Interview: Stephanie Poetri on her new song’s edgier sound, artist she’s most excited to see perform
June 13, 2023
Indonesian American singer-songwriter Stephanie Poetri challenges the notion of astrological influence on love and relationships in her latest single, “Astrologically Illogical.”
Despite being a Taurus herself and living in the star-studded city of Los Angeles, Poetri approaches astrology with a lighthearted skepticism. For her, it’s all about fun exploration.
“I like to play around with it without really putting too much emphasis on whether it’s real or not,” she tells NextShark. “This song is kind of funny because I’m bashing it. Why should they have a say on what we do? I think this song is a great representation of how I feel.”
“Astrologically Illogical” showcases an edgier, indie and pop-rock sound, deviating from Poetri’s usually soft hymns such as “Breakfast in Bed” and “I Love You 3000.” Co-written by fellow Indonesian artist Jason Suwito, Poetri repudiates cosmic calls as she boldly declares, “How could signs define all the things that I’ve been going through? If it says I shouldn’t be with you, then I say f*ck the constellations. Who would dare to say this love of ours ain’t true?”
With “Astrologically Illogical,” Poetri and her management team at 88rising sought to elevate her sound beyond a discography of laid-back vibes.
Drawing inspiration from bands she grew up listening to, such as Two Door Cinema Club, Arctic Monkeys and Of Monsters and Men, she shares, “I realized there wasn’t a lot of feminine energy in that genre. There definitely were female singers, but it was predominantly male-driven. I want to make the type of stuff I wish I had when I was listening to these bands.”
“I’m still bringing in a lot of that ethereal and feminine lyricism, but mixing it with the edginess that comes from that kind of genre,” she adds.
Poetri’s feminine lyricism and ethereal melodies align harmoniously with those of Filipino American artist Lyn Lapid on the latter’s “to love in the 21st century” tour.
Touring with Lapid is a privilege for Poetri, who praises her fellow artist’s down-to-earth nature.
“She also has really enjoyable music to listen to every day,” Poetri says. “Her songs are so well-made and curated for her set that it’s exciting to listen to every night. I think specifically for her, you want an opener that still fits in her world because her set is a little bit more acoustic and not so electronic. I tried to do a good mix of that in my set.”
When asked about her preference between being an opener on a tour and performing at a music festival, such as Head in the Clouds, Poetri acknowledges the advantages of both.
“I will say with Head in the Clouds, it’s nice because it’s just one day,” she says. “I found that the hardest part about touring isn’t even the performances; it’s the 10-hour car rides every day going from one city to another. I’m pretty sure that I have lost bone mass from all the lack of movement, but I think the great thing about this is you get to see yourself get better with each performance. With festivals, it’s so far apart that you don’t feel yourself getting better until somebody tells you.”
As far as the cities she looks forward to the most on the tour, Poetri identifies herself as a New York girl and expresses excitement about finally seeing her boyfriend, whom she hasn’t seen since the tour began.
L.A. is another highly anticipated city for her, not only because of the iconic venue she will be performing at, The Roxy, but also because her friends have tickets for that show.
“I know that the best part of the L.A. show will be when I get to go home and see my cats,” she shares.
Poetri will return to 88rising’s Head in the Clouds festival at Brookside at The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on Aug. 5 and Aug. 6.
The musical festival will also feature other artists such as girl group XG, DPR Live, DPR Ian, Jackson Wang, NIKI, Rich Brian, Rina Sawayama, Yoasobi and special guest ZEDD.
Among all the artists, Poetri is most excited to see XG perform in person.
“Here’s my little flex. I found XG from day one,” she shares. “When they debuted with ‘Tippy Toes,’ I saw their video within the first three days it came out. I was in sessions saying, ‘I want to write for this new group called XG,’ and everybody’s like, ‘OK.’ Just seeing them and how they’re getting here, it’s just so amazing. They have a crazy stage presence. They dance incredibly. I will definitely be using my artist pass privilege to watch them.”
“Here’s my little flex. I found XG from day one,” she shares. “When they debuted with ‘Tippy Toes,’ I saw their video within the first three days it came out. I was in sessions saying, ‘I want to write for this new group called XG,’ and everybody’s like, ‘OK.’ Just seeing them and how they’re getting here, it’s just so amazing. They have a crazy stage presence. They dance incredibly. I will definitely be using my artist pass privilege to watch them.”
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