|
STEFY is a band with the energy of No
Doubt, and an incredibly sexy front woman, Stefy Rae, who combines the
brashness of Pink and the commanding stage presence of Debbie Harry.
Rae is bold and captivating as the focal point of the electro-infused
rock band, STEFY.
Whether
singing about moving on from a torrid relationship, getting over a boy
who is as fake as “Orange Crush,” or lamenting about a pair of teens in
Orange County who lose their innocence too early, Rae's melodic voice
has a subtle force, making it the only aspect of this band that isn’t
totally in-your-face. With Sean Meyer (guitar), Jason Gaviati (keys) and
Andreas Brobjer (drums), STEFY unleashes a barrage of pop hooks and
electric rock energy on their album and on stage.
Rae
credits her quirky, Bolivian grandmother who was also a singer, with
inspiring her to pursue her dream.
"My
grandmother is a wild child," Rae said. "She isn't afraid of anything. I
remember her singing live on the radio all the time in Bolivia.”
"She is
also a very strong person," Rae continued. "She came from another
country with seven kids not knowing where they were gonna live, not
knowing the language. Just packed up her bags and left. Her free spirit
and strength is what inspires me."
Rae
looked for that same sense of uniqueness in her band as well. Gaviati
has performed with his own band and toured with Roc-A-Fella artist
Samantha Ronson. Meyer was gigging whilst studying at Musicians
Institute. Brobjer has gigged all around Europe. The trio brings an air
of exuberance and fresh ideas to STEFY.
STEFY's
debut album reflects the band members' myriad of talents. “Chelsea,” the
first single, is a strutting electro-stomp about a “cold-as-ice” woman
who stole the singer’s boyfriend and then poured salt in the wound when
“She called me while you were kissing / So I could hear what I was
missing."
On an
album filled with danceable, pop tracks, STEFY shows their versatility
on “Orange County” – an emotional, narrative song about two teenagers
who get pregnant, drop out of high school and have to get real jobs.
“It’s a ‘where have all the good times gone’ song,” Rae said of the
track which highlights her vocals, featuring a sparse beat and
melancholy keys. The lyrics question “the things we think that we need
for our American dream.”
“I like
those realistic songs,” Rae said. “Kids screw up, we mess up, and
everyone’s singing about the fairy tales and no one is singing about the
truth. I feel that writing songs that draw from what I have seen and
experience in my life makes our music easy to relate to.”
Opening
with swirling synths, "Orange Crush" is an upbeat, playful track. A ride
on the new wave, the song about a boy who is about as fake as the drink,
"Orange Crush" is a hook-laden, dance track with lyrics like "you're
flat and stale / I had to bail."
Though
their debut hasn't even hit stores yet, the producers of the Fox film
John Tucker Must Die noticed STEFY's talent early on and hired them
to pen a song for the upcoming movie starring
Jesse Metcalfe, Ashanti and "One
Tree Hill" actress Sophia Bush.
STEFY's "Fool For Love," about "a dorky girl who becomes popular and
gets the cool guy to like her," will be featured in both the film and
the soundtrack, as will "Chelsea."
As
infectious as STEFY's songs are on their album, the band is twice as
enthralling live. "When I'm on stage I want to give people a good
show," Rae said. "I am inspired by artists like David Bowie and Prince -
when they perform, they get into character - you wouldn't want to look
anywhere else than right at the stage.”
"That's
what I like to put into my shows," she added. "I roll around on the
floor and just really go for it."
The
embodiment of grit, guts and natural allure, STEFY is poised to thrash
onto the music scene. After years of charging towards her dreams, Rae
has earned the right to embrace her band's fans, treating them to an
album of electric pop gems. And if anyone dares to doubt her, Rae says
their criticisms just provide fuel for her musical fire.
“Don’t
tell me I can’t do anything,” she says. “I’ll do it just to prove you
wrong.”
####
www.stefytheband.com
www.winduprecords.com
|
Review of The Orange Album