Stellastarr* released their self-titled debut in 2003 to great reception and reviews. Quickly becoming one of the hottest acts in NYC, Stellastarr* have continued to rise up and expand their fanbase not only across the US, but in the UK as well. Their style of 80s-influence new wave dance rock has made its way into anxious ears worldwide, leaving behind it a sugary-sweet trail of Pixies-dust. Now with their highly anticipated second album, Harmonies for the Haunted, Stellastarr* are poised to infiltrate the mainstream, shaking asses everywhere. I jumped on the phone with Stellastarr*’s foxy bassist, Mandy, at her home in NY to talk to her about their new release, and discuss how things have changed for them after going from an underground sensation to a major label powerhouse.

Conducted by AJ, VP of Altsounds.com

Hear the new single Sweet Troubled Soul (Stellastarr*- Sweet Troubled Soul [song])


Hey Mandy! To prepare for this interview, I read a bunch of other interviews and reviews of your last album, because I don’t like to ask questions that you hear every time you sit down to do one of these. Unfortunately for me, you have done some really awesome interviews! So, finding questions that had not already been asked was nearly impossible.

Mandy: Really? Well since we each do interviews maybe you can ask me something that one of the other guys have been asked?

Hahaha..well, I thought about it a lot and I managed to come up with some things that I would really like to know about, whether or not you have been asked before.

Mandy: Great! Shoot!

Well, you made your first record as art school students working day jobs and all that. Now you have a solid release under your belt, been touring consistently, and have finished a highly anticipated second album. Has the songwriting process changed now that its more of a career and less of a side project?

Mandy: Because we didn’t have day jobs, we could focus completely on the album. We spent every day for 2 months lost in our practice space just being creative and getting all of our ideas out there. The first album was more scattered because we couldn’t work on it as often as we would like. So being able to spend so much time on this record, we are very happy with how cohesive it sounds.

This new album maintains the same new wave dancey vibe of your first release, but it definitely sounds fuller and more professional. Was that the goal? Do you prefer the big studio sound to a more stripped down indie vibe?

Mandy: We went for the big studio sound for a couple reasons. Mainly because we could, but we also feel that is the way our music is supposed to sound. It was definitely a conscious effort. We paid close attention to detail and made sure that all of the songs were done the best they could be. We went through them with a fine-toothed comb to make sure everything was perfect. We like the ambient large sound and think it sounds great on the album.



Ha, I like what I have heard so far! I was wondering, having a band full of creative people, do you have the ‘whole package’ in mind when working on your album? Artwork, video, marketing, etc?

Mandy: When we are working on the songs, it is all about the songs. We didn’t have any kind of marketing in mind when recording the record because we didn’t even know which songs would be on it. We went into the studio with a lot of songs, and ended up cutting quite a few that we really liked and were some of the band favorites because we wanted to have a cohesive record. We liked all of the songs, but we were going for the right ones, rather than the best ones. Once the album was finished, we were able to start thinking about how we visually wanted the album to feel that would fit the sound.

You’re the second band I have interviewed in the past month on a major label that was given full creative control over their own process. How important do you think that has been to you so far, and do you think that labels are making good choices in allowing artists to do this?

Mandy: I don’t think we could have done it any other way. We are all creative and very picky, and its been important to us to be able to respect all of the opinions coming in. We have been together for a while and know our music well and we knew what we wanted, so it was great to be given the opportunity to create it exactly the way we wanted to. Our label has been very supportive of our decisions. I think it is great that labels are looking for the whole artistic package. It really fuels the creativity behind the music and gives them a lot of credibility. I hope they keep doing it. I understand the label’s desire to create their own groups and control everything that comes out of it. There’s a lot of money on the line. But I think going for artists that are capable of doing it on their own produces something more genuine and lasting.

I definitely agree with that. The artists that have been given this control seem to be the ones that really are solid in their own identity and are bringing in something unique.

Mandy: Yeah, that’s when I think it’s a good thing. When the band is coming in with a clear vision for themselves.


Although you were very successful at college radio and some alternative with your last album, your band is a great example of New Media Marketing for artists, as it seems the majority of your fan base learned about you online, rather than through the old mainstream outlets like Radio and Television. Do you think this is the best way for new bands to get exposure? And how important has it been to your band?

Mandy: Specifically with radio, in NYC there are no modern rock stations. If you want to hear new rock music, the only place to go is internet radio. For us, the internet has been absolutely crucial to getting us exposure. Not only is it a cheap alternative to the old mainstream outlets, but with blogs and message boards, its much easier to target fans. People go to certain sites to hear certain things. They know who has a taste in music that they enjoy and an opinion they respect, and that is where they turn to hear about new music. Its very much push-button marketing, and has worked very well for us so far.

A lot of artists have a hard time working together after spending ridiculous amounts of time together on the road and in the studio, just putting on their happy face for the press. From what I can tell, you all seem to genuinely really love each other and work together well. Is there any advice you can give young artists on how to keep the family together?

Mandy: Communication, respect and understanding. You have to be able to communicate your feelings without hurting someone else’s. Everyone has good days and bad days, good moods and bad moods. It’s just about treating people the way you want to be treated. If someone in your band is in a bad mood, try and remember the last time you were in a bad mood and how you wanted to be treated. You have to be sensitive to what is going on in their lives, and respect them as a person. The time we have spent together has only brought us closer and made us better as a band, because we do care about each other. It’s not about any one of us, it is about the group.

When it comes to touring and fans, do you find the US or the UK more receptive to your music?

Mandy: Well, our album came out in the UK first. So when we toured there it was different because they knew who we were and we were playing bigger venues. Eventually it evened out when the record came out in the US. The only real difference between the US and the UK is the press. They love their tabloids over there, so its much more gossipy. But, the fans are great. As soon as we went over there we felt welcome.


Adria Petty shot the video for your first single Sweet Troubled Soul (Stellastarr*- Sweet Troubled Soul [song])…how was that experience? Are you happy with how it came out?

Mandy: We’re all incredibly happy with the video! Half of it is stop-motion animation and the other half is us live, also in stop-motion. We did it in a 2 day period, working 12 hour days in this old factory space. There was no air conditioning and we were all sweating really bad, but we are very happy with the way it came out. We love it!

Are you looking forward to going back out on the road and touring? Where are you most looking forward to going?

Mandy: Yeah, I am happy to be playing more shows. Other than some promotional shows we have done here and there, we haven’t been touring. I am excited to get back out there and do the every night thing. Being able to get the show together and hone in on the little details to make it a big performance is a really great feeling. I really like playing LA. Of course, NYC is the best. That’s when all of our friends can come out and our early fans, so we really like those shows. Surprisingly, we really like playing in Texas. That’s just a great state for music. We really like the shows there.

As more artistic people, do you get more satisfaction out of the writing and recording process or do you like performing better?

Mandy: Each member would have a different answer to that. For me, personally, I love performing. I love seeing fans enjoy the music right in front of me. It’s a good feeling to make people happy like that.

That’s about it, congrats on the new record! I haven’t heard the whole thing yet, but the little bit I was able to check out is pretty awesome!

Mandy: You should hear it soon, we just got it back a couple days ago. We’re really excited about it!

I can’t wait! Thanks a lot Mandy…this has been fun.

Mandy: Thanks AJ!

Stellastarr* - Harmonies for the Haunted, in stores everywhere Sept. 13
www.stellastarr.com