We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Stells Di Rossi Hurst a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Stells , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
Forming this project was a huge risk in itself. I was going through a creative depression while facing significant challenges, both personally and professionally. As a musician, it’s easy to feel pigeonholed or typecast in your creativity. I had been fighting hard for years to gain recognition as a woman of color in rock, and I continue to advocate for that. I needed something that would allow me to express another facet of my creative energy—something without a name or face attached to it. That’s how my alter ego and side project came to be.
A lot of my friends ask why I don’t use the characteristics I’m known for in this second project. The simple answer is that it’s about exploring another side of my creativity. It’s a complete change in style and genre and scoring abroad provided that escape. Taking on a side project came with risks. People I worked with on other projects felt left out, which created tension. Rumors of a solo career circulated, and after things turned toxic, those rumors became reality. I now have two bands—one electronic, the other grunge rock. That risk helped me find myself and opened the door to creative freedom.
Stells , 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 musician and creative activist, first and foremost.** I am the lead singer and songwriter for the rock band Method to the Madness, the singer/songwriter for the folk act Maiden Mother Crone, and the electronic composer behind the soundscapes of The Velvet Crush. I’ve also dabbled in poetry, been published, done theater, and consider myself a modern-day Renaissance woman of all things art. Additionally, I host a podcast where I feature underground artists and interesting people. My primary mission is to use art and media to bring people together, highlight, and uplift voices. I believe in the healing power of art and music to bridge societal gaps—I’m living proof of that. My life’s mission is to challenge inequalities, advocate for creative equality, and, above all, transcend through my art as a person. I paint the air with sound and feelings.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Most of my creative career has been a learning experience.** It’s still a work in progress to this very day. After relocating from Arizona to California, I decided to go back to school to stay updated on the latest industry trends and to keep honing my craft. This keeps me prepared and at the forefront. As an artist, stagnation is one of the worst traps you can fall into, and for me, learning is the best way to evolve and grow. I often find myself exploring other cultures, genres, and experiences for inspiration. The ability to be eclectic gives me an edge and has opened many doors for me, both professionally and personally. By listening to and performing multi-genre and multicultural music, I’ve gained a freedom that’s rare.
We often joke about musical comfort zones or the commonality of “church chord” progressions. Electronic music helped me break that sound barrier as a composer, prompting me to rethink my instrumentals in other projects. The more I experience the fusion within the genre, the more it feels like home. These are digital symphonies of timing, elements, and sound. As an orchestra geek, I see electronic music as a modern Vivaldi with a different orchestra. Metal, too, is orchestral—it’s amazing how music itself is composed. Returning to school has taught me to look deeper, learn from musical history, discover more, and in doing so, it has changed my evolution as a composer.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
Social media has really changed the way creatives and business self promote and I feel like people forget that especially for artists, musicians and content creators.
We are often seen as pushy promoters but it’s literally just the the industry we are in. When you’re at the stage of self promotion and are trying to get your art or music out there the support really matters even if it isn’t monetary. It builds communities to support one another. There is nothing worse than telling an artist or creator not to promote themselves it’s like saying don’t create art. Everyone creatively starts at that ground zero level and people need to realize even the greats had to start somewhere. Like, follow, and share—it costs nothing. Yet, few people do all three.
So many complain about tagging or seeing things on their timelines, forgetting that as artists, we’re in the business of doing just that. It’s entertainment.
Without a following that does more than just glance at you, your fate is left to chance—who will discover you without knowing? Everyone supports something, but they often forget that before the internet, it was radio, word of mouth, or just stumbling upon something that got people discovered.
All the bands we worship and love started somewhere with someone’s vision, dream, and hard work. Not everyone can afford an agent or advertising. Some artists are grassroots. Go out and support shows if you care. If you can’t make it, share it because others might. You don’t have to like the genre to show support.
You may not even like the artist, but someone you know will. Everyone you hear on the radio and see on TV got there because people supported them, and they continue to do so. It’s shocking how people will devote time and support to complete strangers but not to their own friends, family, and community when it only takes three seconds to hit “share.”
Contact Info:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thevelvetcrush?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Other: Apple Music
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/the-velvet-crush/1517396991Amazon Music
Spotify
Image Credits
Lee Hurst, RH Media Productions
Jesus Cheno, JDDU Photogeaphy
Stells di Rossi Hurst, The Velvet Crush