You guys, I am so excited to be able to share more about this wonderful band with you! Stella James Band is up and coming and will amaze you in the first 30 seconds of any song you hear from them! I got hooked on them from the minute they put their song Stella on their website and I have been a fan ever since! STELLA//JAMES is made up of three friends Rachel, Ty, and Sarah! I had the opportunity and pleasure of conducting an email interview with the band and I'm so excited to be able to share with you how they decided to come a band, their favorite song they have written, and so much more! Take a look below! NN: How did you three decide to form a band? Your voices sound great together and mesh very well! SJ: We wrote Songbird and decided to all be in a band that day; from there, things just blossomed. Sometimes you get these crazy ideas and eventually everyone backs out or the moment passes and everyone goes back to their individual lives, but not this time. We kept writing and writing and were getting so much positive feedback from outsiders and friends that it only pushed us to work harder and really make this band a success. People didn't know what we were all up to and were curious to hear what we had been working on so this mystery we created made people intrigued. It's been a year since we formed and given all that we accomplished, God only knows what next year entails. We will continue to work hard and believe in our music and sing our hearts out. NN: Your music is country but very different from some of the popular country singers, in a good way! How would you describe your band and the sound of music you are creating? SJ: When we started writing music for STELLA // JAMES, we had one primary goal ... to write music we were moved by and music that we enjoyed listening to. We never want to put our music in a box because that would limit our creativity. Our music is a melting pot of all of our favorite artists (Ryan Adams, Jason Isbell, Fleetwood Mac, Coldplay, Johnny Cash, the Eagles, etc.). It's moving, honest, and each song is different from the next, but we still have our STELLA // JAMES sound. NN: You mentioned some of your favorite artists and inspirations above, do you use those influences when coming up with the sound you want the band to have? SJ: Musical inspirations for all of us vary from Loretta Lynn and Johnny Cash to Elvis, Jason Isbell, Ryan Adams, Fleetwood Mac, Dixie Chicks, Patti Griffin, and the list goes on. Our music definitely reflects all of our favorite songs and artists compiled into one. Creating your own sound is always the hardest thing to do because it's that moment for an artist to step back, ignore what's "cool" or what's a "radio hit" and just create something from their heart they believe in. NN: What's your favorite song you have written so far as a band and what was the story behind it/what inspired you to write it? SJ: Songbird is without a doubt the most meaningful song we have written and is our favorite for many reasons. Before STELLA // JAMES formed, all three of us had individually gone through major tragedies in life. Last year, we sat down to write music on a cold, beautiful day on Rachel's back porch and unexpectedly we were about to write a song that was about to change all of our lives. We started writing Songbird with our good friend Ruston Kelly, with whom we all have written many songs, and all of a sudden this beautiful melody started to move everyone. You could just feel the passion and hope surrounding us. Rachel said, "Hey guys, do you think you would want to be in a band together?" And immediately everyone said "Yes!!" That is the beginning of STELLA // JAMES. Songbird will forever be the song that brought us together and if you carefully listen to the words it all makes total sense. :) I've included the song below so you can listen while you finish reading the interview, and y'all I had chills when I actually just sat and listened to the song. I think knowing the meaning behind songs gives you a greater appreciation for the band and artist, and helps you connect to the song on a whole new level! NN: What is a bucket list item that you have as a band that you have been able to cross off of would love to cross off as a band? SJ: To be able to travel, write music, work alongside your best friends, and sing your music is a cross off our bucket list for sure. All of us have dreamt of that since we were little kids. A dream come true would be to sing at the Opry. It's such a milestone for any band or artist to be able to stand on the stage and be accepting into the Nashville community while singing your music. How special. We can't wait until we have the opportunity to do that... NN: If you could do a collaboration with any artist who would you choose and why? SJ: Ryan Adams, Fleetwood Mac or Jason Isbell just for starters would be insane. We are all HUGE fans of all of these artists and would be so humbled if that opportunity ever presented itself. From their stage presences to their deep-rooted lyrics and amazing vocals, they would all be such a good fit for STELLA // JAMES to collaborate with. NN: Can we expect to see you guys taking part in CMA Fest this year and if so what part will you be doing? (I selfishly want to know because I'm attending this year and want to make sure I see your performance!) SJ: We most certainly will be attending CMA Fest!!! We played this past year on the Belk Park Stage and would love to do that again as well as take part in more events and do something with fans as well! CMA Fest is such an amazing opportunity to meet the most loyal music fans and supporters and to play a bunch of music! Can't wait to see you there :) --- I hope that in reading this interview you have fallen in love with STELLA // JAMES music and will support them and their music career! If you live in or around Nashville make sure you head over to see them on Tuesday December 1st at Mercy Lounge. They are competing in a competition called Music City Big Break (this show is the semi finals) along with other artists and any support for them would be awesome. Doors open at 6PM! For more info you can check out the website here. Keep up with them on social media with the links below! STELLA // JAMES- Thank you so so much for doing this! I appreciate it so much and look forward to seeing you at CMA Fest! Keep making wonderful music! All images courtesy of Team STELLA JAMES.
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