“Home is wherever you happen to be” is more than a lyric for Arms & Hearts — a.k.a. Steve Millar — it’s almost a mantra at this point. When he sings it, and crowds sing it back at him, the truth in the phrase is clear to see.

The heavy-touring singer/songwriter combines the storytelling and workrate of a classic troubadour and the heart on his sleeve punk rock passion, asserting himself as one of the most prominent figures in the UK’s underground / DIY music scenes through sheer hard work and persistence.

Equally comfortable on a dimly lit folk club stage or at a loud and lively punk show, Arms & Hearts has been active since 2015; making his name in and around Manchester upon the release of his self-titled debut EP.

Increasingly prolific from this point on, Arms & Hearts quickly amassed a catalog of three self-released EPs and increased his touring schedule tenfold, finding his voice in the process, before setting about making a name for himself across the UK.

Prevalent throughout his home country and increasing his presence in Europe, 2017 saw the release of a new EP — Too Much Sleep, Not Enough Dreams (UTB Manchester) — and the double A-side single Fortitude (Real Ghosts Records). Both releases felt like a statement of intent, with the step up in quality of recording matching Millar’s ever-developing songwriting technique. The caliber of his writing now matching his intensity and passion, Millar’s growth and hard work paid off handsomely.

2018 was a banner year for the Manchester musician. Increased European touring with bands like Jake and the Jellyfish and Mixtape Saints, was equated with higher-profile UK shows that saw him sharing stages with the likes of Nothington, Jared Hart, Ducking Punches and, one of his musical heroes, Dave Hause on multiple occasions.

Arms & Hearts continues to work hard, plying his trade whenever and wherever he can. A DIY musician through and through, when he’s not on tour he’s producing records for fellow artists, booking tours and consistently working to help others within this burgeoning UK scene.

2019 could be the best year to date for Arms & Hearts: maturing as a musician and flourishing creatively, we haven’t seen the best of him yet.