Formed in the halls of New York University – a place renowned for its expertise in honing talent – five-piece Been Stellar channel their home city’s energy.
And they bring the grandeur of the Big Apple to this weekend's Truck Festival – Oxfordshire’s three-day feast of new music at Hill Farm, Steventon, near Didcot.
The band play today, Saturday, July 27, as part of a packed line-up of big name acts like The Streets and Wet Leg - and new talent.
Made up of guitarist Skyler Knapp, vocalist Sam Slocum, guitarist Nando Dale, bass player Nico Brunstein and drummer Layla Wayans, Been Stellar's debut album ‘Scream from New York, NY’ was released only this year, with the band quickly gaining over 184k regular streamers in the process.
Touring is their closest friend and the band have just completed a stint supporting British indie band The 1975’s European tour, followed by their own sold out headline UK tour. Not only do they have a new album to showcase, but are also opening for Fontaine DC’s US and Canada 2024 tour, an honour not wrongly misplaced.
The rise of these New York alternative rockers is indeed stellar.
A combination of transatlantic musical influences formed Been Stellar’s style; the likes of Radiohead, The Cribs and new wave electronica.
(Image: Gabe Long)
According to the band, the album takes inspiration from a “20s New York that’s unrelenting and harsh, where tenderness is a finite resource burned up by the machinery of the city and human connection is a luxury product.”
From first listen; the anger and fury that forms is apparent, whether it be from lack of communication or seething materialistic greed, the world that is formed from the minds of Been Stellar is one where anarchists have no other sense of catharsis but to scream.
Their mark on both the UK and US indie scene is undeniable, and it appears we are witnessing the birth of a new age rock band with truth to spill, while they sardonically grimace at mainstream musical players.
We managed to grab a quick chat with the band about their new album and their Truck Festival debut:
What should we expect from your Truck Festival performance?
A lot of new songs from the album. And good vibes all around.
Coming from New York, what do you enjoy most about the UK music scene?
The UK music scene is a lot more earnest and people really want to like new music, whereas in New York people want to hate things.
(Image: Gabe Long)
What’s your tour routine and how do you get in the zone before a performance?
Our tour routine is a lot of sleeping when we can, and sampling strange and interesting local delicacies. We’re big fans of the pickled onion and prawn cocktail flavoured things – Munch Monster?
Before a show we have a group huddle and a mini meditation.
Which song from ‘Scream from New York, NY’ was your favourite to make?
The title track was really fun because we got to keep stacking guitars on top of each other. It was like hearing a jet take off. Ears were ringing for a while after that one, though!
Which three tracks encapsulate the band’s message?
Scream From New York, NY, All In One and I Have The Answer. For the title track we put the final touches on the lyrics right before I recorded the vocals.
Sky and I saw us pacing around outside the studio finishing each line together. In many ways this song serves as the album’s noisy yet calming centre-piece.
- Been Stellar will perform at Truck Festival, Hill Farm, Steventon, on Saturday, July 27, before they return to their home soil to join Fontaine DC on tour.
- If you like what you hear they will be back in the UK again this November to continue their sold out headline tour
- More details and latest ticket information for Truck Festival from truckfestival.com
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