by Sydney Merchant
Stella Gray isn't particularly interested in fitting into a genre, and she's even less interested in trying to. The Australian, Los Angeles-based artist has spent years experimenting with sound, moving between acoustic ballads, electronic production, and everything in between. Ask her to describe her music, though, and she has a much simpler answer: "pop with teeth."
It's a description that feels fitting for an artist whose music is as unpredictable as it is intentional. Gray's sound is rooted in experimentation, but underneath the unconventional production and genre-blurring arrangements is something far more personal. "My goal in music has always been to just have a human connection," she explains. "I got into it because for me it was a huge escape. And so if I can help just one person feel less alone or escape something, then my job is done."
That connection has become the foundation of everything Gray creates, from the stories woven into her recordings to the experiences she hopes to give audiences onstage.
by Sydney Merchant
Growing up in Australia, Gray began her musical journey behind a drum kit at around ten years old. She played in bands, experimented with songwriting, and eventually found herself in a recording studio where an unexpected opportunity changed the direction of her career. While recording with her band at Sydney's Forbes Street Studios, a producer asked whether anyone could contribute backing vocals. Gray volunteered, despite having little experience singing publicly.
The producer told her she had an interesting voice, and she took that encouragement seriously enough to make a last-minute change to her plans. Originally enrolled in Berklee's five-week summer program for drumming, Gray switched to singing instead.
There was just one problem: she was terrified.
"I spent the first two weeks of that program pretending to be sick, because I did not want to sing," she recalls, remembering how intimidating it felt to be surrounded by students who already considered themselves singers. Eventually, she had no choice but to perform. In a video from one of the program's final performances, she remembers herself clutching her room key and looking like a deer in headlights.
What could have remained an intimidating experience instead became the beginning of an entirely new creative direction. Back in Sydney, Gray began taking singing lessons, where she soon discovered the production sessions happening in neighboring studio rooms. Her curiosity quickly grew into a passion for writing and producing, opening the door to the kind of artistry she had always wanted to explore.
As her confidence grew, so did her willingness to experiment. Gray's earliest releases reflected the Australian indie scene she was immersed in, but she had always been drawn to artists who pushed the boundaries of what popular music could sound like. Inspired by musicians like Kimbra and New Order, she wanted to create something that felt entirely her own.
Moving to New York for university became another turning point. Surrounded by a city full of people unapologetically expressing themselves, Gray found herself embracing that same freedom in her music.
"I think that that's when I started to make and release music that I felt like connected to and like felt like it was me," she says.
That freedom has since become one of the most exciting elements of Gray's artistry. Her music moves between genres without losing the personality that connects it all, often drawing inspiration from unexpected places. After hearing a brief Hungarian vocal passage during Stromae's Tiny Desk performance, Gray incorporated a similar idea into a cinematic, almost warlike arrangement about experiencing a panic attack.
It's that kind of creative instinct that makes her approach so compelling. Gray isn't interested in limiting herself to one sound or repeating a formula simply because it worked before. Instead, she sees each release as an opportunity to tell a different story, capturing a particular moment in her life through whatever musical direction feels right.
"Sometimes when an artist does something different or, you know, against the grain of what they usually do, that's a human being growing," she explains.
And while Gray clearly loves the creative possibilities of the studio, it's onstage where her passion for music becomes especially apparent.
by Sydney Merchant
For Gray, a live show should be an experience of its own, something that goes beyond recreating what listeners have already heard through their headphones.
"If I'm going to experience this project or this artist or whatever in this setting, in the live setting, why wouldn't it be different to the record? Because I can listen to the record at home," she says.
Now performing with a band in Los Angeles, Gray embraces the spontaneity and collaboration that make live music special. She encourages her musicians to bring their own talents into each performance, making room for solos, unexpected arrangements, and moments that can change depending on the energy of the audience.
"It's not meant to be perfect, it's meant to be real and human," she says.
It's a philosophy that reflects the larger purpose behind her music. Gray wants people to feel something, whether they're hearing one of her songs for the first time or standing in a crowd watching it come to life. That sense of connection is also what she looks for in the people she works with. As she builds her creative community in Los Angeles, she values collaborators who genuinely believe in the project, respect one another, and are excited to contribute to something together.
With her move to Los Angeles marking an exciting new chapter, Gray is eager to explore everything the music industry has to offer. More releases are on the horizon, and touring sits high on her list of ambitions. She also hopes to bring her cinematic approach to film and television, while continuing to expand her work as a songwriter and producer.
For an artist who finds inspiration in everything from experimental pop to dramatic cinematic arrangements, the possibilities feel endless.
But even with those ambitions, Gray's definition of success comes back to the same thing that inspired her to pursue music in the first place: connection. While bigger stages and new opportunities are certainly part of the dream, she says that hearing someone cover one of her songs would be a meaningful marker of success.
It's a reminder that for Gray, music has never been solely about the finished product. It's about the people who find themselves in it, the musicians who help bring it to life, and the moments that exist between an artist and an audience.
Looking ahead, Gray hopes to build a career that allows her to dedicate herself entirely to the music she loves, whether that's writing for other artists, recording her own projects, or taking her songs on the road.
"I just want to be able to say I'm just a musician. This is my job."
From a young drummer in Sydney to an artist building her own creative world in Los Angeles, Stella Gray has discovered that the most exciting part of making music is having the freedom to make it her own. With a sound that refuses to sit still, a genuine love for performing, and an unwavering commitment to creating something meaningful, Gray isn't waiting for permission to define what comes next.