Stellar Lane

While the new Grunge movement was sweeping up an entire generation of music fans in its wake throughout North America, it was doing the same for an enthusiastic group of devotees half a world away. In the suburbs of Tel-Aviv, teenagers were eating up the music of Nirvana, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains. Soon, a true movement began in that nation as garage bands came together in reverence to the music, style and dress of their new heroes an alternative rock scene began to take shape.

Out of these exciting times came the key members who would go on to form Stellar Lane, a modern rock band with a deep appreciation for their grunge forbearers, but one that isn’t afraid to expand its music beyond those musical borders. Touring Israel for the past few years, Stellar Lane is now set to launch itself on the broader world – starting in North America, with the release of their latest six-song EP, Follow Your Mind. “Tel Aviv has always had a very vibrant music scene” says Adam Younger, band co-founder, bassist and one of Stellar Lane’s primary songwriters. “There is a huge Indie scene here right now. I know of at least 10 bars and clubs that have live music – from singer/songwriter to metal – every night of the week. “

Although it was incredibly rare for Western rock bands to come to Israel, the future members of Stellar Lane were inspired by the videos and magazine clippings they saw about their heroes and decided to start playing music themselves. The core of the band first came together in 2006, and the songs they started producing indicated that while they may have been inspired by the alternative rock boom of the early 1990s, they weren’t slavishly trying to imitate it. “We all grew up with those bands but what I think is beautiful is that every single one of us has taken our tastes in different directions. Our drummer is into 1970s prog-rock, I am really into Brit-Rock and modern alternative, our guitar player is always listening to metal and the others Led Zeppelin and so on. Our roots are that 1990s vibe, but we are also bringing in a lot of other different aspects of rock – keyboards being the most obvious,” said Younger.

With the combination of common background but more diverse tastes in recent years, it comes as little surprise to learn that the songwriting in Stellar Lane is highly collaborative and jam-driven. “Everyone comes in with ideas for the main structure of a song and then the other guys bring their own interpretation to it. And because everyone is coming at it from a somewhat different mindset we all contribute at least a little bit to every piece of music we produce,” says vocalist and co-founder Jonathan Vogelsang, adding that one of the most important contributions to the songwriting and overall feel of the music has come from working with noted Israeli producer Shay Lahav.

“Shay was one of the founders of the 1990s scene in Israel and a real legend for all of us. It was really great to work with him because he had a similar love for that time period as we did. He knew the genre but also understood that we didn’t want to sound like we were stuck in that era. We wanted to sound like the 1990s but we don’t want to BE the 1990s.” Homage to 1990s alternative rockers is most evident in the dual vocals that are a hallmark of Stellar Lane's sound. The Vogelsang brothers grew up in a house where music and singing was encouraged and the pair have been harmonizing and playing instruments together since they were children. Although siblings close in age, the voices aren't completely similar. "What is beautiful about their harmonies is that they have different ranges and tones but they still blend so well together. It's not like it’s the same person singing in two different keys. It's very much the way Alice in Chains created their sound," said Younger.

The songs on the EP do combine the somewhat jaded and nihilistic sentiments of the Millennial Generation with the more sobering mature sense that “enough is enough” and things have to change. The song 'Balloons' doesn’t so much rail against the powers-that-be as it does make all of us complicit in the consumerist culture that we have created over the last couple of decades. “It’s about society and how we as a society act today…how we just keep consuming stuff and following the latest trends and not really realizing what we are doing and why we are doing it,” said Younger. 'Fairy Tale', which was co-produced by Tim Palmer, who mixed Pearl Jam’s ground-breaking album Ten, has been released as a single and is a wry commentary on love and relationships.

“I wrote it about five years ago and it’s gone through a number of different versions as band members have come and gone. Once the producer came on board we stripped it down and started from scratch, and Tim’s mixing on it is amazing,” said Younger. “It’s about a crazy girl I used to date. When I was writing it she was giving me a hard time so I said, let’s make something out of the experience. It’s a Fairy Tale but we certainly don’t live happily ever after. Life hardly ever has that kind of ending. Besides, it’s not rock and roll to have everything work out in the end.”

What is working out is the band’s hard work and dedication to their craft and the success it has already created. With powerful songs, an energetic stage show, and an intense desire to break through on to the world stage, a musical happy ending might just be in the cards for Stellar Lane
Read more at http://hangout.altsounds.com/features/166792-watch-stellar-lane-fairy-tale.html#tKSrIeu4XAZ72xRA.99 - Chris MUG5 Maguire

When grunge went global in the early Nineties, thousands of bands were formed to play their version of DIY heartfelt garage rock. The genre continues to inspire and Tel Aviv quintet Stellar Lane have picked the heavy handed melodies of Soundgarden and Stone Temple Pilots as their frames of reference on their new EP Follow Your Mind.

Their lyrics deserve a closer look: Balloons takes a harsh look at consumerism and Fairy Tale is a love song about a doomed relation. The latter was produced by Tim Palmer (of Pearl Jam's seminal album Ten fame), but the other tracks sound a lot more alive, especially the power ballad No One with its proggy guitar lines and wall-to-wall keyboards.

Stellar Lane:
Jonathan Vogelsang: vocals
William Vogelsang: vocals, keyboards
Dotan Kalmar: guitar
Adam Younger: bass
Eyal Golan: drums


Follow Your Mind is a self-released EP. Buy it from their website.

Tracks:
Fairy Tale
Mind Tricks
Follow Your Mind
No One
Step After Step
Balloons - Hans Werksman

Stellar Lane brought ’90s grunge and alt-rock to the Bovine, visiting Toronto from Tel Aviv, Israel. The band’s performance showed just how far reaching the music of such bands as Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, and Nirvana was back in the day. Stellar Lane features a duo on vocals, the Fogelzang brothers, who have awesome chemistry leading a set that was just absolutely rocking. - Kollin Lore

Grunge from Israel – sure why not! The Bovine was rocked with a sound totally reminiscent of Seattle in the early 90′s. With intense songs and killer vocals, Stellar Lane traveled a long way to show Toronto that grunge is a universal sound that still is vibrant and alive. Excellent set and easily a band we can listen to over and over. - T-Mak

Lyrics - 3.5 || Music - 3.7 || Vocals - 3.25
Web: stellarlane1.bandcamp.com
Location: Israel
Genre: Rock / Alternative

Stellar Lane's debut 6 song EP, FOLLOW YOUR MIND, is an ode to 90's rock bands
such as Soundgarden and Alice In Chains. Follow Your Mind is a strong showing for the
Israeli band and could land Stellar Lane on tour with some pretty cool rock bands if seen
and heard by the right promoters and booking agents. The project is chock full of great
lead vocals, powerful guitar melodies, and emotionally inspired lyrics that you don't want
to miss.

The EP's opening track, Fairy Tale, is a cool tune that takes a page from rock and roll's
greatest bands. The song is the bands latest radio single, and it was produced by Tim
Palmer, whose credits include such superior rock bands as Pearl Jam. The powerful
vocal performance and masterful musicianship displayed on this rock masterpiece is
delivered in such a magnificent way that it was hard for me not to nod my head and sing
along. The subject matter is somewhat scary because it deals with falling in love with a
jealous woman who stalks her lovers every move. It's scary because, I've been through
this before.

Overall, Stellar Lane's debut EP has a lot of potential. With so many independent rock
bands having entered the music landscape to showcase their talents, it is very tough to
cut through all of the competition, but I think Stellar Lane could make enough of an
impact with their EP - Follow Your Mind - that it could lead to some big opportunities if
marketed to the right audience. I'd recommend Stellar Lane to those 90's rock fans who
miss the awesome sounds of that era in music. Beside, these guys are from one of my
favorite places on the planet...Israel! You can connect with Stellar Lane online at:
Twitter.com/StellarLane or Facebook.com/Stellar.Lane.Music - Shaine Freeman

Post-grunge group Stellar Lane formed in Tel Aviv, Israel in 2006. Comprised of brothers Yonatan and Udi Fogelzang, Dotan Kalmar, Nadav Kaftzan, Adam Younger, and Eyal Golan, the sextet are channeling their alternative influences into their personalized grungy rock sound. The band will be opening for The Toniks at Toronto’s The Rivoli on May 11th (tickets), and ahead of the show, we caught up with them to discuss their influences, the lively scene in Isreal, and living a double life.

AMBY: Hello Stellar Lane, what’s the band been up to lately?

Stellar Lane: Hi! So the last few months have been very busy for us. In addition to our regular schedule of performing in Israel we’ve been working on our latest E.P., “Follow Your Mind”, with a famous Israeli producer and released it a couple months ago. After receiving the news of being accepted to play a couple of showcases in CMW we’ve started working on a schedule for a tour in Ontario which starts on May 6th.

AMBY: How would you describe each member of the band in one word?

Stellar Lane: Jonathan Vogelsang (Lead singer, Acoustic guiter) – Sleepy. William Vogelsang (Lead singer, Keyboards) – Grumpy.
Dotan Kalmar (Electric guitar) – Dopey. Adam Younger (Bass guitar) – Doc. Eyal Golan (Drums) – Happy.

AMBY: The band features dual lead singers who happen to be brothers. What’s it like having siblings in the band — does it make working together easier, or do you butt heads more often because of it?

Stellar Lane: The Vogelsang brothers have been composing music together way before the band was formed. Prior to William joining the band, Jonathan had been advising him regarding vocal parts, as well as composition of some of the songs. So when William joined the band his integration was very smooth as he already knew most of the songs. Now their joint work is far more easy. Thanks to their continuous work over the years they understand and able to execute each other’s ideas in a matter of seconds.

AMBY: What was one of the best moments you had while recording your latest release Follow Your Mind?

Stellar Lane: Our work on the E.P. and choosing its track list was a work that lasted for almost a year. After we’ve finalized the track list for the E.P. we met our producer and offered to play him a song that we just started to work on and that we really loved and thought could really work in the E.P. He was reluctant to hear it as the track list was already done and we were supposed to move a step forward and start working on vocals, but eventually we persuaded him to listen to it. As expected he heard the song and immediately fell in love with it. We needed to take out another song, which was a very difficult task as well but all in all we feel it was only for the best. The song made its way to the track list and eventually as the title track of the E.P

AMBY: What’s the significance behind the EP’s title?

Stellar Lane: A recurring concept in our E.P. is the topic of urban lifestyle and the modern way that our lives are conducted. We feel it is more important that everyone follow their own dreams and desires.

AMBY: Some of your stated influences are Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, and Stone Temple Pilots. If you could hang out with any of your influences for a day, who would you choose and what would you do?

Stellar Lane: Since every single one of us was exposed to Grunge in a different way it is hard to pick only one of the list of our influences. The Vogelsang brothers will love to witness Chris Cornell of Soundgarden as he lays down one of his vocal tracks in the studio. Kalmar wants to sit with Jerry Cantrell of Alice In Chains and watch him as he composing a guitar riff. Younger and Golan want to hang out with the Foo Fighters and see their work at the rehearsal studio and the experience the vibes as they write a new song.

AMBY: Which other artists from Israel should our readers check out?

Stellar Lane: In Israel there is a very lively scene and new bands are popping-up every week. Some bands that we know of, and have proven themselves for sticking up and providing great shows are Onoma and 01E. Onoma plays alternative-metal and have been touring Europe a few months back. 01E plays electronic-rock and just released their E.P.

AMBY: If you could live a double life, describe it in a few sentences.

Stellar Lane: We would say that we’re already living a double life. We all have careers and are not full time musicians. It doesn’t mean that we spend equal time on each of them. Music is, without a doubt, our main passion and what drives our wheels. That leads to the fact the even while we’re supposed to focus on tasks from our other careers we find ourselves dealing with some of the band issues and thinking of how to further promote the band.

AMBY: Lastly, what’s something about Stellar Lane that nobody knows yet?

Stellar Lane: Every member of Stellar Lane has served in the Israeli army, and this is actually what brought the band together. Jonathan and Adam met in the army and served for more than 2 years together. They’ve slept in the same room for most of that time and jamming together in their free time. This is what initially sparked the idea of forming a band and writing songs together. This is, for example, how the song Fairy Tale was written.

***

Thank you Stellar Lane, for giving us your answers! - Alicia Atout

Hailing all the way from Tel Aviv, the largest metropolitan area in Israel, these guys have a hugely international sound that can be appreciated anywhere in the world. Had I not told you where they were from, you’d think they were another great American rock band.

The band members are Yonatan Fogelzang (lead vocals,) Udi Fogelzang (vocals, keyboards), Dotan Kalmar (lead guitar), Nadav Kaftzan (rhythm guitar), Adam Younger (bass) and Eyal Golan (drums).

During CMW, their first time playing in Canada, Stellar Lane had sets at Bovine Sex Club on the first day of CMW and at the Wrong Bar on the last day.

“People are really responsive here,” said Kalmar. “The biggest difference for us, is the appreciation for the do it yourself kind of way, people are coming out, they respect what you’re doing. It’s a community here.”

The group comes from a variety of backgrounds, but joined together on the similar taste of post-grunge melodies.

“We all met in the Israeli Army, we just started jamming together during recess, we used all our free time,” said Younger.

“I saw on Facebook that they were looking for a guitarist, and I’ve been in the band ever since,” said Kalmar. “We started working on guitars and vocal harmonies, and it just works.”

Stellar Lane’s music and style have many western influences from several music genres including grunge, alternative rock and metal. From Alice and Chains to Incubus and Soundgarden, you can hear a little bit of everything you love from the 90s era in these guys. It’s refreshing and nostalgic all at the same time. - Devin Size

With Canadian Music Week coming up in a few weeks, it’s time to start paying attention to some of the hundreds of bands that are heading to Toronto from all over the world. An example is Stellar Lane, a five-piece grunge-ish outfit from Tel Aviv, Israel,

Look for them to play gigs at Bovine Sex Club and Wrongbar. - Alan Cross

Hailing from Tel Aviv, this modern rock band holds a strong appreciation for grunge music and aren’t afraid to expand their sound across musical borders. Having toured Israel for the past few years, Stellar Lane are getting ready to expand into North America with the release of their six-song EP “Follow Your Mind”.

They’ll be performing twice during the festival. First on Tuesday May 6th at 10pm at the Bovine Sex Club and then on Saturday May 10th at 9pm at Wrongbar. - Jenia Schukov

Being a HUGE fan of Alice in Chains I was more than delightful to feature the music of Alternative Rock/Post Grunge Band, Stellar Lane, on the online pages of this publication. The band was formed in Tel Aviv, Israel in 2006 which included band members Yonatan Fogelzang (Lead Vocals), UdiFogelzang (Lead Vocals, Keyboards), Dotan Kalmar (Lead Guitar), Nadav Kaftzan (Rhythm Guitar), Adam Younger (Bass Guitar) and Eyal Golan (Drums). The most exciting part to this band’s awesome music is their fusion of several music genres including Grunge, Alternative Rock and Alternative Metal. If you are looking for a band that can deliver, then this band meets this in all areas. Here is their story.

Isaac: Music is so important to many cultures. Why is music important to you?

Stellar Lane: Well, this has two parts. First, as a listener, it's the soundtrack of our lives, it's been there in the moments that defined who we are, and it keeps you busy during the day and contemplative during the night. As a musician, it's all this and more. Once it gets in to you, there's no way around it. This is what you do, from that moment on. It's not really a matter of deliberate choice. It chooses you, not you it. We can't see ourselves without creating music it's an integral part of our lives and we will keep on doing it.

Isaac: What do you believe is the one element that makes your music, lyrics, and voice stand apart from others in the Indie Music Industry?

Stellar Lane: Well, several things. First of all, our band has two lead singers, and since they’re brothers, their vocal tone is very similar yet every one of them has a different range. This creates a very unique vocal combination that is at the forefront of most of our songs. Second, though the genre we play is Grunge we are still very much affected by the local music scene and culture – oriental scales and all. It's actually funny – although it's not intentional or even too apparent to us, this strain of oriental influences should be quite noticeable for audiences outside the area.

Isaac: If you have to name a few of your musical influences, who would they be and why?

Stellar Lane: The Seattle music scene , Chris Cornell, Eddie Vedder etc. We're disciples of the 1990's. I mean, we grew up waiting until 2AM to watch MTV's SuperRock show (boy, that was a long time ago, we miss it). We waited up just to catch a song like Nirvana’s "Heart Shaped Box" or Alice in Chains' "Would?". So certainly these are the songs that shaped our musical taste and this is why we are trying to preserve its spirit in our music.

Isaac: What makes being an Indie Performer great in your opinion?

Stellar Lane: We are not bound to any commercial or even consensual methods of doing things. As artists, we believe that listeners should experience our recorded music the same way they experience our live music. Meaning that, with us, what you get is what you see (or rather, hear). That's not to say that we try to replicate the album live, but the other way around, meaning that we want our recordings to preserve and convey the same live feel that we have when we, well, play live. Our second E.P is called "The Free Spirit Sessions," and it was recorded in exactly that frame of thought – to capture those specials moments of a live band playing.

Isaac: What do you believe will it take for indie performers to gain the recognition as their mainstream counterparts?

Stellar Lane: As an Indie artist your whole career hangs upon your shoulders. You’re responsible for every success and every failure you experience along the way. You have to be consistent and downright stubborn to succeed. We believe in cooperating with our fellow indie musicians and work together to try and gain recognition. That way we’re all contributing to each other’s cause.

Isaac: Why do you believe that mainstream radios are so reluctant to play indie music?

Stellar Lane: The local radio here is very limited. There aren’t many stations, especially not classified by genres, which means there are very few options for airplay, and even lesser chance for exposure. There is a lot of great music and not enough airtime for everyone. In this day and age we find our way around these obstacles by Internet radio, Facebook, and so on. This way we can get to even bigger audiences and find more opportunities.

Isaac: What do you believe is the main reason why your music is creating a buzz in the Indie Music Scene?



Stellar Lane: First of all, musically we try to think outside the limitations of the genre and always bring new things to it, like bringing keyboards and electronic influences in to our music as well as cooperating with different musicians. Secondly we aim towards working with people in the industry that come from the places we believe to have influenced us and may contribute to our cause, like Tim Palmer (who mixed Pearl Jam's Ten), who recently mixed "Fairy Tale", our latest single.

Isaac: If you had an opportunity to work with anyone in the music business, who would it be and why?

Stellar Lane: That's easy – Dave Grohl and Jimmy Page. Dave Grohl because he seems like a fun guy to be around, and he happens to be one of the most influential rock musicians today, and Jimmy Page, because he's a fucking legend. Best songwriter in the world.

Isaac: How would you describe your music to others who are not familiar with your band?

Stellar Lane: Stellar Lane brings back the sound and spirit of 90's Rock, Alice in Chains and Soundgarden meets Procol Harum. The Brothers Fogelzang unique dual vocals define the band's sound along with their energetic drums, bass, keyboards and guitars. They are currently in the studio recording their debut album.

Isaac: What are you currently working on at the moment with respect to your music?

Stellar Lane: We recently finished working on our latest single "Fairy Tale" which was mixed, as we said, by Tim Palmer (Pearl Jam, Porcupine Tree, etc.), and we are also working on a music video for it! Also, we are also doing a lot of online promotion, offering our music to global audiences. We are very open to any and all opportunities, especially looking to perform abroad so feel free to get in touch.

Isaac: How can fans learn more about you and your music online?

Stellar Lane: http://www.sonicbids.com/2/EPK/?epk_id=380903

www.facebook.com/Stellar.Lane.Music

stellarlane1.bandcamp.com/

Isaac: Final Words….

Stellar Lane: Sex, drugs and Hava Nagila - Isaac Davis