Last Updated on 2026-04-26 by a-indie
Making 『Love and Fortune』
A Space Built by the Band Alone
-Yuuki Takita: For this album, you brought in new collaborators: Sophie Ozard, Timothy Harvey, and Ellie Mason. What was the recording process like? Are there any moments you particularly remember?
Stella: The most special thing was that it was just the band. The whole record was made by the band. Julia engineered it, and the feeling was like being kids with no adults around. We could do exactly what we wanted, and there was no one getting in our way. That freedom was what I remember most.
Intimacy, Harmony, and Trust
-Yuuki Takita: Listening to the album, I was struck by how intimate and harmonically rich it sounds. It surprised me to learn it came together in that loose, playful way.
Stella: I think being just us meant I felt safe enough to be truly vulnerable. I had already written the songs, and I knew that when I brought them to Julia, they were not going to try to make the songs into anything more than they needed to be. That trust made everything possible. It also matched the album’s themes, which are deeply introspective and personal.
When Theme and Environment Align
-Yuuki Takita: Last question. Who would you most like to listen to 『Love and Fortune』, and in what kind of situation?
Stella: For me, this is a winter album. I imagine someone listening alone, walking with headphones on, or sitting somewhere still and quiet. It is the opposite of something you put on in the car with a group of friends. And if anyone is going through the end of a friendship, this album might help. That is really what it is about: trying to navigate that kind of loss. I hope it can be a small comfort.
Stella Donnelly Album Release
Album 『Love and Fortune』
Release date: Out now
Track listing:
1. Standing Ovation
2. Being Nice
3. Feel It Change
4. Baths
5. Year of Trouble
6. Please Everyone
7. W.A.L.K
8. Friend
9. Ghosts
10. Love and Fortune
11. Laying Low
12. Fog Light*
13. White Rd*
*Japan edition bonus tracks
View on Amazon
Writer: Yuuki Takita
Born in 1991 in Tomakomai, Hokkaido. Freelance writer. After graduating from the same university as TEAM NACS, he enrolled in a music vocational school and majored in writing.
There he produced three music freepapers, handling everything from artist interviews to editing.
Drawing on that experience, he joined a cross-media music company with both freepapers and a web presence, where he wrote and edited reviews and worked in sales.
After leaving that role, he became a staff member at a major record shop and continued writing disc reviews for the shop’s own platform.
That work marked the start of his career as a freelance music writer. Today he is a salaried worker and music writer who dreams of one day staging an outdoor music festival in his hometown of Tomakomai.
He enjoys cats, film-watching, and reading. Exploring curry and biryani spots with Nana Komatsu is a lifestyle.
Articles written for BELONG: here
Articles written for other media: here
Twitter: @takita_funky
- is a music media platform run by BELONG, a Japanese music organization. We publish music articles with a focus on indie music.