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NYC based singer-songwriter Stolar is on a mission as he creates infectious pop tunes with raw emotion and meaning. With tracks like “My Own Way” and “Skeleton Love” it is clear that the multi-instrumentalist has channeled his bout with depression and bi-polar disorder into passionate creativity. For Stolar, music is essential and he has found a way to use it as a tool to help those around him.
GroundSounds recently caught up with Stolar to talk about his latest tracks, upcoming projects and more, check out the exclusive interview below.
For those just discovering Stolar, can you tell us a little bit about your background and how you got started with music?
I got started with music when I was very young. When I was in third grade I was writing songs in the back room behind my kitchen on an upright piano. I’ve been searching for those old songs but still can’t seem to track them down. Later on, I was really involved in the local music scene in New Jersey and hung out with lots of other bands and artists.
What do you enjoy most about New York? What is one little hidden gem in the city that every visitor should check out?
Ahhh… What do I love about NYC? Well there really is too much to describe in one sentence. That being said, I would boil it down to energy. NYC has an energy and pace to it that keeps me on my toes and pushes me to constantly go beyond the limits of what I think I’m capable of. I love that. Choosing one place to visit in NYC is tough… I am really into Smorgasburg in Williamsburg these days. It’s a truly one-of-a-kind food market on Saturdays from April-November. Do it. It’s dope. Also, Rockwood Music Hall is the greatest music venue on the planet. That’s 2… Sorry 🙂
Can you tell us about the creative and writing process behind your track “Skeleton Love?”
Skeleton Love was an interesting collaboration with a spoken word artist named Steve Connell. I saw Steve perform at a wedding and one of the lines in his piece was “I want the skin I want the bones I want your Skeleton Love.” I went up to him after and told him I thought there was a great song in there. Steve and I partied pretty hard that night, and the next day I woke up on the floor of a hotel room with the whole hook in my head. This is not my normal process btw 🙂 The rest of the song was written between NY and LA with Steve and I developing and editing the lyrics whenever we were able to get together. Most of this song was written in hotel rooms, coffee shops, and restaurants.
Can you tell us about shooting the music video for “My Own Way” and the message behind the song?
“My Own Way” was the most complex project I’ve ever been a part of. I got the idea for the video after a TM meditation session. I had been looking for a way to speak loudly about the importance of mental health awareness, and this felt like a perfect fit. From there it was a full year of developing the concept, finding these incredible people, shooting, re-shooting and then I ended up doing the final assembly (rough edit) of the video myself. I think we went through 27 different cuts. It was really important to us that everyone’s stories were told authentically, and that the video inspired people to TALK about mental health. Also, we wanted it to be connected to the music and not just feel like a PSA. At the end of the day, I hope this video inspires people to work through their personal challenges, whatever they may be, and live the fulfilled lives they want to live.
Can you tell us about working with the Love is Louder campaign?
Love is Louder is a really incredible movement. It has been really special to be involved with a group that believes so fearlessly in making mental health an issue that people are comfortable talking about. Having this relationship with them has been a huge part of building my own confidence in talking about personal issues and challenges.
What was it like working with slam poet Steven Connell?
Working with Steve is electric. It’s such a pleasure to work with someone who is solely focused on the lyric and arc of the song. My head is usually swimming in lyrics, melody, and production simultaneously. Working with Steve allowed me to get all the musical ideas out, and then really craft each word and thought until we both felt it was painting the image we wanted. He is a real badass.
How has music personally helped you with mental illness/depression? How can it help others?
To be totally honest I don’t completely understand how music helps me. I think it’s a deeply subconscious effect. I write A LOT of music, I’m obsessed. My thought is that consistently getting so much emotion out helps me clear out negative energy that would otherwise build up. It’s like stripping down a tangled rubber band ball. Also this process results in a lot of excited and elated moments of creation. I think that the happiness music brings me must be some kind of nature rush of serotonin. It’s good for my brain. That being said, it’s not a magic cure. I still have a really hard time some days, sometimes for even longer periods, but music does a hell of a lot.
For anyone else that has faced any type of mental illness, I would just suggest to create things you love. Write songs, practice your instrument, learn to produce music in different ways—just make things. There is some kind of power that music has on the brain, there are books about it that I’ve been meaning to read. I should probably go read them so I can more accurately answer this question in the future 🙂 I’ll email you guys if I get some more scientific info.
What bands/musicians are you currently listening to?
Jack Garratt, Jon Bellion, Major Lazer
What’s next for Stolar, what can fans look forward to?
I’m finishing up about 20 new songs and we are starting to shoot videos for a few of the singles. 2015 was a year of writing and producing new music, 2016 will be filled with finishing and releasing a ton of it.
