Photo Courtesy of Larry Niehues
UCLA Radio’s Rising Artist Spotlight aims to highlight upcoming artists who have demonstrated unique creativity and talent through their music. Through interviews and features, we delve into their journey, influences, and aspirations, giving listeners a glimpse into the future of music.
Bridging generations of storytelling and music tradition, 21-year-old Stella Prince is revitalizing the folk music scene for a new generation. Through her updated “Gen-Z folk” music, Stella proclaims intimate stories of youth while staying true to the roots of folk. We had the pleasure of sitting down with Stella over Zoom to discuss an emerging ‘70s revival, new projects, and platforming young women in the music industry.
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity purposes
Interviewed by Anna Guan
Anna: Thank you so much for coming, and thank you so much for sitting down with us. Do you mind introducing yourself and sharing a little more about the music you make and who you are as an artist for anybody who doesn’t listen?
Stella: My name is Stella. I’m a singer-songwriter, originally from Woodstock, New York, and my goal really is to bring the genre of folk music to a new generation. I’m 21 and I call my music “Gen-Z folk.” So it’s folk music specifically for my age group.
Anna: So, coming from Woodstock, would you say that’s where the love for folk music originated? And is there a specific reason that you wanted to take this, cultivate it, and keep it alive for the new generation?
Stella: Oh my gosh. Being raised in Woodstock — like Levon Helm was my first concert when I was three years old. And Pete Seeger — just all these incredible artists. So I think that is a huge reason why I love folk music, having grown up in that environment. But, I also love folk music outside of that, and it’s inspired me beyond any genre.
I really love the idea of kind of creating it while taking some of the throwback feel of it from the ‘60s and ‘70s, but making it new again. That really was the idea behind it, making it kind of fresh and new.
Anna: What is there specifically about folk music that resonates with you more than any other genre?
Stella: I think it’s honesty. It’s “down-to-earthness.” The fact that these folk singers just play with their guitar and their voice. They get up on stage, it’s just them, and it’s so intimate. I think that’s what I love about it. It’s so honest, and the lyrics are such real storytelling, and that’s what I love so much. Every time I play, I just play with me and my guitar. That’s it. I don’t play with other musicians.
Anna: When you’re taking this genre that means so much to you and transforming it into something you call “Gen-Z folk” — what does that mean to you?
Stella: “Gen-Z folk” means it’s almost like two genres. To me, the folk part of it is the throwback. It’s the ‘60s, it’s the ‘70s. It’s the Joni Mitchell, Joe Baez, Judy Collins kind of vibes. Those are my three favorite folk singers ever!
And then the Gen Z part of it is making it just a little bit catchier and a little bit more updated and quicker. There’s a lot of folk songs that are 10-11 minutes long. Those are great, but to have a catchier, quicker, updated version of those is really the whole goal for me.
Anna: When you see yourself reviving folk music for a new generation, is that predominantly through the way it sounds, or do you have other considerations when it comes to the stories you’re trying to tell, the format, or the theme?
Stella: I think making it fresh and updated is really my whole goal, and how I hope to bring folk music to Gen-Z. But the amazing thing is that Gen-Z already loves folk music.
I think it’s like so much about timing, and right now, Joni Mitchell is like Gen-Z’s icon. It’s really mind-blowing. How much our age group just loves this kind of acoustic, down-to-earth vibe — it’s really something.
Anna: Yeah! That’s super interesting, because I think there’s a lot of folk-esque songs reviving in pop music culture currently. Is there a reason why you think folk music is resonating so much with our generation right now?
Stella: I think since COVID — and especially with artificial intelligence and all these things — people are wanting something real, really down-to-earth, and honest. Almost going back to the ‘60s and ‘70s — like ‘70s fashion is the thing right now. I think it’s kind of wanting to regress to a similar time.
Anna: Like you were saying — and from my understanding — folk music is really based on telling a story, being super authentic, super personal, super honest. There’s this sense that the stories are almost passed down from generation to generation, like a tradition. What is the lasting story that you want to tell with your music?
Stella: Exactly, that’s a great question. I really want to write songs that resonate with everyone, and I think that’s the number one goal. One of my upcoming songs that I’ve yet to release, which I think is my favorite song that I’ve ever written, is a song called “Good Luck is Hard to Find,” and the lyrics are, “Thought I’d have a car by now, but I’m still too scared to drive / Thought I’d have grown by now, but I’m still the same old size.”
Really honest writing is my favorite thing to do, and when I sing that song live, I get so many people who come up to me and say, “Oh my gosh, that’s my life right now.” I think that’s my biggest goal.
Anna: You’re talking a lot about having songs that resonate with many experiences and people. How do you blend the inspirations you talked about with the experiences of a new generation? I’m sure every song is different in regards to what you’re trying to portray, but what is very key for you with the stories you’re trying to tell or the experiences you want to highlight?
Stella: The interesting thing about it is that with these experiences — which are kind of young people’s experiences — the young people get it because they’re going through it, but the older people are like, “Oh, I remember this or my daughter’s going through that same thing,” so they can relate to it as well.
That goes hand-in-hand with folk music, because the older generations grew up with it. It’s kind of coming back around, which is the coolest thing. Like our generation, we’re discovering folk music for the first time, but the older generations have had it and grew up with it. It’s familiar to them, and it’s kind of the best of both worlds, because everyone can appreciate it.
Anna: Yeah, that must feel super cool when you’re playing shows, and there’s such a wide age demographic and cultural demographic, that they’re all able to be united under something that you created!
Stella: That is exactly right. I think my biggest goal is to have a fan base of all ages [and] people from all walks of Earth, because that is the most powerful thing to me.
Anna: I also read that you’ve always done bookings for your own events, and you cultivated and found your own team, which is so, so impressive. A sense of community is also very crucial to folk music, and I saw that you collaborate with Change The Conversation, where they work on uplifting women’s voices and helping women in the music industry. What has inspired you to do that from such a young age, and how has that process been?
Stella: I’ve always loved putting together events — all female-focused events for up-and-coming artists. It came from wanting to give other people like me a platform, coming from Nashville where there aren’t a lot of opportunities for young women, specifically in folk or Americana, just anyone who’s not doing the country vibe.
Starting two years ago, right after I moved, I started curating these events [with] about five to six female artists per show. The showcases are really giving them a platform and an opportunity to play, and it really grew from there. We’ve done them all over the country, even in London and in England.
I’m doing a summer-long residency at Hotel Cafe here in LA, and it’s been fantastic. We just did one two weeks ago, which was sold out, and it’s all local artists, many UCLA students, USC students. Just having these young female folk singers has been unbelievable.
Anna: Wow, that sounds so cool! Congrats on the residency. When it comes to organizing these events all throughout the country and other countries as well, I’m sure you gain lots of experience and meet a bunch of different people. What has been the most memorable or most impactful part about creating these events, whether personally or as an artist and the music you create?
Stella: The very first one I did was two years ago, summer of ‘23 in Nashville, in this tiny little dive bar. I had like, six or seven artists on the bill, and it was men and women, not just women. I just picked my friends and people I knew, and at the time, I wasn’t planning on making this a regular thing. After, all the female artists came up to me and said, “I want you to know how amazing it was that there were like five women on the lineup and only two men. Usually it’s the opposite. It’s like all men, and then one woman.” I didn’t even think about that, because I didn’t do that on purpose. They were like, “You really have something here.”
That was amazing. It just made me feel so warm and a part of this amazing community to have so many female artists play that night. I thought, “Oh my gosh, maybe I should make this a regular thing and have it be all female.” That was the most pivotal moment for me, just realizing how much of a difference it made, having that platform and community for women.
Anna: It must be very uplifting when you don’t really get that same experience anywhere else to see yourself and women like you represented in one venue! You mentioned you specifically play with just your guitar. When you’re playing all these different venues across the world, from pubs, lounges, and bigger festivals, how does that translate to those different crowds, whether that’s a more intimate space or something as large as a festival?
Stella: I’ve actually booked over 1000 shows for myself in the past five or six years. I’ve played every single venue imaginable, from open mic nights to restaurants, bars, clubs, wineries, farmers markets, everything.
Skipping around is really interesting. My favorite thing is that it’s always just my guitar and my voice. It’s never other musicians, and so no matter how big the crowd is, no matter where I am, it’s always the same intimate vibe, and that’s what I love.
Anna: Through those experiences of playing so many different venues live, has your approach to creating music changed? Is there ever the consideration of, “Oh, this is the kind of song I want to play towards a large crowd or a more intimate, cozy venue?”
Stella: Absolutely. And another thing I take into consideration is the age group in the audience. If it’s an older age group, I don’t have to explain as much about who the singers are, because they tend to kind of know them if they’re from the ‘70s. But if it’s my age group, I’ll say, “Oh, this is my favorite artist. I’m not sure if you’ve heard of her, but you know, she’s from the ‘70s, and she’s amazing.” So it’s more changing how I talk, as opposed to the songs I play.
Anna: Although you’re in LA right now and you’re typically based in Nashville, you’ve been on the road to places like Chicago, France, and all sorts of cool places. Has that changed how you view folk music? Do you see the same music and songs connecting people across the world who have very, very different lived experiences?
Stella: I’m now splitting my time in half between Nashville and LA, and having traveled a lot, I think that is absolutely true. I’ve really noticed how everyone from all walks of life can just relate to this music, not just the original songs, but the covers.
Specifically, my favorite singer is Karen Carpenter. I was in Ireland last month and played a show in this tiny little town’s pub. I played a Carpenter song, and every single person knew all the lyrics to it. I just couldn’t believe it. They were singing it with me, and it was unbelievable. That’s been the biggest thing, just watching everyone all be in unison together, no matter where you’re from and where I play.
Anna: That must be crazy. Being like, “Oh, I’m from Woodstock. This is my favorite song. This is my favorite artist.” And there’s somebody in Ireland who shares that same experience with you.
Stella: Yes, it really is crazy.
Anna: Although I’m sure it changes every time, you’re trying to write something that is true to yourself and also resonates with a lot of people. What does that experience look like for you?
Stella: It really depends on the song. I almost always start with the melody first, and I never really have a list of hooks or a list of titles. I always have to have the melody, and then the lyrics come out after I play it. I have to figure out the personality of the song, and I don’t know what it’s about until I know the melody. Some songs I keep putting down, and it takes me days to finish. Then there’ll be others where it’s 15-20 minutes, and I’m done with the whole thing.
Anna: I read that you’re recording your first full-length project to be released. Are there any things that influence the nature of this project, or is there any sneak peek you can share?
Stella: It’s such a big deal for me because I’ve never released a full-length album ever. It’s definitely going to be released in 2026, and we’re going to be recording it in the next couple of months — actually, here in LA.
It’s just going to be a whole new experience. I don’t know what to expect, but I’m very, very excited. A full record is something that I always pictured and I always wanted to do. It’s daunting, but it’s exciting.
Anna: This seems like something still very much in the works, but is there anything that you hope people will take away from either this project or just your music in general?
Stella: It just goes back to being relatable. I really hope that people, when they listen to my music, will think, “This is exactly how I’m feeling today.” My number one biggest goal, more than anything, is to just touch people. I have a lot of heroes and a lot of favorite singers — I have all their photos up on my bedroom wall — and I’ve honestly thought, If I can just touch one person the way that they have touched me, that’s really all I need to do. That’s the whole goal in my mind.
Anna: There are a lot of great folk musicians and artists who you’ve looked up to, and you’re taking that and reviving it for the new generation. I read people saying you’re the face of Gen-Z folk. Do you feel any sense of pressure about staying true to folk music or just being that next forefront and face of it?
Stella: That is an interesting question. People ask me if I’m intimidated more than pressured, and yes and no. I don’t know if I’m really intimidated. I definitely feel that I am honored more than anything. I’m honored to be associated with some of these folk singers, especially having grown up in Woodstock and constantly being inspired by all of them. So I feel it’s even more than being pressured or intimidated. I’m really just honored to be doing this.
Check out more from Stella Prince here!
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