Crooked Steps is back – out with the sun-soaked surf, in with the storm

Crooked Steps is a surf/garage band from Gent, back but never gone. With a new album on the way, De Nieuwe Lichting winners Lou (guitar and vocals), Bas (bass), Polle (guitar) and Thomas (drums) rise from their ashes on the shoulders of a prehistoric phoenix, new music clutched in its beak.

The story began somewhere in the 2010s, when three geeks found each other along the banks of the Ghent Leie, united by a shared love for vintage rock and Age of Empires. Their quest truly kicked off in 2020, when Crooked Steps won De Nieuwe Lichting, Studio Brussel’s breakthrough contest for new talent. Through singles like Sugar and Daiquiri, the latter climbing to number 1 on De Afrekening, they took their first steps toward a wider audience. 2023 brought their debut album Sambuca Dreams, awarded ★★★½ by HUMO and hailed as a delightful soundtrack for your perfect summer. The record earned airplay on Studio Brussel and Radio Willy, where the band was even crowned act of the month. Along the way they tore through festival fields across Belgium and the Netherlands, building a name as a fierce, high-energy live act.

Fast forward to 2026, and it is time for something new. The Hawaiian shirts come off, the sun goes down. Crooked Steps went digging for a new sound, dug too deep, and woke something even Balrogs flee from. They holed up at Number Nine Studios with producer Sebastian Omerson (STAKE, Ramkot, and more) to shape the new material. The result is a ten-headed monster that bares its claws in 2027. Still Crooked Steps, but different.

Out with the sun-soaked surf, in with the supercell storm. Heavier, darker and sharper than ever, ready for a relentless sonic journey toward total sensory overload. All gas, no brakes. Plastic queens and manospheric creatures will be thagomized. Crooked Steps is back.