Vocalist Sam Slocum, guitarist Skyler ‘Sky’ Knapp, guitarist Nando Dale, bassist Nico Brunstein, and drummer Laila Wayans are the five young rockers who make up Been Stellar. Together they are restoring the faith that was lost throughout the past two decades of hip-hop and mainstream pop; grimy, edgy alternative rock is alive and well. Even though the band’s sound emulates a lot of alternative rock bands from before the millennium, they are quick to declare that this style was not a conscious thought. “We are never trying to lean into an era of music with our music,” says lead singer Slocum, but at the end of the day their pocket of influences and Big Apple roots shine through. (More so than ever on their new LP, Scream from New York, NY.)
The band’s name, a spin on a beloved actor/comedian’s name, came to them when they were just 14. Somewhere Ben Stiller might be laughing at this tongue in cheek group name, but it stuck like glue and is taking these musicians to the top (with a name quickly being cemented in rock and roll history).
Been Stellar has been climbing the ranks in New York City not only with their edginess and cheekiness, but by relentlessly playing around the underground circuit… and all while attending New York University! The band’s inception was in 2017, and now seven years later they are taking their post-pandemic buzz far. The band has toured with The 1975 and is on the road now with with Fontaines D.C. until November before they hop overseas to play Europe.
The Aquarian’s Robert Frezza sat down with the band to talk about their new album, what goes into their live shows, and what advice they’ve been getting along the way from their peers, mentors, and musical colleagues.
Where did the band name come from?
Sam: Skyler and I came up with the name when we were 14. We liked that it was a play on a famous name, and then we liked that it was in the past tense: something that used to be stellar. It sounded sarcastic.
Scream From New York, New York covers a retro vibe from the early 90s. Who are the band’s influences?
Sam: We weren’t intentionally trying to be retro. We are never trying to lean into an era of music with our music, but our music has its roots in what we love, which includes a lot of nineties stuff. We love Ride, MBV, and the Lemonheads, but then also bands like Sonic Youth or the Replacements. We all have pretty different musical backgrounds.
Do you think alt rock is making a comeback more and more these days?
Sky: I would say so. People are starting to have more of an appreciation for earnest, loud guitar music again.
Tell me more about the new album. Are there themes throughout it? What was the recording and writing process like?
Nico: The writing process was a lot of jamming in the beginning. We wanted to let ideas flow as we had just come off three months of touring. It was a cathartic process. Once we got a few months into it, we began fine tuning and structuring. For production, the first few days were very high energy while we recorded all the live takes. The remaining week-and-a-half were all about overdubs and vocals which felt a lot slower paced. It was very interesting watching and learning about our producer, Dan Carey, and his process.
What was it like touring with the 1975? Did they share any words of wisdom with you guys?
Sky: George told us to always use real amps.
Sam: Matty shared his thoughts on in-ear monitors with me. I was struggling because I had never used them before, and they are kind of difficult to get used to.
You are currently on tour with Fontaines D.C. – how did this tour come to fruition? How did you guys get on Fontaines D.C.’s radar?
Sam: The connection initially was through their manager, Trev, and their promoter in the UK, Dan Roberts. Both of them saw us at a festival a while back and they became fans. The band heard about us through that, I assume. We’ve become pals with them – [they are] a very nice group of people. Their touring crew is wonderful. as well.
What goes into a Been Stellar performance?
Sky: Losing yourself into the music.
How important is making music videos these days? Do you think it’s a lost art? Do you enjoy the process?
Sky: I think they are very important to us. Visuals are a big part of our music, it’s the best way to convey a concise aesthetic.
Nico: I agree. I don’t think it’s a lost art form. It’s a weird time right now for music videos because music is being attached to a lot of multimedia, but it seems like a great way to bridge the artist’s visual and music intentions.
Sam: I think a lot of people in the industry would say music videos are becoming a lost art form because they can eat up an album budget and don’t directly make much money. I think a lot of videos these days are created with the 1920×1080 cropped version already in mind, which I find a little sad, but I think they are very important to build a world.
Are you doing anything special to celebrate your back-to-back homecoming shows at the Brooklyn Paramount?
Nico: Karaoke, maybe.
FOR TOUR DATES, TICKETS, MUSIC, MERCH, & MORE, VISIT BEEN STELLAR’S WEBSITE!
