What’s the story behind your stage name STARLA?
One time, I was reminded of how – when I was little – I would often go to the local café with my grandpa, for his morning coffee. We’d always sit at the far end of café bar and, while walking to our stools, I’d only be able to see the people hunched over the bar with their butts on the stools and their belts right at eye level.
Most of these people had belt names, like “Buck” or “Billy”. Not their real names, but – who they went by. Who everyone in the community knew them as.
Even as I grew, and moved to different communities, the belt name tradition was strong. It always stood out as such a special thing. Such a cool way of showing that you’re somebody special.
While I was remembering this whole thing, people with belt names, I wondered “What would my belt name be? If I had a belt with my name on it?” Stephanie’s too long. It’s nine magnificent letters, but – definitely too long for a belt name.
So – I wanted it to be a shorter word but still one with rhythm, like a nice two-syllable word, one that sounds a little bit country, since I grew up in such a rural part of the US, like “Darla” or something, but I also wanted it to be really special. Aspirational. Something like “STARLA”.
And as soon as I said it out loud – I said – “Yes! STARLA! That’s my name.”
So – that whole memory-turned-thought-exploration, stayed with me for quite a few years, and I absolutely knew that – at some point, when I felt ready – any big, beautiful, dynamic and aspirational music I would make, would be as STARLA.
What made you want to pursue music?
Ever since I was five, I knew I wanted to be a singer on stage, in a band, making records.
So growing up, learning to play various instruments, learning how to write, learning how to play in public, was like learning how to skip stones. Like “Yes. I love it. Ok – how do I get this next one to go further. How do I hold my hand or the rock, or pick a new rock shape, to get it to skip that way, or up a wave, or all the way across the other side of the creek.”
Everything kept building on itself. Learning one skill to learn another. So the more I learned how to create music, the more I wanted to make it. The more I wanted to make it, the more I wanted to record it. The more I wanted to record it, the more I wanted to release it.
It’s that – always having a voracious appetite for more.
More harmony. More melody. More ear candy. More meaning. More emotion. More subtlety. More dynamics. More inside rhythms. More outside obviousnesses.
You know? The feeling of increasing yes-ness that I don’t have a lot of actual words for. Lol – so I sing ‘em.
When I’m in the music – I’m completely enraptured. Time stands still. I feel fulfilled. I step into a different part of myself and new words flow out where I didn’t have them before. New understandings. New sides to myself that feel so comfortable with who they are, and what they’ve got to say.
So – it’s not like I wanted to pursue a music career – it’s like – a music career is the natural thing for a person like me to want. Who feels so much like herself, in the music.
Tell us about the track ‘Waiting Room’.
Oooh, this is a fun one.
So – I saw a clip on Reddit where the waiting room of the place this person was in was just mayhem. People waiting to find out bad news, some people waiting to find out good news.
And my brain started to morph it into – what if – amongst all of this – someone started to beat box and get a little groove happening. Just a nice little gentle one. Something warm and friendly, pleasant and uplifting.
Just to – kindof pause on everything that’s going on, and tune into the good that’s in the now. That little moment of bliss. Peacefulness. Calm. Maybe even a little bit happy. Chill. Maybe even a head nod. Maybe some people actually get up out of their chairs and start to groove a little bit.
So – that’s the seed.
And then, since this was around the time period of when the holiday seasons all come together, and schools are typically out, so parents are typically out of office, and work things – work things just get put on hold. So I started thinking about that kind of waiting room. The work cycle waiting room.
And then – I started thinking about the time between Christmas and New Years, where – the “celebrating” is also put on pause. It’s that set of days when, the food is mostly eaten, the movies mostly all watched, kindof bored but not really wanting to leave.
And – it all kindof melded into the mental soup of the time, with the seed of the Waiting Room imagery, so I just went to my computer and piano and started writing it all out.
What feeling do you hope your tracks will inspire in your listeners?
I think – as I literally just take a deep breath – I think that – as long as we know there’s always something to want, that there’s always something to “wait” for, that we never get it done, that – as soon as we learn one thing we’re going to want to learn another –
With all of that “Future”, waiting for us, forever, until we die,
That it’s OK to let yourself find that peace in a breath, and enjoy that moment of refreshment.
Or in that head bob when you hear something you like on the radio, or in the market, or in your feed.
That “The groove [really] is in the heart” (can I sort of quote Deee-Lite here?)
Fr tho – That’s what STARLA is to me. She’s my happy heart.
I just want listeners to know that I believe in their happy hearts too. And if hearing this song helps them feel theirs a little more distinctly? Then good. That’s awesome.
As you continue to evolve as an artist, what are some of your personal and professional goals in music?
Ooh this is a great question.
I was just singing a song tonight for practice, because I think I might be good enough to make it sound like I want it to. I have so many songs, and most of the time – I write a new one when I sit down to play anyhow – so – I’m just trying to keep up with myself and get better at that.
Get better at promotion, marketing. I’m not kidding – and it’s so awesome to say this – I told a friend the other day, “I finally feel the joy in marketing my own music!” I was Beaming with pride as I felt that statement with absolute certainty!
It’s so cool to feel that way. To feel the parallels of various life endeavors coming together more seamlessly. Understanding the symbiosis between events and impulses. I’m really enjoying myself and – I just want to keep at that.
What are your plans after this release? Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations you can share with us?
Oooh! I read your mind! So – yes. My plans are – keep on keeping on. Keep on my good foot.
Keep on tuning into the music and letting myself figure out how to make it sound like what I hear. Feel like how I feel.
The best thing about all that is, it’s cool season, baby! Fall is already starting to happen, I turned on my heater the other day tho I’ve got the window open right now, but – winter season is inside season. Time when I don’t really care how dark it is outside because I’m inside with my computer and my Vitamin D supplements.
I’m good, when it comes to hunkering down and making stuff. I love it actually.
So – that’s what I’m looking forward to next. More awesome music-making. And cuddles. Lots and lots of cuddles.
Listen here:
