Andrea
Most people who are proficient in what they do start from a young age. This is the case for Australian-based drummer Stella Mozgawa. Growing up in a musical family with both her parents as performing artists paved her music career. Her first interaction with drums was at the age of 13. Unlike most people back then, she was greatly influenced by Zac Hanson.
In 2009, Stella Mozgawa joined the Warpaint band replacing Shannyn Sossamon. This happened after meeting the band’s vocalist Theresa Wayman. Since joining the band, Stella has significantly been involved in the band’s activities. The drummer has assisted in co-producing records and, as herself, recorded three albums with the band. The third album has been Stella’s crowning glory. It is full of aweing soundscapes blended with intelligent playing, considerably displaying Stella’s unquestionable talent and expertise.
One of Stella’s most admirable traits is her passion and self-drive. She was talking about one of the songs that she recorded with the band- Heads up. She opens up on the circumstances surrounding the release of the song. The song was recorded at the band’s practice area, which was a safe and comfortable zone.
Moreover, the band worked with an established deadline and worked within their set time. This constraint worked well for Stella since she prefers not to toil over beats and instead opts to work with the first take. Heads up indeed is the most dynamic of the band’s records.
Although Stella admits that she finds it hard to transition between beats, she loves the challenge. She enjoys programming beats and replicating those that appear impossible to play. In most cases, it is never possible to wholly replace the initially programmed beats, but that is where the fun begins. At this point, Stella goes beyond what a drummer should and gets to be a little robotic with the drum set.
Stella Mozgawa also loves vintage notes with warm tones. This is evident from how fascinated she is with Ludwig and Slingerland. Moreover, she sees C and C skits as a bridge between modern and vintage tones. While recording Heads up, Stella chose to go vintage, using the C and C skits for most of the recording.
Stella’s ambitions and hard work have landed her to work with esteemed individuals like Kurt Vile and Kim Gordon. Though being an exceptional musician, she is barely egocentric and very sympathetic to the needs of others. Further, she is tolerable, making her fun and enjoyable to be around. Her social energy is also felt within her band, where she plays a pivotal role in ensuring its success.
She firmly believes that good things take time, which has been her driving force as a drummer. Investing her time and energy in music over the years has seen the scale heights she never dreamt of. Not only do artists who work with her, but also her fans respect her. This kind of prestige comes with being arguably one of the best drummers. She is indeed a jewel in her field.
