Σtella

About

" Ethereal, cool and unconventional electro-pop "

With her emotionally intricate songwriting and inventive guitar playing, Athens-based artist and performer Σtella excels at subverting pop and rock conventions, mostly by bringing out her sound’s feel-good sparkle. The recent announcement of her new release, ‘Up and Away’, on the iconic Sub Pop label, shows her musical journey is firmly on the right track.

On her self-titled debut album and her 2017 sophomore, both built around shimmering 70s disco basslines and 80s synth[pop sounds, Stella Chronopoulou (her real name) showed she’s more than qualified to write loosely ornate, lush pop songs anchored through a touch of melancholy. With her third album, ‘The Break’, released on Canadian label Arbutus Records, Σtella made it clear that her music can be danceable but with down-to-earth happiness, a mix of good and bad, of light and dark.

For her new effort, ‘Up and Away’, out on June 17 via Sub Pop, Σtella stated in a press release: “For me, the expression ‘up and away’ symbolizes freedom, a liberation (…) This video tells the inspiring true story of how two rebetiko musicians escaped from gunfire during Greece’s occupation by the Axis Powers in the 1940s.” The singer-songwriter joins forces with artist and producer Tom Calvert (aka Redinho) making grooves defined by their melodic intensity and inspiring blend: Bouzouki, kanun, vintage drums and melodic bass grooves.

New life is injected into Iranian act Googoosh’s classic pop track ‘Gole Bee Goldoon” for the main riff in the album’s title track. Σtella is above all a savvy artist and a great storyteller, always paying attention to the lyrics, delivering in a cool and ethereal way. That adds up to her genre-defying and timeless musical approach, music made in a way that is personal, rather than referential.

Photo : Dimitra Tzanou