Azure alt-pop rooted in the traditional
Who They?
Raised in rural Greece and now based in Athens, Σtella renders the catchy folky pop canon of her homeland with a contemporary electronic edge. Taking charge of vocals, bass, synth, guitar and drum programming (she’s a painter too), Σtella cites a number of 20th century Greek stars as influences, but having recently teamed up with London producer Tom Calvert (aka Redinho), together they channel a shared admiration for Khruangbin, Altın Gün and Aris San into music that is timeless.
Why ΣTELLA?
Her idyllic upbringing has imbued her with an openness and optimism that’s rare these days. “Living in a close-knit community by the mountains and sea,” she says, “I vaguely recall being woken by our neighbouring shepherd’s sheep bells… everything back then was so pure and innocent!” That sense of unpretentious outpouring comes across in all her work, starting back in 2012 with the debut EP, ‘Keep Me Naked’, a brilliant interpretation of free-spirited mid-century Greek and American pop. After her self-titled debut album in 2015, her breakthrough came with ‘Works For You’, 2017’s electropop beauty, which opened the door to extensive airplay, collaborations, and an invitation to soundtrack the athletes parade at the European Games in Azerbaijan.
Tell Us More…
Billed as “a vintage pop-flecked paean to the pangs and raptures of love”, her new album, ‘Up And Away’, is simply irresistible. Taking that 1950s and 60s classic pop era (with nods to The Chiffons and The Crystals), the soaring uptempo vitality of the title track is offset with sun-drenched languor on the sultry ‘Nomad’. ‘Manéros’ and ‘Another Nation’, meanwhile, are rhythmically original yet classically rooted, courtesy of Christos Skondras’ head-turning bouzouki improvisations and Sofia Labropoulou’s luminous kanun explorations. A cure for summertime blues.
‘Up And Away’ is out on Sub Pop
