Stace: "Resilience is the most beautiful thing there is"

Lockdowns go hand in hand with loneliness. We all know that by now. Singer Stace converted that loneliness into self-reflection. The result? Her debut EP Green Onyx.

Stace was born near Paris and then moved to Brussels, which is now seven years ago. From an early age on, she was very into music. Her father, who is a musician in Martinique, bought her first guitar when she was 11 years old.

 

Staces current mood? “I'm in a good mental space now, but I'm very tired. The past few weeks have been busy. It's a bit calmer currently, or maybe that's just a feeling." (laughs)

Staces mood during the pandemic? “Mixed or rather – bittersweet”. Stace lived alone only recently when corona broke out. “Each time I pass by the apartment where I used to live, I get a nostalgic, bittersweet feeling. At that time, I didn't see many people, so I felt very lonely. But then again, I had a lot of time for myself and self-reflection. I started to think about what I really wanted. When I look back on it now, it was mostly a productive period.”

Music was – and still is – very personal to Stace. Something of and for herself. Most of all, Stace wants to have fun when she's making music. She used to think that it shouldn't be a profession. Because sometimes, that can be stifling, even if you are good at what you do. But the pandemic changed her mindset about that.

 

“I have always written songs, but I never released them. I kept them to myself. By being alone a lot during the lockdown, I realized that I do wanted to release music.” So she started recording songs in her little apartment at the time and that is how she produced her first EP.

“All my songs are about resilience. It is the most beautiful psychological process for me.” Resilience is about recovering from stress and setbacks. Feeling and accepting your emotions is the first step in this process. Over time, you bounce from those emotions – bit by bit – back to your true self. “It's so beautiful to overcome your difficulties and turn them into something positive.”

The song Stace listens to when she's not feeling well changes weekly. “This week, it's Fall in Love from Miguel Atwood Ferginson's Timeless: Suite for Ma Dukes album.” It is a tribute to American rapper and producer J Dilla. “The whole album is an expression of gratitude, admiration and above all love.”

Next week, Stace will perform at Pilar, as the supporting act for singer and producer abrahamblue. “It is an honor for me to open the Abrahamblue concert. I like his music. Hopefully I won't fangirl too much.” (laughs)