We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Stella Wembley. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Stella below.

Hi Stella, thanks for joining us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

Three years ago, I would have definitely answered “Yes! I am very happy as an artist, and I love what I do, despite the numerous sacrifices it entails.
Because I don’t see myself doing anything else with the same passion, and I know I have a talent…a vocation. ” Nowadays, however, I cannot give the same answer.
I have been afraid to admit, first of all to myself, and then to my fans, that music hasn’t brought me the same happiness in the recent years as it once did.

It’s not that I don’t get the same feeling while I am singing, or that I don’t feel inspired; actually, I am more creative than ever right now, and I have been writing songs for my first full album. But it’s as if the energy I had at the beginning, when I started this journey, about sixteen years ago, has run out.
Emotions, when I’m on stage, come and go; sometimes I get emotional, other times I feel absolutely nothing. I did start wondering: “Why is this happening?” .

So I decided to speak with a health professional, as I couldn’t cope with that feeling of depersonalisation anymore. I had therapy to understand what was happening to me. My therapist told me I had unrealistic expectations, and I think is true – but all the most successful people push themselves to the limits.
I realised though that my passion had turned into a nine to five, just like a full time job, since not having the financial resources to pay a team, I had to do everything alone.

Wearing many hats – being a musician, singer, manager, promoter, producer, etc. – deprived me not only of a lot of energy, but I had to deal with the financial difficulties: I didn’t earn much, sometimes I only had a reimbursement of expenses for gigs, and I had to work exactly like a nine to five. I was neglecting my physical and mental health, since this industry can be very demanding: you always have to produce, and produce more, and prove your value constantly, sacrificing yourself for the cause.

At the beginning, perhaps, I was willing to sacrifice my finances, my mental and physical health, but sooner or later, a compromise must be found.
I am a human being, and even though I love music very much, I also have essential needs that I no longer want to sacrifice: financial stability, staying healthy, both physically and mentally.

Furthermore, I was quite disappointed by the music industry: it’s very lonely, or at least I haven’t found a group of friends, or a music community that supports me. On the contrary, it’s very competitive, and everyone is ready to stab you in the back. Some people are so fake and mean, and consumed by envy, that they smile at you and then curse your name, spreading rumours about you, trying to destroy your reputation…

Whereas, for me, being an artist was never about being better than someone else; it was never a competition.
Being an artist for me means expressing myself by creating art, and finding the joy in the process of creation, as well as sharing my art with the world, knowing that it would resonate with some people. The most beautiful thing about making music, or performing, is that when I am creating music, in that moment I am totally at peace, and forget about everything else.

It may seem controversial to say that you are disconnected from the rest but are still able to connect with the audience; but I have experienced more than once, that when I felt this form of detachment I was, at the same time, really into the performance, and able to engage the audience.

I still love music..I just don’t like the industry and most of the people who are in this business. I actually hoped I could find a more supportive environment, and kinder people in the music industry. Perhaps, because I have never had any support during my musical journey from my friends and family, acknowledging the fact I was not going to get any support from my fellow musicians was even more difficult.

Now, I feel the need to slow down a bit, and to have a more balanced life.
Actually, I have found a part-time job that gives me more financial stability, and I feel less anxious knowing that I have a regular income every month.

The music industry requires you to work so much, and it’s hard to make it especially as an independent artist with a small record label, and it can be draining and frustrating. Especially when you are working a lot, without the adequate rest; that’s why taking breaks is so important.

Perhaps, I just want some peace and well deserved relaxation after years of unpaid work. To be able to afford a holiday shouldn’t be a luxury, and having a job that provides a regular income enables me to save some money and “treat myself” with a deserved holiday break.

After all, I have not lived an easy life: I have childhood traumas, I have been coping with grief and loss, not mentioning my chronic pain, which I have to live with every day.
I believe that my music and artistic vision reflect my life experience, especially the challenges I have faced and the pain I have endured.

Stella, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a visionary artist, a musician , singer and song-writer, music and video producer, with an entrepreneurial spirit.

An independent artist, and founder of the independent record label Gothic Empire Records, I started as a singer-songwriter, trained as an opera singer – graduated from the Royal Conservatory San Pietro a Majella in Naples.

I have always loved expressing myself on a creative level, and I remember writing poems from the age of eight; most of the poems, especially as time went by, became very dark, with themes such as death, abandonment, sorrow.

I remember that I was a horror movie lover, and I used to read horror fictions. This hasn’t changed. The attraction for the macabre, and fascination for the dark and the mysterious have always accompanied me, and I have then included them in my lyrics and music videos later on.

I don’t come from a family of musicians, but my mother was a painter – though she never did it as a profession, she was very talented – and my grandfather was very passionate about music, having a huge collection of vinyls, and cassettes.

Perhaps I inherited the passion for poetry also from my grandfather, who was very erudite and knew practically all poetry and all Italian writers.
I think that the reason why I started singing was the need and desire to express my emotions, and it was much easier for me to express my feelings by singing or writing, rather than speaking up!

From sixteen to twenty, I was in a band and performed as a singer different musical styles.
During my musical studies, my mother encouraged and supported me. After her death, I took a year off from everything.

My mother died when I was eighteen, and my father and I were never close. I grew up with my mother and my grandparents. I had to grow up quite quickly because my grandparents died when I was fifteen, and then my mother died.
Music was the only thing that helped me, and luckily I had my auntie, a wonderful woman who really loved me and motivated me.

So I did not give up , and decided to continue my music studies, as well as working as a waitress, to pay the bills (and the university fees).
At that time, there were no universities or music schools in my city that granted a professional degree in contemporary music, so I decided to start studying Opera singing , I auditioned and was admitted to the Conservatory.

I realised later that my real passion was writing, and composing music, not performing songs written by someone else.
That’s probably when I started writing songs, at that time with my acoustic guitar. I would describe those songs as sad ballads, with themes that relate to life and death.
Life and death are repeating themes in my lyrics, probably because I had many losses and traumas.
When my auntie died, I was left without any emotional support, and my lyrics became even darker.
Despite this, I relied on my strength, faith, and I have never stopped working hard.

Over the years I have mastered the art of music production, arranging my songs , using music production software like Cubase.
Without entering into technical details, which some readers may find difficult to understand, I started producing my own music with the aid of technology, in my home recording studio.
In 2017 I moved to the UK, because I wanted to pursue a career as a musician, and I thought I could find more opportunities to perform my original music.
Especially the London music scene encouraged me to be very productive, and also inspired me to write more original songs. I was touring, recording and producing my music.

I supported bands like Inkubus Sukkubus, Rome Burns, Machine Rox, Auger, Byronic Sex and Exile, The Faces of Sarah, Zeitgeist Zero.
Even when I moved to Leeds, I had the opportunity to play at the Goth City Festival, and organised my events with supporting acts like HerOrangeCoat at the Fenton, in Leeds.
I was the headliner at the Dublin Castle with Machine Rox as a supporting act.

I have produced four music releases, four music videos, and I was also the video director and art director.
The last music video was filmed in Leeds, and it was probably the most challenging to film because I had to direct 12 actresses, and at the same time to give an outstanding performance as a lead character.
During the last five years, I have also mastered the art of video editing and video production, using DaVinci Resolve (a professional video editing software).

As a music producer, singer and song-writer, I have released two physical copies of music, “All That I Need” (2019) and “Images of Death” (2020), which are on sale on my official website.

I have also other two digital releases , “Loving the Alien”(2022) and “Wasting My Time” (2023). All releases (except from the last one, which is only available on Bandcamp) can be found on all the digital stores.

During my journey as an artist, my determination, willpower and love for music have motivated me, and this is why I have managed to produce all my own music, manage my online store, and tour in the UK.

I have recorded, mixed, arranged, mastered, and financed all the music by myself.
And I have done all of this having chronic pain, and since I need therapies every week, I also had to find a way to afford them, as physical therapies can be quite expensive.

I had the support of Help Musicians, a charity that helps independent artists, and was able to keep making music while having therapy for my chronic pain. They also helped me with my mental health, as I have been suffering from depression and this was having a negative impact on my career.

I believe that many people who listen to my music do so with the awareness of the work that goes on behind the scenes; and for the people that don’t , they should do so after reading this interview.

Supporting an emerging artist nowadays means coming to the shows, buying physical copies of music, and merchandise. I’m happy to have followers who leave likes on social media, but in the end it’s a fake world, and “fans” are not followers, fans are those who come to your concert even on a rainy day, without excuses.

Obviously, not everyone loves my music! The themes are very macabre, sometimes the lyrics hermetic, where melancholy and sorrow are very present.
Maybe if people knew me, and knew the story behind the lyrics, they would appreciate the music, even if they weren’t fans of the dark wave/gothic genre.

For example, All That I Need, my first release, talks about themes of life and death, and the end of a dangerous relationship with a man, where I lost myself.
The weird thing is that I wrote the song when I was still in Italy, and I hadn’t met him yet. Maybe it was a sort of premonition.
When I wrote the song, I was thinking about the death of my mother, and reflecting about the meaning of life, and the afterlife.
Then, after the relationship with this demonic man, the song became also about lost love, and I was inspired to make a gothic/horror video for the track.

Everything in the video is my own idea, I planned and chose everything -from the props and costumes – scouting the actors and locations. I completed the editing collaborating with the video maker, guiding him during the whole process.
The video was filmed by the filmmaker Riccardo Cavani, for London Filmmakers.

I hired two actors, a male who played the demonic man, and a female who played the angelic woman. I played the character of a goth young lady.
We filmed for three days, in three different locations in and around London: a cemetery, a church and a Tudor Suite.
The style of the video is gothic, romantic, and the story takes places in the Middle Ages and Tudor Period.

Filming in the cemetery was a fantastic experience, though quite hard. It’s not easy to shoot in outdoor locations when you have a small team, and it was also quite cold. But I planned everything ahead, every single scene, and having a shooting schedule helped a lot.
One of my favourite scene is the one where I am bleeding and the demonic man is carrying my body, a scene that probably reminds the artwork of “The Horror of Dracula” by Terence Fisher, to not be confused with the original Dracula.

I am, of course, a fan of the original Dracula (with Bela Lugosi), but I appreciate more Bram Stoker’s Dracula by Francis Ford Coppola, with Gary Oldman and Winona Ryder.
Also, I watched The Horror of Dracula as well as the original Dracula only after making the video, so I believe the death scene was my own idea, as well as the other scenes in the video, and not influenced by anything I saw at that time. There is a similar scene in the music video “Born to Die” by Lana Del Rey, but the context is completely different.

The romantic and erotic scenes were filmed in the Tudor Suite, that had a mahogany four-poster bed, and a fantastic 15th-century minstrels’ gallery.
I loved doing the kissing scene, of course! I am a romantic. I also loved setting up the scene, placing red candles next to the bed, and rosebuds all over the bed.

The song “All That I Need” has a gothic style, and also new wave influences. I have played the synth and the guitar in the track, and programmed the drums. The whole synth performance is live, meaning that there were no edits, as it was recorded live, not in midi.

Also the guitars were recorded live, and I used the reamping technique to have a more powerful and better sound. The vocals were recorded in a recording studio in London, whereas all the production and arrangement was done in my home recording studio.

The EP includes the song “I’ll Meet You Sometime”, another song dedicated to the same lover, and two Remixes of All That I Need, All That I Need Remix by Lloyd Price of the Frixion, and All That I Need Remix.

In “I’ll Meet You Sometime” I played the guitar as well as the synthesiser, and programmed the drums. The song has perhaps more a dark wave vibe rather than gothic, whereas my Remix of “All That I Need” is a minimal/dark wave style. Also for this remix, I have played the synthesiser, adding a synth solo, bass synth lines and programmed different drums.

All That I Need Remix by Lloyd Price of The Frixion is probably the most different in terms of style, mood and production. I think it works very well though in the EP, it is very refreshing, and the production is very professional.
Enriched with harmonies and with captivating synth lines, it offers a pop/synth pop vision of the song, aiming to be a hit! I love this version.

My second release is “Images of Death” , and the title track for the EP Images of Death, is dedicated to my mother, and talks about how traumatic and difficult it was for me to see her die. She was a victim of cancer.
This was my second release. It includes Images of Death Remix. The main track is more Neo-classical rather than gothic, with an orchestral arrangement. Whereas the remix, I’d say is dark wave, with a lead synth and bass synth line I have written and performed.

At that time covid was still happening, so I couldn’t hire anyone to film the video, and I had to do all by myself outdoors.
“Images of Death” has a different vibe than “All that I Need”, which is very reminiscent of one of the Hammer movies. I used much brighter colours in the shots, and I think it looks more like a contemporary gothic horror movie.

Even though my smartphone changed the colours a bit, the very bright colours – red, blue and white – are deliberate. If I had to find a similar film that could have inspired me, I would think of Suspiria by Dario Argento.
I didn’t have a professional video camera yet, but just a couple of LED lights, so I used my smartphone to shoot the entire video. Sometimes, you don’t need expensive equipment when you have the will to do something …. and an idea that works!

In the music video, which I have filmed, directed and produced, the main themes are death, resurrection, witchcraft, and magic. and the style is horror. I wanted to have a grotesque and realistic representation, using realistic human skulls, real animal bones, and fake blood in the scene where the witch is performing the spell. I’m not sure if the audience has understood this, but she is performing a resurrection spell.

I have also used real red and white roses, the last ones covered with blood.
The location looked quite spooky, not as spooky as the cemetery where I filmed All That I Need, but the trees lit by the red lights, as well as the dark lake and the full moon, played a part in creating a quite gothic atmosphere.

My third release, “Loving The Alien”, is a cover of Loving The Alien by David Bowie. I have totally changed the style of the track, though the tempo and the lyrics are the same.
My version is a synth-pop version, with influences like Depeche Mode. I had fun using the step sequencers in the pre-chorus and chorus, which I have programmed in Cubase using the Retrologue VST.
The digital EP includes a fantastic remix by Lloyd Price of The Frixion, with industrial influences like Gary Numan. I love this version and the audience loves it too!

Regarding the video, I didn’t have a budget so I filmed it at my place, creating a scenography with props I have ordered online.
My outfit was inspired by a gothic, cabaret style, and the main colours in the video were red, blue and gold. I have also created a choreography, filming twice to have two different angles, since I only had one camera and couldn’t record two angles at the same time.
I played three characters; the gothic girl, the evil nun, and the demon.
For the demon I chose a realistic golden mask, which I ordered from the USA, it was quite expensive. I remember that it was a little big for my face, it was covering my eyes so it was quite difficult to see. But it looked really good and scary.

Regarding the song’s meaning, Bowie’s original is about wars waged in the name of God, and atrocities committed by the church. I took up the theme of the song but adopted it with a more esoteric vision. Some believe that the song is a love song, which is totally wrong, and although I have a sexy outfit in the video, it is definitely not about loving an alien!

Moreover, I used the demonic figure, who holds the Bible, to highlight the contradictions of religious belief, given that the church killed in the name of God, but which God would want this?
That is why I used the evil nun character, who is representing the corruption of the Church.
There is also the mystery of the true meaning of the biblical text, which is open to multiple interpretations, so I used the golden keys as a symbol, to represent the mystery to be solved.

Though the result would have been even better if I had a video maker filming as well as an assistant – due to the complexity of the scenes- I am very happy with the work and I don’t think I could have done better.
Moreover, I filmed the video with a professional camera, and I think the quality of the video is really good.

“Wasting my Time”, my last release, has a a retro new-wave vibe, with a catchy chorus, and a loop-and arpeggio-driven synth, an orchestra sample, and a synth solo always with a retro vibe.
“The song ‘Wasting My Time’ is about self-confidence, self-empowerment, hope, change and transformation, and it is ultimately an autobiographical song about my relationship with my blood family, and how and why I chose to end it once and for all.

Two of the remixes – ‘Bionic Visions Electro Remix’ and ‘Bionic Visions Dark Ambient Remix’ – were created by Enrico Knob (Bionic Visions), an Italian music producer, arranger and re-mixer.
The Bionic Visions Electro Remix is a pop/ electro/ synth pop remix, which somehow maintains the energy and mood of the original song, whereas the Bionic Visions Dark Ambient Remix is a very soulful, ambient remix, but which conveys sadness, loneliness and melancholy.

The Cold Minimal Wave Remix is my own remix, which is a cold minimal version of the track, with synthesisers and sequencers; I have also recently released an orchestral version of “Wasting my Time”, only available on Bandcamp, and on my website. It is a much slower version, and I added other instruments: Oboe, Saxophone, String ensemble, Gong Bells, a Synth Pad and used a Phaser Effect on the original vocals.

Regarding the video filming, I had a small budget and was able to hire a small team, and twelve female extras, and filmed the video in August 2023.
The video – set in Mediaeval 13th century England – was filmed at Kirkstall Abbey and Adel Woods in Leeds by Riccardo Cavani for London Filmmakers.
I directed it myself, in addition to writing the script and creating the storyboard for the video.

The filming took two days – the first day we filmed in the woods, and the following day we filmed at the Abbey.
I loved playing the character of Susanne, a princess emotional yet confident, who is also a witch.
The Abbey where she seeks refuge and help, is actually representing a mental prison, with twelve nuns who have been forced to convert to Catholicism.

When her love Henry dies tragically, she decides to commit suicide stabbing herself, near the river, to start a new life and being reincarnated as a witch, asking help from the Spirits.

I prepared the whole scenography in the woods, including setting up the cauldron in which we placed some charcoal pods and created the realistic smoke effect.
I also loved my long dark cloak, giving me a dramatic look.
The most challenging part of the filming was when we were in the woods, as it was raining a lot, it was cold, the river was flooding, and we certainly didn’t have the necessary equipment. I managed to walk in heels through the woods on soggy, uneven ground, holding a real sword, and doing the playback!

Then I had to lie on the ground to do the death scene, and even though it was very hard to film with that weather, I think the scene looks fantastic and even more realistic. Even in this video, I am dying , reasserting my obsession with death.

I also enjoyed directing the twelve actresses at the Abbey, who had to move in sync with the music.
There is a scene, where two of them are behind a gate, holding bars;I really like how that scene was shot, it represents well the lack of freedom to express and be oneself, both in the family and in society. This is why all the nuns have a veil.

I believe many readers can connect with my life stories – death, grief, abandonment, a toxic family, and trauma – but perhaps they don’t know my story or they haven’t even heard of my music before.
I am very happy to be able to tell my story here, and to reach an audience that can relate to my music and vision.

Finally, as I said I have always been a horror movie lover, from the classic “The Shining” by Kubrick, Quentin Tarantino movies, Altered States by Ken Russell, to novels by Stephen King, and horror classics by Hammer Movies.
I like to include elements of horror, eroticism and suspense, mystery, in my music videos. Also, I want them to look realistic. I’m not a fan of green screens, and I’ve never used one.

My favourite bands/ artists? David Bowie, Lana Del Rey, Depeche Mode. I also love The Doors, Led Zeppelin, and more pop, experimental new wave sounds by Nirvana, and even classical music (many of my songs have orchestral arrangements.)
I have always been a Bowie fan; I have also covered one of his most famous tracks, “Space Oddity”, an Italian and English version that can be found only on my Youtube Channel.
My favourite works? Low and Black Star.

Depeche Mode , in my opinion, are one of the greatest synth-pop band in the music history, and I’d love to be able to work with them one day, and to learn their recording process in the studio.
My favourite albums are Black Celebration and Songs of Faith and Devotion.

I like Lana Del Rey because her vision has some similarities with mine – lost love, death, melancholy – and she is one of the few singers I can cover without struggles. I can relate to her lyrics. My favourite albums of Lana’s are Born to Die and Honeymoon.

If I could, I’d love to work with an experienced music producer – I really love the work of Tony Visconti – and a filmmaker like Steven Spielberg. Also, having a manager and a team who would help me immensely, taking a burden off my shoulders. So I wouldn’t have to do six jobs, or more, by myself (video director, producer, manager, agent, make-up artist, sound engineer… etc).

I think it would be helpful at this point to have a team who can help me with the entire business project, since now my brand is expanding – 1.85k Subscribers on YouTube, with membership options, over 300 subscribers on my mailing list, two online stores, over 5 social media platforms to manage with an international fanbase.

My mission as an artist is to express myself in a creative way, inspiring others to do the same; building a community with values like kindness, respect, love and honesty; connecting with the audience through my music and lyrics, hopefully bringing a sense of belonging and hope to people.

So I’d like to build a community, supporting each other, with no division and competition, leading them towards the light – yet understanding the darkness.

My life mission? Right now, it is understanding who I really am. Love and to be loved. And pretty much living in the moment, without any regrets. And being financially stable and independent, being able to afford a holiday when I want it.
I’m a spiritual person, but I don’t deny that I wouldn’t mind being rich, actually, I would love to be rich.

I am currently writing and recording new songs, for a new album that will have similar themes to the previous ones, but it will be even more mystical, with references to demons, esotericism, and some very sad love ballads, which I hope the audience will love, and I hope the album will be successful.

I have already mentioned that I have recorded a cover of Tate McRae’s “It’s ok I am ok”, in a dark wave / dark pop style.
I am very excited about that, though it was a long recording process; the style is completely different from the original, which is a very commercial pop hit .
My version is very seductive, erotic, dramatic, dark and mysterious.

Regarding my love ballad, it is titled “Demon Lover” and talks about a mermaid meeting a sailor, he is demonic and tries to seduce her, he keeps visiting her in dreams.
There are other songs with similar themes, death, lost love, rebirth, and there is a song that talks about necromancy, which is the practice of communicating with the dead.
I really like the lyrics. I imagine talking to the people I love who passed away; I think it would be amazing to be able to talk to them, if there were a bridge between the world of the living and the afterlife.

I have so much to write about and so many ideas. I would love to share my music and vision with another musician.
At this point, I want to invite other musicians , music producers to reach out to me for a collaboration. I have recently collaborated with a talented pianist, Roberto Flora (FloMusic Production) who has arranged an instrumental track for me, understanding my vision. It was a fantastic experience, and I’d love to have other musicians who love my project on board.

The outstanding remix by Lloyd Price of the Frixion of “All That I Need” is an incredible work in synth-pop style that brought my original song in front of the audience, with more than 4,000 plays on Spotify.

I hope to collaborate with more artists/ music producers in the future! If anyone is interested, they can reach me at [email protected].
For anyone who wants to book my services, I am now offering my video editing and video production services on my website, as well as my services as a vocalist. You can also find me on SoundBetter.

You can also visit my website www.stellawembley.com to find music, videos, interviews and more about my music and vision.
Moreover, if you want to support my music and vision, there is also an online store on my official website, where I sell physical copies of music and my merchandise.
Finally, a second online store is also on Spring, and the link can be found on my website, or you can find all the merch displayed under my Youtube Videos.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

My life is a battle with chronic pain and is impacted by emotional trauma, a battle that I have been fighting for years and I know I will always be victorious.

When I was sixteen I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. At that time, I was playing in a band, and was thinking of having a career in the music industry.

When I got the diagnosis, I didn’t believe it was right. Maybe I was reluctant to have an illness for which there is no cure.

I have always had chronic pain, probably hereditary and also due to a car accident, so I thought there was another explanation for my symptoms. I believed the diagnosis was wrong, and refused to take medications for the rest of my life.

Then, when I was eighteen, my mother died of cancer.
This was a great emotional trauma, and having seen my grandparents die, I thought I was living in a hell.
The only thing that made me feel better and motivated me to keep going at that time, was music.

Also, when my uncle told me I should have chosen a different career, give up music, because of my health problems and the history of our family’s health problems, he cursed me by saying “who knows if one day you’ll have a hand disorder and you won’t be able to play anymore”
Not exactly good wishes.

My blood family was always extremely protective of me, but at that moment I realised that their fears and negativity could have affected my entire existence!

I have always been stubborn but I think that at that point, I became even more, so I decided to prove them wrong- no matter what.

Emotional traumas, like my mother’s death, have made me a strong and independent woman, and moving forward, I am the one who breaks the cycle, perhaps after generations of bad luck and diseases.

I knew that my willpower , determination and resilience would have allowed me to achieve my wildest dreams. And what is the meaning of life anyway, if we live in fear, worrying about what could happen, and afraid of illness and death?

Unfortunately his words were still resonating in my mind, and I think they had an impact on my self-esteem. So all the times my chronic pain prevented me from playing, I thought “There you go, maybe he was right”.

However, my inner strength was too strong and became my driving force.
In the difficult moments, when I felt that my body couldn’t make it, I always reminded myself of how strong I was, of my talents, my achievements, my courage and my resilience.

I took breaks, but never quit my dream while I was resting. I learnt how to be compassionate with myself, never judgemental; I was my coach, my mentor, my motivator!

I believe that everyone has limits, of course there are the lucky ones who are born with a perfect body and perfect health, but nowadays I no longer see my illness as a curse; It’s what has made me strong over the years, and what makes me a “threat” to many.
I am like a wounded soldier, who rests in the trenches, but then returns to battle with the same determination and strength.

And maybe, even stronger than before. My weakness is my strength.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

To create a work of art that represents my past and present, finding a community that can relate to my story, can connect to my music and lyrics, understands and loves my vision!

As I have said before, I’d like to build a community where everyone supports each other, with no division and competition, replacing jealousy and hate with love and kindness.
Ultimately, to heal myself and heal others, using music and other forms of art to convey a message, and to let go, at the same time, of fears, doubts and regrets.

Sharing my story creating music, videos, and expressing myself creatively in general, allows me to reach other human beings who may have a similar story, and therefore would feel less lonely, more empowered and inspired to do the same. I hope I can inspire others!

One thing I learnt during these years, fighting my demons, is that your weakness is your strength.
So, I don’t look at my weaknesses as something negative, because if I didn’t have them I wouldn’t have pushed myself so far.

And there are “bad” experiences in my life that made me who I am today…stronger… I wrote the most beautiful songs thanks to those painful experiences.

When I feel down or depressed, I write lyrics, and I feel so good afterwards. I think the act of creating art itself is a gift, transforming darkness into light, alchemising , if you will.
And I am grateful for that. If I hadn’t gotten this talent, I honestly don’t know how I would have dealt with pain for all of these years.

That’s what I hope people with chronic pain and trauma, will also learn: that art can be therapeutic, and if you have faith in yourself, and your abilities, you can achieve your dreams.

I hope I’ll inspire others with my story, so they can thrive and inspire others with their success stories.

I think mine is not just a mission, it is a calling, a vocation. It is not just about having twenty records out and being in the charts. For me it is about making even just a song, and with that song connecting with a few people, empowering and inspiring them, changing their lives, even showing them new perspectives.

Of course, the more people buy my music, the more I get to tour and am able to afford making records and doing this professionally.
And that’s when my entrepreneurial spirit comes handy – creating multiple streams of income.

Actually, there are many ways to earn money with music online (YouTube monetisation, session work, Affiliate marketing , sponsorships, etc) and many ways to promote your music business with social media platforms; finally, international collaborations are now possible without having to leave your house, if you have an internet connection.

Monetising your music can be a real challenge, but this doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to earn money with music and be financially independent. Especially if you find the right team to work with!
I am now building my future and where I am going there is no room for toxicity, jealousy, remorse, martyrdom and narrow-mindedness.

So I can choose not to connect with certain people in the industry and vice versa, they can choose not to connect with me; it’s not about being liked, or fitting in a box, but being true to myself, finding my tribe, people that share my values, hopes and dreams.

And I can express myself creatively, unapologetically, just being myself.

I believe that my mission as an artist is intertwined with my life mission.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://stellawembley.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stella.wembley/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StellaWembleyOfficial/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stella-wembley-85b45315b/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/StellaWembley
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/StellaWembley
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/stella-wembley
• Other: Linktree – https://linktr.ee/stellawembley

  Bandcamp – https://stellawembley.bandcamp.com

Image Credits

Stella Wembley