Stephanie Poetri has nailed the practice of being able to enter a studio session with an idea, then leaving with a body of work she’s proud of. As a result, the 22-year-old singer was able to create a cozy and welcoming vibe with her latest track “Breakfast in Bed.” The song is a reminder of how one can feel right at home when they’re beside someone they care about deeply. Even the moments that may not seem grand (like… waking up with messy, tangled hair and eating breakfast in bed) can turn out to be quite special!
Read on below to get a taste of Stephanie’s world as an artist in the digital age, as well as the magical session that gave birth to her new single. Feel free to grab a fuzzy blanket, your favorite stuffed animal, and a fancy cup for the hot tea you’re about to enjoy!
So before we hopped on, I was thinking about how this year has been pretty spicy for you. You performed at Head in the Clouds in Pasadena a few months ago, you released a new EP, you were at TwitchCon… there was so much going on! Tell me about some more OMG moments you’ve had.
Besides those, I guess one thing I found to be a new favorite of mine is I started playing volleyball again. I play every weekend at the beach, so that’s kind of a wow moment for me. When I graduated high school, I didn’t think I’d ever play volleyball again because I didn’t know there’s people who play for fun randomly at a beach. That’s one of my new favorite things from this year that I started doing.
It’s good to stay active, and you can take full advantage of here in LA!
It’s so convenient.
I was doing a little more lurking too, and overheard that when you were younger, you weren’t all too fond of the idea of becoming a singer. What’s something you feel made your younger self rethink all of that?
I think it was because I thought it wasn’t realistic, and I found that the only reason I ended up getting into it was because I saw it as a hobby, rather than this dream. I just didn’t want to have a dream that never became true… I think I was scared of disappointment. When I did do music, even with “I Love You 3000,” it was like a side project. I was still gonna go to college, I was still gonna have a more realistic job, but it kinda ended up doing well so… I guess success is what changed my life?
To you, what was a realistic job?
For me, a realistic job was… I wanted to do something in psychology. I know I wanted to help people maybe through life coaching, or some form of therapy. The way I saw that as realistic was because the path to that was already laid out for me. It was like, “go to college, then do this and this and this.” Whereas being a musician, it’s not as simple as “do this and do this and do this.” So much of it is luck as well.
What would you say some of the hardest aspects of being a musician are?
I think one of it is the fact your self worth is so tied into the success of your music. Sometimes you can have good things happen to you in parts of your life other than just your career, but because your career is… for example, your newest project isn’t doing as well as your last one, you kinda tie what you think you’re worth with that. I can see how that can be really… mmm. Like, something people don’t realize you start getting That’s why you see a lot of people starting to feel insecure when they’re doing music even when they weren’t before. You can’t really control that, and sometimes it’s hard to because it’s literally your name as your artist name.
I feel like with social media, the struggle is even more real you know?
Mhm, oh so true. Especially since they changed the algorithm on Instagram, and everybody’s likes are half of what they used to be. Everybody’s like, what’s wrong with me?! Do people hate me? Then you realize everybody’s going through that too, then you’re like oh… it’s just the app. It’s not just me.
Literally. LITERALLY. Like, they wanna prioritize videos and stuff, and that’s cool… but what if you take an amazing picture of like, something you cooked? It gets two likes, and it’s… nobody likes my food? Nobody likes my cooking?
Especially when you’re used to getting more.
And then there’s that saying that less is more, but sometimes you’re just like… I don’t know about that! But hey, is there anything in particular you’d tell younger Stephanie to motivate her to just go for it? Chase your dreams?
I don’t know. I feel like the way I did it was so natural, and I was in it for the right reasons. I would kinda just let myself be. I guess the only thing is don’t quit your music classes!
You have this new song called “Breakfast In Bed” with gnash, and personally I think it’s a very sweet song. Would you mind spilling some tea on how it all came about?
Basically, I’d have these songwriting sessions with a producer and a writer. Originally, it was just Peter Thomas as the producer and gnash as the songwriter. When we got to the second verse, I felt like he could really add a lot to the song. He then wrote his second verse, and that’s kinda how it happened. We wrote it together from the start, but halfway through the song, we decided it would be cool if it was a duet. So yeah… that’s how it became the song!
You seem like a very flexible person in the studio.
Whatever works, works.
That’s honestly a very important perspective to have. It feels like if you’re open minded about stuff, you can try something new. But oh my… it just came out so, *chef’s kiss* I love it! What are some of the things
I think, at least going into sessions now, I have a good script. I think that I’m like okay, this is what we’re doing today. This is the vibe. This is how we start, and this is how we end… whereas before, I was like uhh, let’s just write something good. I think I’ve done it so much now that I know how to preface a session, especially with producers. They’re so talented, they can do anything. You kinda have to push them in one direction or else you’re gonna leave with a sound that doesn’t feel like yours. I think a lot of practice makes it so that I know what to say.
It’s very good to go in with a script or a little plan. I always tell people hey, if you’re gonna do something big and time is limited…
Mhmmm
And you’re not afraid to flip the script either, so that’s good.
Yeah.
What are some of the things that have pushed you to keep flipping the script, and keep evolving as an artist?
I think it’s advice from friends and other musicians, or producers and writers in the industry. They just keep reminding me that I’m lucky enough now because all I have to do is write music without having to worry too much about whether it’s gonna blow up. It’s really important for me now to try to focus on writing songs I know I will like and will be proud of for years to come, rather than a song that I know is gonna blow up for a day.
Totally. It’s kinda like the “do it for yourself” perspective. It’s great to make something everybody can enjoy, and ultimately you’ll end up enjoying it too. But if you do it for your own self, you’ll have that satisfaction. You can’t really compare it! I know everybody’s gonna love “Breakfast In Bed” though.
*laughs*
What are some other things you’re looking forward to in 2023? Like, I know we have two more months here.
For 2023 I don’t know, but literally next month, we’re doing the Head In The Clouds festival in Jakarta and Manila, so I’m excited about that. For next year, I hope that I make more stuff. Obviously music, but there’s so many things that I’ve been into lately in the creative space. I hope that I can kinda put more focus on a good balance between work and hobby.
Having a balance is something everyone should strive for. I definitely strive for, and then I end up falling short. It’s like those New Years resolutions where you say OKAY! I’m gonna go to the gym… and then January 3rd rolls around, and you’re just like oh no no.
I feel that.
That’s gonna be me. I won’t lie.
By now, you probably can’t contain your appetite for some tunes from Stephanie. Check out “Breakfast in Bed” with gnash below!
Stephanie’s manifestation for our chat: “Genuinely, and this is like realistically, I hope to have a second steady source of income. That’s what we all need these days, and I’m manifesting it for everybody. I know having more than one source of income is great, but having another one that is steady when your main career is in the music industry (where it’s so unsteady) is kinda what a lot of us should be striving for. It’s always good to be financially stable.”
