In this interview spotlight, I chat with Stress Dolls about motivations, challenges, the latest project and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)
I’m from Buffalo, NY and am now living in Nashville, TN. The most creative description I’ve ever heard of what the music sounds like is “Kathleen Hanna fronting Modest Mouse,” which was told to me by someone in the audience at a show. I definitely like it better than “alternative/pop/rock.”
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to keep going?
I started taking piano lessons when I was 5 and began writing songs when I was 12– I figured out a couple on the piano, but most of the songs were just melodies and lyrics that I had in my head and would memorize. I got my first guitar at age 14 and shortly after that began trying to write more. My friends and I were obsessed with bands like Fall Out Boy, Green Day, Blink-182 etc. and so I often dreamed of being a full-time musician in a band, touring the country in some beat-up van. It took me a while to have the courage to perform in front of people, even longer to form a band, but once I did it only affirmed to me how much I loved playing and writing music, whether it be solo or with a group– clearly I still love it!
There’s a saying that “music chooses you”– I realize that probably sounds so cheesy, but I think that is the case with not only music, but all art. Even if you don’t find world-renowned success doing it, if you truly love to play and write you will keep doing it no matter what. Everyone goes through bouts of writers’ block and times of feeling not as inspired, but on the whole it’s hard to not be motivated by something that feels like such a big part of you.
How is this new release different than previous ones? Were you trying to accomplish anything specific?
The most recent EP was definitely made to be a bit more “glossy” sounding than some previous material. I think that my songs lean towards a more alternative sound, but they also have elements of pop in them, and so I wanted to experiment with fitting the production quality to match that.
The records I was listening to at the time that propelled that idea forward for me were Sleater Kinney’s “No Cities to Love” and Tancred’s “Out of the Garden.” I think that those are two excellent albums whose songs are certainly based in an alternative sound but have catchy aspects strewn through along with high quality production.
Name one or two challenges you face as an indie musician in this oversaturated, digital music age? How has technology helped you (since we know it does help)?
It can be daunting to pursue musical ambitions in an age where the industry has been flipped on its head and the market is so completely saturated. On one hand I see the positive element of independent artists being able to share their work directly with listeners and I think that’s fantastic– I certainly wouldn’t be able to reach the people I have without the Internet. I’ve connected with artists and listeners in different parts of the world by using Soundcloud and Bandcamp and it’s incredible.
At the same time I think the biggest negative is that listeners are so inundated with material that it makes it difficult to care about emerging artists, even if they’re insanely talented. There are artists that I discover and I’m shocked that they aren’t being more recognized… but I suppose that has always been a reality, regardless of the record industry being top dog or dying.
Where is the best place to connect with you online and discover more music?
I try and keep Facebook and Instagram pretty up-to-date in regards to shows, music etc. so feel free to connect.
You can also listen on Soundcloud or Bandcamp.
The EP is also on I-Tunes and Spotify.
Anything else before we sign off?
I’m always looking to connect, whether it be in concerns to playing a show together or just chatting about music. Feel free to reach out at stressdollsmusic@gmail.com.
