On the radar: Stella Explorer. Space is the place
Stella Cartriers Langefors, aka Stella Explorer, is one of the most promising acts in the global pop scene. Her debut EP, Dorkay House, makes us think about a renewed Lana del Rey, Lykke Li or Neneh Cherry, but with a strong personality of her own and both a classical and a modern electronic feel. We talked to her in London.
By David Saavedra Photography JC Verona
Waistcoat and tee: Palace
You are Swedish, but you come from a South African family?
Yes, my grandfather was from South Africa, he was a touring jazz musician, and he was playing around in Europe in the 50’s. Then he came to Sweden around 1957, and then he kind of realised there was a big orchestra called The Golden City Dixies, they were very famous in South Africa, and five or six of them thought they could have a better life in Sweden. They actually quit the orchestra while they were on tour, they dropped out in the middle of Sweden and stayed there, some of them had children. My dad is a product of that, and all my aunts and uncles. That’s my heritage.
Were there many musicians in your family?
My grandfather, my dad, my uncle, my sister plays piano and my mom also plays the guitar… My whole family plays music.
So I suppose you started to make music when you were a little child?
Yes, I did. I started writing songs about 11 or 12-year-old, and it was teenage stuff. I think my first song was about make up, which I didn’t really use, I just figured out as a dream of life. I started to study music in 7th grade, and they encouraged us to write songs. I thought it was pretty good, we had to played them to the music teacher and he kind of forced me to perform at Christmas, at graduation, in front of the whole school, and I was so nervous, but I did it. When I finished my grade I played in a church with the piano, my parents came, and they were shocked.
You played in a band called Brödet, how old were you when you started the group?
It was 10 years ago, I was living in London then, and I went back. My friend who started the band asked me if I wanted to write with him and see what we could do. He had a dream in which he had a band called Brödet, and he woke up, and he realised he had actually the band, and he called me.
And what moved you to start a solo career?
I think I’ve always somehow wanted to do it, but I guess I realised when I was talking to one of my bandmates, around two years ago, that I had much higher expectations, and he didn’t, he was studying physics, and I was just working in various jobs to make money. I was more ambitious regarding the band's future and where I wanted it to go, so I thought if I wanted to do this I should have to do it myself. I love Brödet, I love that band, and I’m definitely part of the music they make, it was very different to the music that was made in Sweden at that time, but there were a lot of people and opinions involved which as always requires compromise and coordination, so I wanted to try to do it on my own.
“Old music turned me on to melodies, psychedelic rock, jazz… anything. There’s so much in the melodies, there’s so much feeling.”
Tracksuit: Palace
You’ve just released an EP. What are your next plans?
I don’t want to see anybody. I just want to be in the studio and that’s my plan. And I hope there’s a new record out before the end of next year.. I have a lot of stuff and songs. I need time to finish them and I want to be in some places too at the same time, but I need to focus on this, and it’s pretty hard. It’s just me who’s writing it, and I need to be more disciplined than I am. I’m working on it.
Do you like performing live, or are you that kind of artist that feel more comfortable in the studio?
I’m pretty comfortable live, actually. I don’t do it the same ways the songs sound like. I do it like I feel at that moment in time. I can play it with the guitar, or I can play a specific Synthesiser or whatever. I never like to perform it the same way twice. It keeps it very exciting. I like to transform the songs.
The songs you’ve released until the moment are very different between them. Where do you take inspiration from?
Older music usually. I feel like an old man musically. I tend to look backwards. I also like to go forward as well, but I usually do it less because there are so many things to listen in the early stuff of a certain genre, where people are more auteurs in a way. I’ve always appreciated that and listen a lot of that. I read all the music magazines, I’ve always been in that world and that brought me a lot of inspiration. Old music turned me on to melodies, psychedelic rock, jazz… anything. There’s so much in the melodies, there’s so much feeling. I don’t hate modern music at all, but I’m not so immersed in it, so I tend always to draw in the other way.
Who are your musical heroes?
There is a lot, but I’d say Prince, for sure. He is a messiah, like David Bowie, who is also a prophet. I like John Frusciante a lot, guitarwise, I would say. I’m very bad at these questions, but these two, for sure, Prince and Bowie are who make me feel a lot.
In 2020 you did a Zara Larsson cover (‘Ain’t My Fault’) with Viagra Boys. How did it come about?
We’re in the same label in Sweden, and I’ve known Sebastian Murphy, the singer, since we were in school together. Actually, we met at a party, we both were very drunk, I guess. I threw up and fell down from the stairs, and then when we saw him at school, I said: “Oh, he’s the guy from the party!” We went in the same music ensemble. Stockholm is not that big, so we see each other sometimes. I remember his voice from that time, it was more flat than it’s now, for sure, but it really evolved, and it’s one of my favourite voices of all time, I would say. So I always imagined that we would sing together, and we finally did it.
Sweden has a very long tradition in pop music, but how would you say is the current situation for young musicians?
I would say it’s the same for young artists globally: It’s very focused on having a following, social media presence, and that’s usually uninspiring. It’s a weird time to try and create music, or art or whatever, because you have different sets of eyes on you, but they don’t really care as much about music as it should be. You’re expected to be more than a musician, and this is very fucked up.
Jumper: Palace
“Having that kind of background makes you aware of the layers of life.”
Waistcoat: Palace
I suppose when your grandparents exiled from South Africa, it was because of the apartheid. Did it have an effect on you, in terms of being more conscience about social injustice?
It did. He was the only black guy in school and everyone knew him because of that. Having that kind of background makes you aware of the layers of life. I mean, that coloured me and it’s always there. I guess this is the best answer I can give.
Would you say music could contribute to fight social injustice?
Yes, absolutely. That’s why it’s pretty depressing at the moment, the musical climate. You really have to make that happen yourself because the opportunities to have a certain status or a recognition, or whatever you want, it’s pretty uninspiring. If you have ideas for yourself, it’s really important that you execute them if you have people around you that can help you with that, to reach those parts. Hopefully anyone can contribute to that in art, either if you want to help or communicate something, but you have to do it yourself, you have to lead.
Is it true that you applied for being on the first trip to Mars?
Yes! It was late at night and I found that NASA application some years ago, in 2015. Anyone could apply, so I did. But they didn’t pick me, obviously, I wasn’t ready, I needed to be more equipped for space.
But did NASA send you an answer?
No! They never answered. Can you believe it?
Tracksuit and Tee: Palace
About Stella Explorer
Dorkay House EP is released by Year0001
Credits
Interview David Saavedra
Creative direction and Photography JC Verona
Styling Palace
Hair Hiro Kikato
Make up Harsha Chavda
Photography assistant Lauren Johnson
PR Good Machine
READ NEXT
