Stella Wembley - Wasting My Time
Leeds-based Italian-born artist Stella Wembley presents her 'Wasting My Time' EP, a four-track release of sheer electro-goth delight surrounding the track 'Wasting My Time'. A vocalist, lyricist, composer, music producer and video director, Wembley is a rising star of the UK dark synth and gothic scene.
The loop- and arpeggio-driven synth backdrop feeds a retro new-wave vibe, and the catchy chorus underlines multiple conflicting sensations from dark melancholy to fiery self-expression, while exploring the esoteric and mystical and ultimately death, rebirth and destiny.
"The song 'Wasting My Time' is about self-confidence, self-empowerment, hope, change and transformation. Whenever there is a traumatic experience, I take the pain and put it into art, creating a song. The lyrics are autobiographical, and reference the difficulties I have gone through in the last 14 years, which I've finally overcome," says Stella Wembley.
"Betrayal, judgment and abandonment have been a constant in my life, and extremely painful, especially because it came from the people closest to me - family, friends- and having to manage this as well as my music career and record label wasn’t easy. This is how this song was born but, above all, it represents a new chapter in my life. Today, I feel powerful, and stronger than ever. I left the past in the past and cut all toxic relationships from my life. I love myself and I am finally free."
Directed and produced by Stella Wembley, the video – set in Medieval 13th century England – was filmed at Kirkstall Abbey and Adel Woods in Leeds by Riccardo Cavani for London Filmmakers. Stella cast 12 females, working with a small team she hired and directed herself, in addition to writing the script and creating the storyboard for the video.
Two of the remixes - 'Bionic Visions Electro Remix' and 'Bionic Visions Dark Ambient Remix' - were created by Enrico Knob aka Bionic Visions, an Italian music producer, arranger and re-mixer.
Stella Wembley comments, "These remixes are sublime, I really don't know which one I prefer between the two. I'm very happy to have met Enrico Knob, who is a fantastic producer and has understood straight away my music and vision. The electro version has fantastic drum samples, which Enrico programmed, and amazing sounds. I love the analog synths. I think this electronic version is perhaps more modern than my "retro" version. The melody stands out a lot, and although the drums are very present the song still remains nostalgic."
Stella began her musical career in Italy as a soprano while studying opera at the Royal Conservatory of Music ‘San Pietro a Majella’ in Naples. Upon graduating, she found limited opportunities on the Italian music scene, she moved to London in 2017, where she found inspiration and avenues as a musician, performing at venues in Leeds, Blackpool and London. Stella Wembey is also now the CEO of her own independent label Gothic Empire Records.
Armed with MicroKorg synthesizer, she began writing and producing electronic music in 2018, resulting in her debut EP ‘All That I Need’ (2019) and dark debut video, followed by the ‘Images of Death' EP (2020) and ‘Loving The Alien’ EP (2022), along with cabaret-style video.
Channeling her lifelong love of dark poetry, horror stories, macabre literature and cinema into music, Wembley leads the listener into a haunted realm, laying bare her soul in a psycho-drama of tragedy and melancholic sensuality. Powerful, yet with a hint of vulnerability, she is like a beautiful siren calling us to join her in her dark universe.
Stella Wembley has collaborated or performed with Lloyd Price (The Frixion), Auger, Inkubus Sukkubus, Zeitgeist Zero, Last July, Rome Burns and Machine Rox. Stella is currently working on her new album 'The Alchemy of the Dark Arts', which will feature Michael Ciravolo (a.k.a. Beauty in Chaos) on guitar.
The 'Wasting My Time' EP is out now, available everywhere digitally, including Apple Music and Spotify. On September 29, Stella will hold a release party online, followed by a live show at Leeds’ Eiger Studios on October 29.
