If young me could see me now.
Growing up surrounded by music, going to her parents' gigs, it's no surprise that Stella naturally also fell into the music scene. Now's her time to shine. We sat down with Stella to find out more about her journey so far. Check it out.
How did this all start, did you grow up loving music, singing. Was this always a dream for you?
Music has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. My Mum is a singer and my Dad is a musician/singer and sound engineer, so I grew up going to all my Dad's gigs, listening to Fleetwood Mac and ZZ Top in the car while Mum taught me to harmonise. I loved it so much. I always knew I wanted to be a part of that world in one way or another. So I did everything I could to learn as much as I could - musical theatre, guitar lessons, dancing,and school band. I couldn’t get enough!
Who are your music inspirations/ do you look up to?
I have SO many. But I feel like I always come back to the artists who storytell so well, the ones who make me feel like a song was written for me. At the moment, people like Olivia Dean, Lola Young and Olivia Rodrigo. Those girls can never do wrong in my eyes! Growing up, though, I so desperately wanted to be Stevie Nicks. I thought being a girl in a band would be so cool. One day maybe!
What keeps you motivated?
I think of my younger self and her dreams. Some days, it can be hard for a small artist to keep going and put themselves out there when they’re just starting out. But I always think about what would happen if I don't give it a try, how would I tell little me? I think that helps me to keep pushing forward.
You recently moved to Perth, how exciting! What made you decide to move, and how will this impact your music going forward?
Yes, it's been very exciting! Love it here in Perth, its music scene is really underrated, and I have loved finding new artists from here to listen to. So much talent! But the boring answer to this question is just trying to get back on top of life financially after COVID, haha. So when an opportunity to move over here came up, it was a no-brainer! I lived in Sydney for a couple of months before the lockdowns and always wanted to come back for a little bit. NZ is still and forever will be home, though, so I’ll be back in no time. Making music will look a little different, but I‘m already making great connections here to help with that, so I’m very lucky.
Let’s talk about your song, Lookin', tell us more about this, how it came to be, the process, the inspo.
Well, a few of my good friends had been asked to produce the track, I ended up bumping into them at our favourite local coffee shop in The Mount one morning, and we got chatting. They said my name had come up as someone they wanted to work with on the song, and after hearing the concept, it sounded exciting, so I jumped on board! A very Kiwi way of starting a collaboration.
I had so much fun helping out with the writing, as it's a style of song I’d never really done before. So producers Sam Kelson and Fraser Browne showed me the song that themselves and DJ Danny and B Rizzy Ryce had written after their Thailand trip and it was a super fun track. And as the featured artist, they really made space for me to make sure the song was authentic to me as an artist. So, throwing around some ideas and tweaking some lyrics here and there to get the song to where it is today was exciting.
How do you find the collaborative process vs working alone?
I love collaborating so much. I think writing alone is definitely very therapeutic, but then being able to bring that to other people, other brains with fresh ideas, is so exciting. I always believe you have so much to learn from other creatives. And if I have the opportunity to learn anything from anyone, especially as a new artist, I’m gonna do it! Also, the more I collaborate, the more it helps me get better at figuring out my sound and being confident enough to vocalise that.
Have you made any connections with other Kiwi artists that you’ve been able to ask advice or run ideas by?
Yeah, I’ve been very lucky to have made some lovely friends and connections so far. Even just in my hometown, Tauranga alone, there are so many incredible artists crushing it right now. One of those being Georgia Lines, who's a long-time friend of mine and someone I’ve gone to for not just music advice but everything in life advice! She is wise beyond her years and the sweetest human ever, and someone in my life I’m very lucky to have to look up to!
What do you have coming up that you can share with us?
Got some fun things in the works currently that will hopefully be on track to be out in the world in the second half of this year. Just really excited to show some more stuff that's more authentic to the artist I am right now. So keep an eye out!
What burger do you think Lookin’ would be if it were on the BF menu and why?
Definitely Bacon BBQ Roadster. She is the moment, she's everything everyone wants. She’s got it all.
What would your ideal BF burger contain?
Two of my favourite things in this world are caramelised onions and pesto. So that, plus a beef patty AND chicken breast. Give me my protein.
We had to round out this epic interview by putting Stella through a round of Fire or backfire.
What is your go to song to Jam out to in the car?
At the moment it’s ‘Collosal Loss’ by NIKI. The perfect song to blast with the windows down.
Who is your favourite artist at the moment?
Not gonna lie… everything Addison Rae is putting out at the moment is SO good. It’s fresh, it’s different. I don’t know what kind of juice she puts in her music, but it's so addicting.
One thing you can’t perform without?
My pre-show Vocalzone pastie chased down with raw honey in hot water. Has saved me from too many run-down vocal days.
One artist or band you would love to co-lab with?
If you know me you know I love 5 Seconds of Summer. Love their sound, how they’ve evolved over the years, and I think the depth and the creativity of how they write is so rare these days. Has always been a dream of mine to write or collaborate with them as a band or even in their solo projects! Obviously not a near future collaboration, but a girl can dream.
Go to BurgerFuel order?
Bacon Backfire with Kūmara fries, nothing beats it. Please open up in WA, it's been too long since I’ve had one!
Fire or Backfire?
Pickles in burgers - As of 3 years ago, FIRE. I think my taste buds have finally matured.
Crocs - Backfire, I’m so sorry. I wore my red Crocs to shreds as a kid, and the smell that would come out of those at the end of the day is something I would never like to experience again.
Karaoke - Fire. I love just watching karaoke nights. I think you learn so much about a person through what song they pick and their performance, good or bad. Top-tier entertainment.
BurgerFuel Aioli - FIRE. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
Acoustic performances - Fire! I think a good song is one that you can make sound good acoustically, too.
NZ Music Month - So much fire. The talent in NZ is next level. I think we have so much goodness to show the country and the rest of the world, and having a month to highlight that is so important. If I could only listen to Kiwi artists for the rest of my life, I would not be mad at all.
Festivals - Fire is you’re performing. Backfire if you’re attending. I don’t know if I’m just getting old but I went to a festival earlier in the year and I was so sore afterwards I had to have a spa. My body couldn’t handle it.
Singing in the shower - Fire, go off. As Becky G says, la da dee, la dada, la dada.
Pineapple on pizza -Fire. A good Hawaiian on a thin and crispy base? Say no more.
Supermarket in bare feet -I can hear my mum gagging from across the ditch, so I’m gonna say backfire. Can’t say I haven't done it, though.
Check out Stella Mayn's newest track that's just dropped today - Lookin'.
