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| L to R: Gholdwayne, Danny, Stacey, Tanya, & Tom - Photo taken in St Peters by Rod Manning |
Stellar Addiction's debut album 'Full Moon Sky' was met with great acclaim, and even gained them a fanbase in Japan, where they returned from touring recently. 'Full Moon Sky' is full of textbook pop-punky tracks, but things are looking to take a slightly darker turn with their upcoming single, 'Unbroken'. The catalyst for the song was a piano riff that drummer Tanya was toying with, which singer Stacey overheard and went to work immediately writing lyrics for the melody. All of a sudden, their new track had materialised - MusicMinded was lucky enough to get their hands on a sneak preview copy of 'Unbroken', and we were suitably impressed.
The song opens with a haunting, reverb-filled guitar arpeggio, which lays the foundation for the enveloping atmosphere of the song. Vocals are introduced and add to this melancholy atmosphere, but this feeling of loss is countered by the soaring guitar licks in the background. 'Unbroken' is a change of pace from Stellar Addiction's previously characteristically spunky tracks, but maintains their signature clean, crisp, and oh-so-easy on the ears sound. The bridge adds a little textbook punk aggression with heavier guitars and double-kicking drums, and holds on to end the song with a bang. As noted by the band themselves, the subject matter and lyrics of 'Unbroken' are very inclusive and can apply to any and all who have witnessed a close relationship of any kind break down.
'Unbroken' has an overwhelming vibe that is reminiscent of what is arguably the golden era of pop-punk - the mid-to-late 2000s. This was a time when bands like Fall Out Boy and Paramore became world-renowned for their somewhat contradictory formula - ballads with legendary vocals, sombre lyrics, but instrumentation that you couldn't help want to headbang to. Stellar Addiction have produced their own brand of this formula and will no doubt introduce it to a brand new audience. 'Unbroken' is incredibly anthemic and could easily be played to a stadium of thousands, who I have no doubt would be able to sing back, word for word.
Singer Stacey was kind enough to answer some questions about Stellar Addiction:
Okay, let’s run through the band… Who is who, and who does what?
Stacey - Vocals
Tom - Guitar
Goldwyn - Guitar
Danny - Bass
Tanya - Drums
Which bands/artists do you draw inspiration from?
As a band we draw inspiration from a variety of artists/bands across a range of genres. I have personally been listening to a lot of PVRIS, Bring Me The Horizon, Tonight Alive and The Amity Affliction lately. Some all time faves of mine are Silverchair, Grinspoon, No Doubt, Karnivool and John Butler Trio.
Do any of you have any formal musical training?
Yeah, I did 10 years classical training in voice and 2.5 years contemporary music at TAFE. Tanya learnt classical/contemporary piano from the age of 4 and studied Bachelor of Music at university. The boys have had lessons here and there but nothing quite as formal.
Other than musical training/education, did any of you undertake any courses or employment that people may not expect from members of a pop/punk band?
I'm a makeup artist / teacher / cook / online makeup store owner / bar tender and have been a promo girl, retail manager, waitress, model, fast food hahaha so basically I can't sit still for 5 minutes. I think we have all done a bit of everything.
The sound (mixing etc.) on your last album ‘Full Moon Sky’ is exceptionally crisp – have you kept the same post production techniques to replicate the sound of your last album?
We work with an amazing engineer/producer Chris Blancato who always helps us get the sound we are going for. He has recorded all of our material to date including our upcoming single "Unbroken". The track itself is a little darker, but the sound is definitely signature of our collaboration with Chris.
In three words, how would you describe the atmosphere and emotion of your new release ‘Unbroken’?
Sombre, powerful, awakening
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| L to R: Gholdwayne, Danny, Stacey, Tanya, & Tom - Photo taken in St Peters by Rod Manning |
As a band, what is your favourite band activity; writing songs, recording songs, or touring? Why?
Definitely touring. Getting to hang out, play music, experience new cultures together when we go international, and falling in love with places and people. It's kind of like a reward for all the hard work we do when writing, recording and rehearsing.
Do you think your music appeals a particular demographic? Who, and why?
We have a large following in the LGBTQIA+ community in Australia and internationally. I don't think this is necessarily because of our music but more because we are really active in this community. Outside of that, I don't think there is really a niche that we appeal to - our audience is pretty varied.
In saying that, is there a particular demographic that you would like to engage with more?
We would love to reach out to the under 18's crowd a little more. We don't get many opportunities to play all ages shows and that's something that I think would be really great to do more of. I remember being a kid and not getting to go to many local shows because they were always 18+. It would be great to see more opportunities around for bands to connect with the a younger demographic
What do you think sets you apart from similar artists?
Writing and playing music is amazing, but for us we like to use our art to support causes we believe in. We are lucky enough to have a microphone and a stage, so we want to use that in a positive way. Where we can, we play to raise awareness or raise money for causes which do not tend to get much attention from mainstream media.
You recently returned from tour in Japan… What was different about the Japanese crowds, and was this positive or negative?
Japan was amazing! We fell in love with the people at each and every show. The main difference was that they went out to enjoy music. They would get to the show right on doors and stay until the last band finished. They would come and shake hands after we got off stage and even with the language barrier, they made every effort to tell us they enjoyed our music. The other major difference was playing with bands who were supportive and interested in watching all the performances. There was no ego, and it felt nice to be in an environment where everyone respected each other.
Should we look forward to the release of a new EP or LP any time soon?
We definitely have plans for a new album this year!!
Do you have any shows coming up?
We are playing PUNK OUT WITH CAMP OUT on 18th Feb at The Annandale Hotel Sydney to launch our new single "Unbroken". That's our first show back for the year with a string of shows to follow.
Thank you to Stacey, Danny, and the other members of Stellar Addiction for their time!
I would highly recommend everyone keeps their eyes and ears on Stellar Addiction's socials, so as not to miss anything!
~ Watch their latest music video here
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