Nobody needs confirmation that being a college student is a full-time job. While reading this article, 99 percent of you are probably downing your n-th cup of coffee while frantically trying to finish that problem set or paper before your next lecture. Who would imagine there could be time for anything else?
But despite the major handicap of being full-time college students, three seniors have managed to turn their passions for music into a successful band, a feat in and of itself. Until recently, Stella by Starlight's popularity was confined to the Gothic Wonderland, but now the trio is gaining national attention as a top five finalists for Best Music on Campus, an mtvU award given to the best student band in the country.
The current incarnation of Stella by Starlight consists of seniors Sonny Byrd on guitar, Nate Fowler on synth and Greg Laird on drums. The idea of forming a band first struck musical soulmates Byrd and Laird a few years ago. The pair joined with Shuhei Yamamoto (Trinity '07) and Fowler to form the group, which initially played under the moniker of the Bourne Analogue, though the name was less than permanent.
"We finally decided on the name Stella by Starlight after about 20 different name changes, all of which were equally terrible," Byrd said.
The roster stayed constant throughout these appellative iterations, up until Yamamoto's departure earlier this year.
"Shuhei graduated and since then we've been a trio... a pop-rock power trio," Laird said.
The band attributes their successful dynamic to the fact that each member's musical style works together to form their sound. Byrd is influenced by early '90s rock, while Fowler is heavily into synthpop and electronica. Laird is "squarely in the middle" and is characterized as the mediator between the other two components-oftentimes the peacemaker. This relationship among the three members has led to a major evolution in Stella's sound.
"Our first EP, Made of Fire, seems ancient to us. Our current sound is much different, and our production quality has definitely gone up," Laird said. "Our songs are now more coherent, and we also fight more about things, which is good because that means we all care about every part of the songs."
The band's evolving sound has also steered their direction on a slightly new course.
"We've dropped the whole Duke party band thing and are trying to play more off-campus," Byrd said.
In an effort to expand their fan base, the band entered themselves into several MTV contests and has recently been named one of the final five bands in the running for mtvU's Best Music on Campus Woodie award. The Woodie Awards are like a smaller version VMAs; however, the Best Music on Campus award is based on sheer number of votes, which means the band has received overwhelming support from the Duke community and their growing national fanbase.
"We used to get zero plays on MySpace for an entire week and then we'd get like four, and find out that it was just Nate playing our songs," Laird said. Now the band gets anywhere from 50 to 150 plays per week. "That's a big deal for us."
The trio is passionate about the band, but agree that the future of Stella isn't set in stone.
"Staying together could depend on what kind of success we have before the end of this year. If we do well in the MTV competition, it could help us get more exposure," Byrd said.
Of course, staying together and making music is the ideal option for any band, but Stella recognizes what they're up against.
"After college, counting on making it in a band is like trying to nail down Jello-you can't. If a beautiful opportunity came up before we all graduated I am sure that we would keep playing because we have a really special sound," Byrd said.
Regardless of what happens, Stella's members hope to see the Duke music scene live on long after they graduate. All three are active in the Duke music scene outside of Stella as direct contributors to Duke's Small Town Records, which offers free recording time to student bands.
"The fact that we have been able to take advantage of things like the recording studio and opportunities to perform on campus is part of the reason why we've gotten so far," Laird said. "People need to keep doing this... and paying us to do it."
You can vote now for Stella by Starlight at bestmusiconcampus.com. Check out myspace.com/stellabystarlightband for info and updates on Stella by Starlight.
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