Whether she’s spinning out surf-rock bangers or tugging heartstrings with intimate girl-to-girl ballads, Stella’s music refuses to be boxed in. Her songs are a love letter to her journey and her community — inviting listeners to join the party.
Stella’s music will likely make you laugh, cry and dance all at once. We sat down with Canberra’s fearless pop-poet for a no-holds-barred chat about music, candid songwriting, queer love, messy crushes, casual sex and building a creative community in the city she loves.
Tell us a bit about what you have coming out.
So, ‘Under the Sleeves’, my new single, came out on 7 October — the start of a new release cycle. It’s about how hopeless it can be to love someone who doesn’t love you back. To go from being in a relationship to being in a friendship, and the loss you experience after going through that. It’s about acceptance and emotional explosiveness. There’s more music guaranteed for the start of 2027, about love and luck and crushes. SOUNDS EXCITING. Have you had a celebrity music crush? No… Don’t ask me that! There are a few… But the most would be Mel C, Sporty Spice. We grew up watching the Spice Girls; Mel C was an awakening for me!
I liked your song ‘Casual Sex’. It’s cheeky.
Do you think lesbians can have casual sex? No. Maybe that’s the point of the song. My approach to relationships is that I want to be someone’s everything. I’m a big yearner; I love focusing on one person. I’m not capable of casual. I’ve tried to in the past… it never ended well.
Do you have any hot takes on dating?
A situationship is a relationship that doesn’t have a label. There’s always someone who’s giving away part of themselves and not showing their full cards.
Is the queer aspect of life important to you?
Yes. When I look out at an audience and see people who really see me, I feel like I can deliver. A lot of my music is about relationships and women — it’s often sweet and soft. I like to take those nuances and add a surf-rock approach. My upcoming album artwork features me with women. It feels right. Being at shows and seeing other queer people who say they love what they’re experiencing feels special.
How was growing up and coming out for you?
My parents were supportive — but growing up, I wasn’t popular. I came out early to myself. I wasn’t afraid to say what I wanted. I recall one day in primary school when I went up to a group of girls and proclaimed, “I’m a lesbian”. They replied, “Ew, do you have a crush on me?” I said, “No, I’m just a lesbian”. I believe that my own experiences have made it natural for me to create stories and music that are queer.
Stella Eve. Photo by Trent Poulos
What inspires you most: being in love, falling out of love or the in-between?
It’s interesting you bring it up. A lot of the story that we’re telling in this new album is about being in and out of love and the in-between. One track is about making it through the tough stuff and, despite everything you’ve gone through, believing that you can love again. Believing in consequences and coincidences, angel numbers and clovers. Knowing that your luck can change and that love is always there.
What’s a moment recently that’s made you happy?
Definitely gardening with my dad. Getting out in the garden, getting dirty — it’s been a big part of my happiness. We’ve just planted our tomatoes for the season; we’re doing five different heirloom varieties — I feel so connected to them, like they’re my children. My dad says I have some problems around that!
What makes you feel connected to the universe?
Definitely laughter. If I weren’t doing music, I’d probably be a comedian or writer of some sort. I love making people laugh. Karmically, I grew up Christian and went to a Catholic school. I’m not deeply religious, but I am spiritual. I’m a big believer that if something is meant to happen to you — it will happen. Fatalist, almost. More recently, I’ve become more comfortable with the idea of leaning into the things that open doors for me.
What’s your most played song?
Fergie’s ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’. That soundtracked a lot of my bus rides into school. My second most played song would be ‘Monster’ by Rihanna. I remember a trip to the coast one year; I brought the iPod shuffle and I found that song — I’ve been obsessed ever since.
So music was a big part of growing up then?
Yes, and a very eclectic household. We had a shared iTunes and an iPod on the kitchen dock with all our music on it. Pearl Jam, Black Eyed Peas, Spice Girls. But also, you know, jazz. It’s definitely influenced my music. The first EP I put out last year, ‘Here For You’, was a nod to that playlist.
What’s important when you write a song?
Putting myself in the first person. A lot of my life, I’ve sort of lived like a second character. I think music that celebrates my point of view is healing in a way. The more you write music from that point of view, the more other people can relate to it because you’re writing it from a place that’s vulnerable and self-deprecating. I remember in high school a teacher once said, “Stella was so self-deprecating, which is wonderful” — a strange thing to comment about a kid.
What do you think people misunderstand about being an independent musician?
That it isn’t an independent thing. You manage a lot of things yourself, but you do rely on other people’s skill sets. It’s all about your community and engaging with people around you with humility and honesty, beyond your music.
Stella Eve’s music has a heart-aching rawness. Her music feels like a journal entry: an intimate glimpse into her life, like hearing a familiar story from a friend.
She explores experiences so many of us in the queer community have gone through: situationships, on-and-off dalliances with someone you’re in love with (but probably shouldn’t be) and falling in love (hard!), while singing about love that happens to be queer — a refreshing change.
You can catch Stella lighting up the main stage at this year’s SpringOUT Fair Day on Saturday 31 October from 4pm to 5pm. She’s also bringing her music to venues across Canberra — and taking her solo tour to Sydney, Wollongong and Melbourne to finish the year with a bang.
For all her updates and to catch her on tour, you can check her out on Instagram @_.stella_eve._
