Last Updated on 2026-04-26 by a-indie
Stella Donnelly has just wrapped her first Japan tour in three years, visiting Osaka, Nagoya, and Tokyo in April 2026 to support her third album 『Love and Fortune』, released in November 2025.
Before arriving in Japan, she toured Australia, the UK, and Europe, carrying songs that are quieter and more introspective than anything she has made before. The album grew out of a deliberate pause: she left the road, took a job at a bakery, and let ordinary daily life refill what relentless touring had emptied.
The result is a record built on intimate acoustics, luminous harmonies, and the kind of emotional honesty that only trust between collaborators can produce.
In this interview, conducted in Tokyo immediately after the tour concluded, Stella speaks with characteristic warmth and candour about cherry blossoms, political anger, rekindling passion, and what she hopes listeners will feel when they sit alone with 『Love and Fortune』 on a quiet winter day.
Artist: Stella Donnelly Interviewer: Yuuki Takita Interpreter: Ayako Takezawa
Reunion in Cherry Blossom Season
Looking Back on the Japan Tour
-Yuuki Takita: Thank you so much for having me today. I first discovered your music through the EP 『Thrush Metal』. At the time, I was working at a record shop, and that vinyl was selling incredibly well in Japan. I fell in love with the cover art at first sight and bought it straight away. It remains one of my all-time favourite records. I have been a fan ever since, so I am truly honoured to have this chance to speak with you. I hope this interview can convey your charm and your music to our readers.
Stella: Thank you so much. That really means a lot.
-Yuuki Takita: Yesterday was your birthday. Happy belated birthday!
Stella: I was so happy to have it here in Japan.
-Yuuki Takita: You have just wrapped your first Japan tour in three years, playing three shows in Osaka, Nagoya, and Tokyo. How was the experience? Were there any cities or moments that left a strong impression?
Stella: This was my first time visiting Japan during the cherry blossom season, and I could really feel that energy everywhere. People were happy to be outside, there was a warmth in the air, a very positive feeling, and I could feel that carrying into the shows as well. It was just so nice to be back.
Cherry Blossoms, Memory, and Joy Across Generations
-Yuuki Takita: Cherry blossoms are something very special to Japanese people. How did they feel to you, coming from Australia?
Stella: It is hard to explain, but watching people share time with their families under the trees, I got the sense that it was not just about that single moment. It felt like the memory of every other cherry blossom season, going back through generations, was present in the air at the same time. It reminded me of Christmas Day in Australia, that feeling of accumulated memory from every year before. In Western Australia, we have something called Djilb season, when the wattle tree puts out its yellow flowers and suddenly everything feels brighter, like spring is about to begin. Sakura gave me that same feeling.
What Touring Teaches You
Every Town Has Its Own Personality
-Yuuki Takita: Before Japan, you toured Australia, the UK, and Europe. Did you notice any differences or similarities in how audiences responded, or in the atmosphere of the shows?
Stella: What I find fascinating is that it is less about country and more about individual towns. Even within Australia, the energy shifts from city to city. In England, some crowds are very loud and raucous, while in other towns people are quiet and polite. It really comes down to the culture and character of each place rather than anything to do with race. This time in Japan, the Nagoya audience stood out as particularly energetic, which I loved.
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