Stella Rose was shaped by creative minds from a very early age. Her dad, Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan, introduced her to post-punk and rock, while her mum, filmmaker and actress Jennifer Sklias-Gahan, had a penchant for jazz and blues – influences that set the New Yorker on her own musical journey. After releasing her debut album in early 2023, Stella Rose took her time to explore herself and her voice. Now, the 26-year-old is ready to open a new chapter. Before embarking on her next tour, which will include a performance in Zagreb on February 2, as well as shows in cities such as Budapest, Bucharest and Prague, Tomas Clausen for Vogue Adria sat down with Stella Rose to gain insight into her mystical and beautiful world.
Who has inspired you musically? Are there any female role models or idols you look up to?
Women like Chrissie Hynde, Cat Power, PJ Harvey, are just a few to mention that hold a powerful place in music for young women that want to write and perform. Their voices have given answers to my own experiences in life and allowed me to dream of something more than what I see. My own self expression through my music is always evolving to best suit the feeling of the song.
Your music has a strong cinematic quality. Do you also draw inspiration from Arthouse movies by directors such as Lars von Trier and David Lynch?
I have a few Arthouse theatres near my apartment in New York. It is comforting to know that you can always escape into a movie. I am really lucky to have that access. Movies have always been great companions to me while writing. Sometimes, I will play a movie and mute it so I can have something to accompany me while I’m writing. I have found it really helpful and inspiring in my writing. My fascination at the moment is a photography book I was gifted this Christmas by Irvin Penn on flowers. The textures, colors, and the movement of the flowers remind me of clothes. My imagination runs wild when I look through the pages.
Photos: Nolan Zangas
There is a certain melancholy in your songs. Most like urban fairytales…
I’ve always been an observer, even as a kid. If I wasn’t daydreaming, I was performing. When you’re young, a lot of the world is fantasy, everything is new. You’re exploring what things are and what they mean to you. Who you love and what hurts. That sort of curiosity I hold on to as I get older. But being melancholic wasn’t necessarily a choice. Many things around me played into it.
At times, it seems to be a very dark way of daydreaming!
I don’t think my music is as dark as many people have described it. It’s just my experience of the world and people around me. Not all of my music is directly connected to me. It could be about someone I know, or maybe a relationship I have observed. Thinking about how things work, or why they don’t. I don’t ever intentionally try to be dark. I really appreciate the beautiful things in life. This kind of melancholy can be very beautiful. It is really the mixture, I think. Finding the balance.
Many of your songs have a distinct night-time vibe. Are you a night person?
I think, I thrive at night. The light feels low and people buzz around. When I am writing at home, I love listening to people outside. The chaos, the quiet. Most of the day leading into the evening can be a lot of bullshit, but I feel like it is essential to get to the core of an idea. You can really settle into something good if there are hours spent on it.
Photo: Nolan Zangas
You‘re creating your own universe through music. How would you describe that place?
It can be really insufferable putting so much attention on yourself. Having to overexplain things or create a detached element of yourself so you can explore freely. People are multifaceted, so staying in one lane isn’t conducive to that. What makes the ‘Stella Rose world’ is obtaining curiosity for life and in people. I am most interested in relationships – with self, with the world, with someone you love or fall out of love with.
You are based in New York City. Does this have a particular impact on your art?
Definitely. The season’s changing has a lot to do with how I’m moving. I think that happens with a lot of people. That’s why L.A. was such a rough place for me to live for a few years. It just doesn’t feel natural. I’d always be waiting for the leaves to change. I really like the momentum of New York. There is a lot of energy to be received, and sometimes avoided. It really ends up feeling a lot smaller than it seems though. Whenever I think New York is dead, there tends to be something that draws me back in.
You are currently working on your sophomore album, which is due to be released later this year. Is there anything you would like to share with us in advance?
It is titled ‘My Favorite 8’ and was recorded in Paris. In the cellar of an old French house, La Frette, was a perfect home for these early recordings. Such an unforgettable moment. Marianne Faithfull among others that I look up to had recorded there. Mystics and beauty were swirling in the air, and I hope to have captured some of that energy for this record.
Photos: Nolan Zangas
Some of the songs on your upcoming album have a moody, brooding vibe that is reminiscent of trip hop bands such as Massive Attack, Portishead, and Morcheeba. Are these artists an influence on your music?
Massive Attack and Portishead are great influences for my upcoming record. Portishead is a band that I always find myself returning to and really enjoying. My demos emulate this sort of song structure, having an almost hiphop approach. These early demos consist of a looped drum machine or guitar riff, and I feel like its simplicity allows vocal freedom to explore. Kim Gordon’s solo records are also extremely influential on me. They play with such swagger.
You are about to embark on your next headline tour, which will also take you to Eastern Europe. What do you like about touring, and what are you expecting?
I love every moment of touring. The nonstop nature of it. That physical connection with people when performing and after the shows at the merch table. It’s heart warming seeing people relate to the music, I am so happy that it can reach so far from where I am. Being able to live each day with so much purpose is such a great feeling on tour that I am really grateful for. I’m very much looking forward to returning to Bucharest to play Club Control. I am going to be playing a few new songs in the set from the upcoming record. Excited to share more later in the year!
