Stella Prince is a 17-year-old folk artist who recently released her first radio single, "Crying on a Saturday Night." Music Director LP McKay sat down with Prince to talk about the song's inspirations, and her upcoming international tour.
KSJD Music Director LP McKay: Stella, thanks for joining me today. We've really been enjoying your single, "Crying on a Saturday night." And, I wanted to take the opportunity to introduce you to the KSJD family here. So why don't you give a brief introduction of yourself, and how you got interested in music?
Stella Prince: Oh, thank you so much for having me, first of all, but yeah, so I am a 17-year-old singer-songwriter. And, my goal is to pretty much bring the genre of folk music to a new generation. So, I'm so thrilled. This is my first ever single that has gone to radio. And it's been played, you know, over 50 different radio stations so far internationally, just in the past month. So, I'm so beyond thrilled by the response. Yeah, and I'm just, I'm really, my whole goal is to really bring Authenticity, as well, you know, back to contemporary music. And, I really try and write, you know, all my songs from the heart, and I really want people to relate to them. So yeah, I'm excited that you like my song.
McKay: Yeah, I was gonna say, it's super relatable to most people. We've all had a Saturday night here and there, where we, you know, were having less than a great time. So I wanted to, to see, you know, without, getting too much into the sad details. Was there a particular weekend that kind of inspired that song?
Prince: You know, it wasn't really a particular weekend, it was more like the entire year of 2020. Yeah, it's, it was the craziest thing, you know, to go from going out every day and going out for dinner and seeing friends and family to just suddenly literally being home for like, over a year. It was really like, traumatizing in a way, just to not go out at all, and never see anyone in person. And so it's kind of just like a feeling of that whole year. Instead of going out and being with friends. You're kind of just crying, you know, on a Saturday night by yourself.
McKay: I was once 17. And I had those weekends. But yeah, when 2020 rolled around, for sure, I think most of us were having some tearful days. But, here we are now coming out of it.
Prince: I know. I'm so happy that it's finally going away.
McKay: Right? Yeah. And, I'm sure as a as a musician, you're able to get out a little bit more and start performing.
Prince: Oh, yeah, I'm actually headed in a few weeks on my first ever international tour to the United Kingdom. Yeah, for the month of May. So I am so thrilled. This is the first time I'm going to Europe since the pandemic started. So I'm really excited.
McKay: Just getting back into kind of the the feelings that that your newest single crying on a Saturday night express. It sounds like songwriting is a really good outlet for your feelings. So, has there been a kind of more challenging aspect to writing songs for you?
Prince: Yeah, I mean, it absolutely is the greatest form of therapy in a way. I mean, the first song that I ever wrote, that was like, a real song with a verse and of course, and a bridge was when I was 10. And it was the day that my dog was going to be put down. And like, it was just so emotional. And, I'd never had that kind of feelings before. So I just went to the piano, and I just wrote my first song. And since then, that kind of feeling that's always been why I write songs is because something, you know, really emotional happens. And I just need to put it out, you know, write it down on paper, and just release those feelings. So absolutely.
McKay: Being a younger artist as well. It's probably especially cathartic, you can get into some really deep feelings that we all have at those ages.
Prince: Oh, yeah. And it really is a such a hard time, you know, between the ages of like 15 and 20. And you're really just finding yourself and you're kind of like starting to be independent for the first time. And yet, you know, I kind of still feel like a kid a lot of the time. So it's a weird time. Yeah.
McKay: And as I said, we're really enjoying your song crying on a Saturday night here. What can we expect coming up from you?
Prince: Yeah, well, I'm actually hoping to go into the recording studio in the next few weeks before I leave and lay down another song. So hopefully this summer will be my sixth single release. So I'm excited.
McKay: Awesome. Well, we'll be looking out for that. And look forward to playing it here at KSJD. Thanks so much for your time today.
Prince: Thank you so much.
