Origins & Influences
Stella! was founded by singer-songwriter Jo Serrapere to showcase country-roots songwriting and three-part harmonies. Under the guidance and patronage of Dave March (co-founder of Creem Magazine and a Rolling Stone contributor), Jo recorded and released the band’s debut album Sorry, Stella with Jen Sygit in 2011. Stella! has evolved from a four piece band with Jo on guitar and percussion, Jen on guitar and banjo, Diana Ladio on fiddle, and Laura Ann Bates on upright bass, to a trio minus Diana, and now a trio with Julianna Wilson replacing Laura on upright bass. The band has performed for numerous folk festivals and concert series in the Great Lakes region and in March 2017, was invited to record a LIVE performance for Backstage Pass on WKAR/PBS. The Stella girls are back in the "studio" recording a series of intimate living-room sessions, armed only with their voices and instruments, capturing the raw energy of the current trio. The new record will be called Stella Tells the Truth and is expected to be released in summer of 2020.
Jo Serrapere credits songwriter Tom Waits, early blues, jazz, and old-time country as her strongest influences. Her voice is a curious combination of sweet innocence and wry humor. She was a founding member of the old-time string band, Uncle Earl and has appeared twice on National Public Radio's "A Prairie Home Companion". In addition to Stella! Jo has recorded several solo albums and plays regularly as, Jo Serrapere and the Willie Dunns or Jo Serrapere and the LaFawndas. Her solo discography includes Love Going South (2009) and Dollar Store Nation (2016). It was a conversation Jo had with music writer Dave Marsh that sparked the idea to form Stella! In Stella! Jo plays acoustic guitar or provides percussion.
Jen Sygit is inspired by gritty lyrics and acoustic soul from the likes of Gillian Welch, Bob Dylan, The Wood Brothers, Mavis Staples, Buddy Miller, Michael Kiwanuka, and Patty Griffin. She provides the deep bluesy low end to Stella!'s three-part harmonies. In addition to performing with Stella! Jen has four solo albums to her credit, Her to There (2003), Leaving Marshall Street (2006), So Long Pollyanna (2009), and her most recent release It's About Time (2018). Jen also performs with the Americana band The Lincoln County Process. In Stella! Jen plays banjo and acoustic or electric guitar - providing the majority of instrumental solos.
Julianna Wilson takes her cues from swing-era and early jazz vocalists and crooners such as Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Frank Sinatra. She contributes the high end in many of the three part harmonies in Stella!, with a voice that is smooth and timeless. Julianna also plays ukulele and performs as a duo with her husband in their band The Springtails. The Springtails have recorded two albums, Because We're In Love (2013) and Rain or Shine (2016). In Stella! Julianna plays the upright bass.
Making Sorry, Stella
In April 2009 Jo and Jen traveled to New York City under the sponsorship of music writer Dave Marsh and recorded Sorry, Stella in two days. The record was produced by Detroiter Adam Druckman and by Larry Eagle, percussionist for Bruce Springsteen's Seeger Sessions recording and tour, and the Andy Statman Trio. Fiddler Tahmineh Gueramy, bassist Katie Grace, and pedal steel player and guitarist Skip Krevens joined the session. Skip has performed and recorded for Broadway productions and for songwriters such as Laura Cantrell. Sorry, Stella was released in 2011.
Performances
FESTIVALS
Michigan Womyn's Music Festival (Hart, MI) • Flint Folk Festival (Flint, MI) • Earthwork Harvest Gathering (Lake City, MI) • Dunegrass Music Festival (Empire, MI) • Woodtick Music Festival (Hermansville, MI) • Kalamazoo Fretboard Festival (Kalamazoo, MI) • Spirit of the Woods (Brethren, MI) • Farmfest (Johannesburg, MI) • Ann Arbor Summer Festival (Ann Arborn, MI) • Cowpie Music Festival (Grand Rapids, MI) • Arts, Beats and Eats (Royal Oak, MI) • Great Bear Music Festival (Bloomingdale, MI) • Thumbfest (Lexington, MI) • WIMA fest (Traverse City, MI) • Ypsilanti Crossroads Festival (Ypsilanti, MI) • Nor-East'r (Mio, MI) • Porcupine Mountains Music Festival (Ontonogan, MI) • Wheatland Music Festival (Remus, MI)
Michigan Womyn's Music Festival (Hart, MI) • Flint Folk Festival (Flint, MI) • Earthwork Harvest Gathering (Lake City, MI) • Dunegrass Music Festival (Empire, MI) • Woodtick Music Festival (Hermansville, MI) • Kalamazoo Fretboard Festival (Kalamazoo, MI) • Spirit of the Woods (Brethren, MI) • Farmfest (Johannesburg, MI) • Ann Arbor Summer Festival (Ann Arborn, MI) • Cowpie Music Festival (Grand Rapids, MI) • Arts, Beats and Eats (Royal Oak, MI) • Great Bear Music Festival (Bloomingdale, MI) • Thumbfest (Lexington, MI) • WIMA fest (Traverse City, MI) • Ypsilanti Crossroads Festival (Ypsilanti, MI) • Nor-East'r (Mio, MI) • Porcupine Mountains Music Festival (Ontonogan, MI) • Wheatland Music Festival (Remus, MI)
CONCERT SERIES
Ten Pound Fiddle (Lansing, MI) • Elgin Community College Arts Center (Elgin, IL) • Roots on the River (Manistee, MI) • Old Town Concerts in the Courtyard (Lansing, MI) • Summer Black Box Series (Tecumseh, MI) • South Lyon Concerts in the Park (South Lyon, MI) • Paint Creek Tin Whistle Concert (Rochester Hills, MI) • Black Cat Concert Series (Charlevoix, MI) • The Pump House Concerts (Lansing, MI) • East Lansing Summer Concert Series (East Lansing, MI) • Concerts @ Karen's Place (Leonard, MI) • Comfy Couch Concert Series (Wixom, MI)
Ten Pound Fiddle (Lansing, MI) • Elgin Community College Arts Center (Elgin, IL) • Roots on the River (Manistee, MI) • Old Town Concerts in the Courtyard (Lansing, MI) • Summer Black Box Series (Tecumseh, MI) • South Lyon Concerts in the Park (South Lyon, MI) • Paint Creek Tin Whistle Concert (Rochester Hills, MI) • Black Cat Concert Series (Charlevoix, MI) • The Pump House Concerts (Lansing, MI) • East Lansing Summer Concert Series (East Lansing, MI) • Concerts @ Karen's Place (Leonard, MI) • Comfy Couch Concert Series (Wixom, MI)
LIVE RADIO
Dave Marsh's "Kick Out the Jams" Sirius Radio Program (NYC) • WLNZ Radio Road Show (Charlotte, MI)
Dave Marsh's "Kick Out the Jams" Sirius Radio Program (NYC) • WLNZ Radio Road Show (Charlotte, MI)
TELEVISION
Backstage Pass (WKAR, East Lansing, MI)
Backstage Pass (WKAR, East Lansing, MI)
VENUES
Club Passim (Cambridge, MA) • Rockwood Music Hall (New York, NY) • The Ark (Ann Arbor, MI) • Hambone's Pub (Pittsburgh, PA) • Bell's Brewery (Kalamazoo, MI) • The Trinity House Theatre (Livonia, MI) • Salt of the Earth (Fennville, MI) • Gopherwood (Cadillac, MI) • Ore Dock Brewing Company (Marquette, MI) • Orpheum Theater (Hancock, MI) • InsideOut Gallery (Traverse City, MI) • The Avenue Cafe (Lansing, MI) • Howmet Playhouse (Whitehall, MI) • New Holland Brewery (Holland, MI) • Crazy Wisdom Tea Room (Ann Arbor, MI) • Short's Brewery (Bellaire, MI) • Woodruff's (Ypsilanti, MI) • Good Night Gracie's (Ann Arbor, MI) • Zingerman's Roadhouse (Ann Arbor, MI) • Johnny's Speakeasy (Ann Arbor, MI) • Moriarty's Pub (Lansing, MI) • Northern Natural Cider House (Traverse City, MI) • Holly Mills (Holly, MI)
Club Passim (Cambridge, MA) • Rockwood Music Hall (New York, NY) • The Ark (Ann Arbor, MI) • Hambone's Pub (Pittsburgh, PA) • Bell's Brewery (Kalamazoo, MI) • The Trinity House Theatre (Livonia, MI) • Salt of the Earth (Fennville, MI) • Gopherwood (Cadillac, MI) • Ore Dock Brewing Company (Marquette, MI) • Orpheum Theater (Hancock, MI) • InsideOut Gallery (Traverse City, MI) • The Avenue Cafe (Lansing, MI) • Howmet Playhouse (Whitehall, MI) • New Holland Brewery (Holland, MI) • Crazy Wisdom Tea Room (Ann Arbor, MI) • Short's Brewery (Bellaire, MI) • Woodruff's (Ypsilanti, MI) • Good Night Gracie's (Ann Arbor, MI) • Zingerman's Roadhouse (Ann Arbor, MI) • Johnny's Speakeasy (Ann Arbor, MI) • Moriarty's Pub (Lansing, MI) • Northern Natural Cider House (Traverse City, MI) • Holly Mills (Holly, MI)
Reviews
"They are a near-religious experience. Hearing them perform in an intimate setting is like going to an Appalachian mountain church and hollering hallelujah with a Bible in one hand and a bottle of hooch in the other. They're that sinfully good."
-- Karen Koski, syndicated music writer (Billboard), house concert host
"Over the last six months that I have been listening to Stella!'s debut album 'Sorry, Stella', it has gone from being a nice folk album to being the near perfect American Roots record. Great original songs (plus one Tom Waits cover), beautiful three-part harmonies, and a wide variety of interesting musical settings. 'Sorry, Stella' ended up as number four on my list of favorite albums of 2012, as reported to the '3rd Coast Music' FAR Chart."
-- Tom Jackson, WLUW Chicago, Host of "New Orleans Music Hour" and "Somebody Else's Troubles"
-- Karen Koski, syndicated music writer (Billboard), house concert host
"Over the last six months that I have been listening to Stella!'s debut album 'Sorry, Stella', it has gone from being a nice folk album to being the near perfect American Roots record. Great original songs (plus one Tom Waits cover), beautiful three-part harmonies, and a wide variety of interesting musical settings. 'Sorry, Stella' ended up as number four on my list of favorite albums of 2012, as reported to the '3rd Coast Music' FAR Chart."
-- Tom Jackson, WLUW Chicago, Host of "New Orleans Music Hour" and "Somebody Else's Troubles"