keep Moving" – Kellie Pickler 2006 – "God Made Woman" – Keith Urban 2005 – "We're Young and Beautiful" – Carrie Underwood 2004 – "A Second Out" – Roger Daltrey 2005 – "Summertime" – Kenny Chesney 2005 – "My Old Friend" – Tim McGraw 2004 – "That's What It's All About" – Brooks & Dunn 2002 – "Young" – Kenny Chesney 2002 – "Wicked" – Faith Hill 2002 – "If This Is the End" – Faith Hill 2000 – "If This Is the End" – UnAmerican 2000 – "Wicked" – UnAmerican 2000 – "I Was Wrong" – UnAmerican 2000 – "Make Up Your Mind" – UnAmerican 2000 – "She's a Bomb" – UnAmerican 1991 – "Eyes on Tomorrow" – Miriam Makeba 1991 – "I Still Long For You" – Miriam Makeba