Music
Press
Six months ago, a Stella by Starlight show would have looked a little something like this: a few dozen devoted followers, the band members' girlfriends, and several curious listeners sipping their drinks at the bar.
But at their February CD release party, things got a lot crazier. The trio of Duke University seniors packed the house, with a huge crowd of fans on their feet, throwing back beer and potent punch, and dancing wildly to their favorite songs.
“These guys are famous,” yelled an onlooker from the crowd.
And indeed, Stella by Starlight has shot up in notoriety in a few short months. The band stepped onto the national stage practically overnight and is now in talks with national management firms and record labels.
The band, which has an indie synth-rock sound, decided in September to enter mtvU’s 2007 Woodie Award competition for best college band—the first year the category was offered. In the beginning, band members say, they didn’t expect to come out on top.
But Stella was a surprise favorite, and beat out more than 1,700 college groups in the country, based on popular online vote.
“We were all surprised, but we worked hard to promote ourselves online, so I like to think we deserved it,” singer and guitar player Sonny Byrd says. “It was a big break for us.”
At a Nov. 8 ceremony in Times Square, Stella by Starlight accepted their award and got their first glimpse of national recognition.
“We met Fall Out Boy and Gym Class Heroes, among others,” says Nate Fowler, who does vocals, synthesizing, and writing/production. The band got the whole red carpet treatment, Fowler says. “Lots of fans met us and thought we were famous.”
Long before they were rubbing shoulders with the hottest young bands, Fowler, Byrd, and a third member, Greg Laird, were just a couple of underclassmen who shared an interest in music. In May 2007 a fourth member, Shuhei Yamamoto, graduated, and the trio decided to let their sound evolve, and have been working toward a more synthesized, electronic influence. So far, the band has recorded two EPs, one of which is on sale at www.stellabystarlightband.com.
Most of the band members had originally planned to pursue other careers after college, but their surprise success has convinced them to put other pursuits on hold for now. In February, they recorded a music video with a national production company, and with the help of mtvU’s publicity, Stella by Starlight hopes to make a promotional push either by touring or working on a new recording this summer.
“Hopefully some good [music] deals are coming soon so we’ll be able to really break out of North Carolina,” Byrd says. - NEWSWEEK
"North Carolina-based indie-rock trio Stella by Starlight may have taken the biggest step toward rock 'n' roll success at the "Woodies," besting nearly 1,700 other bands to win the inaugural "Best Music On Campus" award. Employing heavy vocal distortions and mellow, semi-hypnotic song structures, the band has crafted a decidedly unique sound that could very well launch them into the foreground of college rock, and make them a darling amongst music critics." - The Signal
Since forming at Duke University a year ago, Stella by Starlight has trod the same path every upstart band does nowadays -- playing whenever and wherever it can while making the MySpace and Facebook rounds online. But the group of three Duke seniors picked up some great nationwide exposure last week, winning "Best Music on Campus" at the fourth annual "mtvU Woodie Awards."
Stella by Starlight was one of 1,700 unsigned acts to enter the contest, which paid $5,000 cash to the winner. After 4.6 million votes were cast online, Stella by Starlight was one of two bands the network brought to New York for Thursday's ceremony. Tom DeLonge from blink-182/Angels & Airwaves was the presenter, and Byrd says that hearing DeLonge call his band's name was indescribable.
Stella by Starlight plays hopped-up pop music with lots of room for angular quirks. As with most college bands, the members have to balance the band with their studies -- Byrd is a double-major in political science and cultural anthropology, keyboardist Nathan Fowler is in pre-med and drummer Greg Laid is a biology major. - Raleigh News and Observer
"Duke has long been known for its top-notch academics and athletics, but it can now lay claim to the best college band in the country. Duke band Stella by Starlight received the mtvU "Best Music on Campus Woodie" Award Nov. 8 at a ceremony in New York City's Times Square. The indie synth-rock trio of Duke seniors beat out Lehigh University's Show Me Action to win the award. Stella's award marks a major milestone for the band. Not only did Stella emerge as the winner out of a pool of more than 1,700 college groups, but the band won based on popular vote rather than a committee selection." - The Chronicle
The national college audience has spoken, via the nearly 4.6 million votes cast for the 2007 "mtvU Woodie Awards," and all are advised to take note: Boys Like Girls, Say Anything, The Academy Is ... and Duke University's Stella by Starlight are Woodies winners to keep an eye on.
This year mtvU debuted the "Best Music on Campus Woodie," to recognize the top unsigned college act in the country with the same award that's helped launch the careers of marquee acts like the Killers, Fall Out Boy and Plain White Ts. Propelled by unbelievable national support, Stella by Starlight (bestmusiconcampus.com/band/default.aspx?bandID=1147), of Duke University, beat out more than 1,700 college bands and musicians to win the award, a $5,000 cash prize and priceless industry exposure. - Forbes.com
This year mtvU debuted the "Best Music on Campus Woodie," to recognize the top unsigned college act in the country with the same award that's helped launch the careers of marquee acts like the Killers, Fall Out Boy and Plain White Ts. Propelled by unbelievable national support, Stella by Starlight (bestmusiconcampus.com/band/default.aspx?bandID=1147), of Duke University, beat out more than 1,700 college bands and musicians to win the award, a $5,000 cash prize and priceless industry exposure. - PRNewswire
Unsigned rock act Stella By Starlight, from Duke University, won the Best
Music on Campus Woodie and $5,000 after beating out more than 1,700 bands for the title.
http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003670744 - Billboard.com
Employing heavy vocal distortions and mellow, semi-hypnotic song structures, the band has crafted a decidedly unique sound that could very well make them a darling in the indie-rock crowd.
http://www.silive.com/entertainment/music/index.ssf/2007/11/school_of_rock.html - silive.com
And after loads of votes, the Woodie went to Duke U's Stella by Starlight. I have a feeling they may have been signed last night or are well on their way to a deal. Definitely check them out!
http://vinylmixtape.blogspot.com/2007/11/college-kids-give-it-up-for-good-music.html - The Vinyl Mixtape
And this is the point of mtvU and the Woodie Awards. They bring together musicians and fans in an attempt to help build or even start careers, such as they did by awarding the Best Music On Campus Woodie to Stella by Starlight.
http://www.columbiaspectator.com/?q=node/28012 - Columbia Spectator
Discography
Made of Fire (EP) - February 2007
Stella by Starlight (EP) - October 2007
My Electric Robot Friend (EP) - November 2008
Photos
Bio
Stella by Starlight does a lot of things really well. At least that’s what they want you to think. If nothing, the duo from Durham, North Carolina has managed to produce some of the most original dance music since the castratti craze of the 1160s. They ought to know: Nathan and Sonny formed the band in 2006 while undergraduates at Duke. Now, armed with their massive self-produced dance and pop/rock tracks and their dynamic new EP “My Electric Robot Friend,” Stella by Starlight are poised to take over the world, or at least the part of it that appreciates good music, like that theme song to Home Improvement...
Stella by Starlight formed in 2006 when Sonny decided to look for a band that could write and perform challenging and inventive original material. The band’s conception was much like any other: Nate messaged Sonny on Facebook, urging him to let him in the band because of his P.A. system. The following quote is an excerpt from Nate’s foundational message to Sonny: “As for my P.A., I just got it, so I can do DJ stuff, and get massive synth bass sounds, plus I’m using it as incentive to get into a good band :-)” Sonny was instantly sold on the idea of going in a more electronic direction, so Stella started learning Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z songs instead of traditional covers. “This set the stage for our sound,” Sonny adds, “I don't know where we would be today if we had never learned ‘SexyBack’ or ‘Fergalicious’.”
In addition to putting on what can only be described as a loud, live indie dance party, Stella is obsessed with perfecting the beat. Nate (synths, vocals) leads this charge as Stella's primary songwriter and producer. Each song and its associated production style draw upon elements that have not traditionally been associated with dance/rock genres. “I try to give each track its own voice because songcraft is only half of the story when people listen to a song. The right production is essential, and I would hate to have a good song get lost in a bad mix. I'm like a sonic chameleon in that sense.” Indeed he is. With a background of formal training in both music theory and classical piano, his songs and production style pay tribute to past greats while staying relevant to both pop culture and pop music. “My Electric Robot Friend” sounds like Vanilla Ice free-styling over a Modern English track, and “Can I Take U Home” pays homage to 90s sitcom theme songs while drawing musically upon the electronic house genre. “Think of us as the new ‘Dance Dance Revolution’,” Nate says, “if video games were music. But we don't sound like video game music at all… is that clear?”
Nate’s antics would be fruitless, however, if Sonny (guitar, vocals) did not reign him in. “I am Stella’s spiritual and sonic advisor,” Sonny asserts. “I am the band’s moral center and business leader. I provide strategic direction and assist Nate during times of destructive musical seizures.” Sonny was trained in guitar and theory, studying with a variety of instructors from an early age. His infectiously catchy riffs and progressions reflect his background while conveying a fresh rock vibe. “Dance music is often hesitant to incorporate new sounds, which is what we are trying to do,” Sonny says. “Our use of live guitars and live drumming are essential to achieving a crossover rock/electro style.”
And when it all comes together on stage, Stella’s performances blend rock and dance music together at a dangerously exciting pace. Their live show will make your eyes sting, your ears ache, and your body shake. The fact that Stella's formal musical training and production chops have allowed them to write and record without the support of labels adds to their growing mystique as new saviors of the dance and pop genres. At the very least, that seems to be their goal. Having received an MTVu Woodie Award in 2007 and enjoyed coverage in Newsweek, Billboard, Spin, Rollingstone, Boston Globe, Forbes.com, and on MTV, MTVu, MTV2, and Fuse TV, the boys are taking on their mission full steam ahead.
Their newest release, “My Electric Robot Friend,” drops on November 4, 2008.
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