stellastarr*

How did you approach your Rock The Rabbit T-Shirt Design? I have designed quite a few shirts for stellastarr* and many of them incorporate lines. When we were first starting out, I would make the T-shirts in my bedroom using masking tape and fabric paint. I would mask different lines widths and make designs. I did the same with this shirt.

Do you have a favorite article of clothing? I have a couple. But I guess at the moment my favorite would have to be my tight black jeans, they go with everything.

Where did you pick up ideas about style and design? Is it related at all to your music? stellastarr* has always approached our band not just making music, but the whole package. We put a lot of ourselves into the design and look of the band. We all went to art school, and do all visuals ourselves, including T-shirts, album design, posters, ads and set design. So my sense of style works both ways I incorporate myself into stellastarr* and vice versa.

Do you have a favorite musician who?s style you really like? Has that musician influenced your style? I love Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth's style. It doesn't end with her just being a creative talented musician, she is also a visual artist, and always has new projects. That is also seen in the way she dresses. She has the ability to look sexy in almost anything. She influenced me by being a strong woman who isn't afraid to pave her own way.

What does Playboy mean to you? When do you recall discovering Playboy? I remember when I was probably 6 or 7 coming across a pile of old Playboy mags. I was just amazed at how beautiful the female body was. I've always enjoyed leafing through Playboy. At times I even used the magazine to draw from when I was in high school because I didn't know where to go to find a nude model to draw, and needed one for my portfolio to get into art school.

Beatles or Stones? I hate this question. I have always been one to change my mind. They both write incredible music. If you put me in a choke hold I might say The Beatles.

Were there bands you heard at a certain point in your life that made a huge difference in how you thought about music? In high school I was an art nerd. I am incredibly thankful to the music that helped me through that period. These bands were of course moody or angst driven. I remember this one day that I just couldn't get his drawing right, I threw on some Nine Inch Nails and I went on a rampage. Music and art have been linked as one for me ever since.

Who put on the best live show you ever saw, and why was it so good? That is hard to answer because it depends on the type of music and the mood you are in at the time. But I would have to say Erasure. They had the whole package. It wasn't just the music. They had costume changes and set design, on top of incredible hooks in their music. I was in awe.

Do you guys have a pre-game ritual or a superstition before or during shows? No Indian or Italian food before the show. You would be amazed at how much what we eat before we go one effects the outcome. Most of the time it is best to eat dinner after the show.

What was the best show you ever played? Why? What makes a good show from your perspective? Coming home always feels good. Playing in front of our friends, family and long time fans, is always best. A good show is when all of us have the same headspace and high energy. When I say all of us that includes the crowd.

At what point do you know a song is good? Do you ever have an idea you just know is going to kill on the dance floor or live or whatever? I don't normally know until I test run it. I have learned that no matter how perfect you think a song is, you might need to change it after playing it out live, or hearing it recorded for the first time. I know a song is good after I have heard it recorded and played it live a couple times, and I'm still excited and nervous to play it.

What's the most exciting thing you've done in the past year as a result of your music career? I got to release a second album with my band. It is quite a feat these days.

What's your favorite place on earth? My bedroom.

Best song you've been listening to lately? "Only You," by Yaz

Favorite new band? The Boy Least Likely To

Favorite driving album? Erasure, The Innocents

Favorite bedroom album? The Cure, Disintegration

Do you think the album format is dead? No. I feel like the singles market is booming, but when a music fan finds a band that they love, they want as much material as they can get. It is like the difference between short stories and novels.

How have the technology boom and the internet affected the way you approach promoting your music? We have always promoted our music through the Internet. It is a great way to put your music out there. We have a MySpace page and a website. Surprisingly we get more traffic on our MySpace page. We answer all of our fan mail personally. It is a great way to get to know who is listening to your music. It also gives the listeners a chance to get to know the band members. It makes it a little more personal. We are also planning on putting some new demos on our MySpace page while we are writing our next record. To give fans a taste of what we are doing.