Steel Cut Oats is an indie pop trio that blends synths, guitars, violin, and harmonies to elicit a dynamic sound underneath femme powered narratives. Formed in Halifax, NS, they’re now based on the West Coast preparing to release their debut album. What started as a five piece band in 2021 has dwindled down to three members, inspiring a departure from the traditional guitar, bass, and drum arrangement of a pop rock band to create something of their own. They keep it tight knit and work within their limitations while controlling an expansive sound. Sarah sings and plays guitar and synth, Sophie sings and plays guitar and violin, and Ted plays drums and bass synth.

Starting in late 2021, SCO started rehearsing for their first shows in student rental living rooms to cultivate a sound that was both electric and respectful of their neighbours. By summer 2022, they were in Whitehorse, Yukon, recording their debut EP, At The Eleventh Hour. Sitting around studio monitors until 2am, squeezing in the final mixing before their 6am flights back to Halifax that morning loosely inspired its title. The single, My Funeral, began to get regular play on East Coast CBC programs, like East Coast Music Hour and Mainstreet. The EP earned critical acclaim, taking home Rock Recording of the Year at the 2023 Nova Scotia Music Awards. Around this time, they were also voted Halifax’s Best New Band by The Coast magazine. 

SCO’s sophomore EP, Top Autonomy, propelled their magnetic sound and femme curriculum. Professional Disrespect reflects on the particularly unprofessional experiences young women are subject to in the workforce. With this release, SCO broke out of the East Coast and started touring into Quebec, Ontario, and BC. 2023 saw the beginning of a long-distance band-ship, with Sophie in Victoria, BC, while Sarah and Ted still lived in Halifax. Like any love story, frequent calls and visits made it work for a while - until someone had to make the move. In Spring 2025, both Sarah and Ted packed up their cars and drove across Canada to keep the flame burning with Sophie in Victoria. Once again, they were writing and rehearsing in their living room, and playing to new crowds on Vancouver Island. When their lease ended in Victoria, they started driving north, back up to Whitehorse, to record their debut album.