We were all studying at NYU and just happened to cross paths. We were all drawn to each other’s energy and creativity, and it just clicked. It’s been amazing to see how our individual styles and backgrounds have come together to create something truly special as Been Stellar.
SK: Yeah, and it’s been really cool to see how our sound has evolved over the years. We all bring something different to the table, whether it’s Nico’s melodic basslines, Nando’s intricate guitar work, Laila’s powerful drumming, or Sam’s emotive vocals. It’s a true collaboration, and we’re constantly pushing each other to try new things and grow as musicians.
Nico Brunstein: Absolutely. I think what sets us apart is our willingness to experiment and take risks. We’re not afraid to try new things or step outside of our comfort zones. We’re always challenging ourselves to push the boundaries of what we think is possible musically, and I think that’s what makes our music so unique and engaging.
SS: And that’s what makes being in this band so exciting – we never know what’s going to come next. We’re always exploring new ideas and pushing ourselves to new heights. It’s a constant journey of growth and discovery, and we’re so grateful to be on it together.
SK: Definitely. We’re just getting started, and we can’t wait to see where this journey takes us next.
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It sounds like you all had to carve out your own path and create your own space within the music scene in New York. How do you feel that has shaped your sound and your approach to making music?
SS: I think it made us more confident in our own vision. We didn’t have anyone telling us what we should sound like or how we should present ourselves, so we had the freedom to explore and experiment. We were able to trust our instincts and create music that felt authentic to us, rather than trying to fit into a specific scene or genre. It allowed us to be more creative and take risks, which I think has been really beneficial for our sound.
NB: Yeah, I agree. It forced us to be more self-reliant and to trust each other as a band. We had to rely on our own creativity and intuition to make things happen, and that ultimately brought us closer together as a group. We learned to lean on each other and to support each other in our creative endeavors, which has been incredibly rewarding.
SK: And I think it also pushed us to constantly evolve and challenge ourselves. We were always looking for new ways to push the boundaries of our sound and explore different influences. It kept things exciting and fresh for us as musicians, and I think that energy comes through in our music.
Overall, I think the challenges we faced in the New York music scene ultimately shaped us into the band we are today. We learned to trust ourselves, support each other, and constantly push ourselves to grow and evolve. And I think that’s what has helped us find our own unique sound and create music that we’re really proud of.
“New York has always been this untouchable, distant thing, even while we’re living here. Moving to New York has always been this golden ideal that we’ve been separate from.” “We’re not trying to be the sound of New York – this album is an ode to our fascination with the effect the city has had on us, as outsiders in many ways.
One motif is this idea of words failing you or escaping you, and the lyrics themselves fall somewhere between raw and obtuse. I’m curious if the limits of language is something you’re conscious of when you’re writing, especially when you’re writing about a place or a memory.
SS: Yeah, definitely. It’s kind of hilarious to try to write lyrics for an album whose main theme is that words aren’t enough. It’s a bit difficult when you start to overthink it. But the way I was trying to approach it, Sky and I got interested in mixing really personal, raw lyrics with stuff that’s universal. Sky studied Heidegger in college, and at the end of my degree, when I was writing my final paper, I was really hooked on this theory of the work of art, where he talks about how art reveals itself and this opening of truth that happens when you recognize that art was made by a person who really felt those things, recognizing that this is someone’s reality being transmitted through art.
SK: We were also really into William S. Burroughs’ cut-up method – not necessarily talking about specific books, but his philosophy behind a really good work of art or story. He believed that if you write a strong enough poem or story and cut up every single line, rearranging them completely, you’ll be able to get the same feeling because there’s this spiritual quality that’s there.
How would you describe the musical language you share as a group?
NB: I think the fact that the five of us have been friends for so long, and now that we’ve been touring for the last three years – just being in a van together, honestly, helps this kind of broader cohesion. I feel like since touring, we’ve been a lot more like on the same page creatively. I think a big part of it is we’re all kind of listening to the same thing when we’re in the van, but also, we’re just understanding each other a lot more as humans. I feel like when we’re writing songs, sometimes we’ll throw out references in terms of what we’re going for, like a specific guitar part or drum part, but overall, the songs came together on their own. The album feels really cohesive without there having been conversations like, “Oh, it’d be really cool to have a song like this.” I think the best songs, and the songs that ended up on the album, were just songs that the five of us were super happy with and there wasn’t much of a conversation behind them. It was just more of like a innate response where we’re just all looking at each other, jamming to it, knowing that this is something special.
SK: I think that’s the reason why all of us have kept doing this for so long. There’s no experience like being with five people, and you’re doing something where you don’t even need words to explain what you’re doing. It’s going to sound super cheesy, but you’re speaking through the instrument that you’re playing, and this natural, universal emotion comes across everybody. That’s what makes it worthwhile. As soon as you try to put that into words, you are getting away from this platonic ideal of whatever emotion it is you’re trying to convey. Words will only distract you from this pure experience that you have when you when you’re making a piece of collaborative art.
SS: The closest other experience that I can compare it to is really falling in love with somebody. There’s times where you’re not speaking and you’re laying there looking at each other – one person will smile, and then the other person will smile, and you’ll keep looking at each other, and the rest of the world just kind of melts away. I feel like that’s the same moment, when the music’s really good and you’re really not thinking about it too much – what people call the flow state, where you’re fully in it and all that exists is the five of you: that’s when we’re really the closest and and speaking the most, in a way.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
Been Stellar’s Scream From New York, NY is out now via Dirty Hit.” Hello! How can I assist you today?