Interview with The Stellas

When The Stellas took their first trip to Nashville in 2008, they were still a relatively unknown husband-and-wife duo from the Toronto suburbs, armed with little more than two voices, one acoustic guitar, and a catalog of smart, catchy songs. 

These days, The Stellas are songwriters who have written 90% of the material on their own albums, as well as songs for other artists. They’re parents of Lennon and Maisy, who star as Maddie & Daphne on ABC's "Nashville." 

For Brad and MaryLynne Stella, the turning point occurred during a short trip to Nashville. While there, they talked their way into playing an impromptu show at the Commodore Grill, which led to a second show the following night. A publisher was in the audience that evening, and he liked what he heard. The Stellas were offered a deal on the spot. A year later, they were on the hit CMT show "Can You Duet?", moved to Nashville and signed a record deal with EMI Canada. They took home the CCMA trophy for "Duo of the Year" in 2013. 

Back in America, one of The Stellas' biggest fans, Zac Brown, asked the duo to join his band for a series of sold-out shows. Brad and MaryLynne have also toured with Johnny Reid & Terri Clark.

"Back when we first started our career," Brad remembers, "we came across a lot of musicians who had a 'woe is me' story. They used to live in their car, or they had to wait tables for years before signing a record deal. We had that story, too, but we didn't view it as a negative thing, we thought of it more like camping! We wouldn't trade it for anything.” 

"In some ways, we're making a first impression all over again," MaryLynne says of their new record. “This is the album we always wanted to make."