Steve Harris

About

Steve Harris is the founding bassist of Iron Maiden, a band he built from the ground up in 1975 and has steered ever since. He is the only member to have been there for the whole ride, and his fingerprints are all over the band's sound: that instantly recognisable galloping bass style, usually an eighth note followed by two sixteenth notes at pace, drives classics like "Run to the Hills" and "The Trooper". He chalks his fingers before playing, uses his fingernails for a trebly bite, and keeps his bass unusually high in the mix. Janick Gers once said it plays almost like a lead guitar while still anchoring the band. Harris has always been Iron Maiden's primary songwriter, with lyrics that pull from mythology, history, books and films. Over time he shifted toward collaborating more with his bandmates rather than writing alone. He also co produces albums and handles keyboards in the studio, a role that became prominent from Somewhere in Time onward. Outside of Iron Maiden, he has fronted the hard rock project British Lion, releasing their debut in 2012 and a second album, The Burning, in 2020.