INTERVIEW: Stellie on the release of new single 'Violet Girl': "We wanted to make something people might find a little jarring - a little unconventional."

Image: Jonathan Van Der Knaap

Adelaide’s Stellie has been releasing music since 2018, with her output covering soulful indiepop and moody electronica. She has steadily attracted acclaim including being a featured artist on Triple J Unearthed and hitting number 1 on the Shazam Discovery Chart with her 2020 single ‘How Do We Look So Good?’

Late last month she released the single ‘Violet Girl’. Co-written and produced with long term collaborator Alex Markwell (Elliphant, Kita Alexander), the track is a steely, dark electronic track with forbidding beats, hypnotic melodies and a multi-layered soundscape that is ever intriguing. It may be dark and full of foreboding but It is the type of song that wraps itself around you and is so immersive you are more than happy to drown in it.

Lyrically the song was inspired by Dolly Parton’s classic ‘Jolene’. “It’s that idea of not being able to compete with someone so beautiful, and just hoping they don’t come along and steal your lover,” Stellie says.

After supporting major names such as G-Flip, The VANNS, Cub Sport, Winston Surfshirt and Lime Cordiale, Stellie will be going out on her first headline tour this August, which will see her perform in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide. “I’ve had this moment put on hold for 2 years until the world made it possible again, and now I cannot wait to show you what I’ve been working on. There's no feeling in the world that compares to watching and playing live music, and I can’t wait to bring that feeling to life again,” she says.

Stellie is an artist to get very excited about. Her music is always brilliantly put together pop music with a flexibility that allows her to authentically inhabit different genres with ease. An artist really coming into her own, she needs to be on your playlist now. We recently caught up with Stellie to chat more about ‘Violet Girl’ and her career to date.

Hi Stellie! Thanks so much for taking the time to chat. How is life in your world right now?
Thank you for having me! Life is pretty good in my world at the moment! Just trying to gear myself up for my upcoming shows and just generally taking care of my mental health.

Congratulations on the release of your latest single ‘Violet Girl’, it is such an incredible track. You have said the song was inspired by Dolly Parton’s classic ‘Jolene’ - can you tell us a little bit more about the inspiration behind the song?
In part ‘Jolene’ inspired the lyrical elements of the song - it’s that idea of feeling really insecure that someone else will come and steal the heart of the one you love. The rest of the song was really easy to put together, I feel like when you get that initial idea - everything really just flows from there. I wanted it to sound unique and a bit different from my other songs, more ‘messy’ in a way. So really, we just had a heap of fun playing different synths and exploring some new sounds.

Can you tell us a little about the creative process for the song?
The song was written in Melbourne with the lovely Alex Markwell (The Delta Riggs) who I have worked with multiple times in the past.  Just like most tracks I write with Alex, ‘Violet Girl’ came together quite quickly and seamlessly. We wanted to push the sonic boundaries and make something a little more unconventional compared to my other songs.

The song is multi-layered electronica and has a dark, moody feel which matches up with the melancholy in the lyrics. The song sounds so fantastic and it is clear there was a lot of thought that went into the overall soundscape, what was your intention for the ‘feel’ of the song when you went into the studio to create it?
I didn’t really have any initial thoughts when first coming into this session - when you work with people you know quite well I think it becomes easier to freely explore and develop new ideas without any prior ‘research’. I remember we listened to a few Kanye tracks and that somewhat jumpstarted things. We just wanted to make something people might find a little jarring - a little unconventional.

You’ve released some pretty cool visuals for your music over the years, can we expect a video for ‘Violet Girl’ and if so what will it be like?
Yes! I love the process of creating visuals for my songs - its one of my favourite aspects of music. There is a really cool lyric video/visualiser on its way very soon. So keen for everyone to finally see it - I’ve watched it about 100 times ha ha.

If we go all the way back to the beginning, what role did music play in your life when you were growing up?It played a very large role in my life growing up - and I’m very glad it did. My mum kickstarted everything when I was really little. I started singing lessons when I was 5 years old. And I absolutely loved going to my lessons, it never felt like a chore like it does for some children. From then on my love for singing in particular just kept growing. I remember dancing around to a cassette tape in my living room and just pretending that I was onstage, hoping that someday that might become my reality.

What was your path to becoming a musician? Was it something you always knew you were going to do?
It was definitely something I always knew I wanted - but I didn’t necessarily know how to go about making it happen. One day I just decided to upload a track to Triple J Unearthed and from there things somewhat started falling into place. Im still to this day learning about the ins and the outs of the music industry - and it hasn’t always been an easy road as such, but I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t love it.

You are heading out on your first headline tour in August. How are you feeling about that and what can we expect to see at the shows?
Finally the time has come! These shows are going to be really special - I wanted to elevate my live show and make it more dramatic. I’ve got a bunch of new tracks that I haven’t ever played to a live audience before, and of course all of the oldies. Nothing beats the feeling of performing live music and I can’t wait to experience that magic again on my first ever headline tour.

The music industry has traditionally not been an industry that has been kind to women, in the main because it has been run by older, white, straight men since its inception. What are your thoughts on gender equality and sexism in the music industry?
I still think I am quite fresh to the world of the music industry and probably haven’t experienced this as much as others may have. I think people are constantly growing and learning every single day. I appreciate that there has been a shift and can only hope that we continue down this path.

‘Violet Girl’ is out now and your tour is coming up in August, what other plans do you have for the rest of 2022?
I have so much more to give before the end of the year - new music and more shows are definitely on the cards. Will just have to wait and see what the second half of 2022 has in store for me!

‘Violet Girl’ is out now. You can download and stream here.

To keep up with all things Stellie, you can follow her on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Stellie will be touring in August. Tickets are on sale now

12 August – Low 302, Sydney NSW 
13 August – Junk Bar, Brisbane QLD 
19 August – The Workers Club, Melbourne VIC
27 August – Jive Bar, Adelaide SA