User:Birdwithtwoleftwings/Stella (Canadian Post Hardcore band)

Stella is a Canadian Post Hardcore band from Surrey, British Columbia Canada, consisting of Ryan McClurg (vocals/keys), Erik McClurg (guitar) Dominique Robinson (guitar), Sam Reseigh (bass/vocals) and Steven Reseigh (drums/percussioin). According to guitarist Erik McClurg, the band took their name from the comedy troupe known as Stella which all of the band members were fans of.

The Beginning
The band was formed from the remains a local hardcore band, Fighting 'Til Dawn, which featured Robinson on Guitar and Stella lead vocalist R. McClurg on bass guitar. After the demise of Fighting 'Til Dawn, Robinson and  McClurg began jamming with Ryan's younger brother Erik. The jams were going well but they needed a rhythm section and Ryan McClurg began talking with drummer Steve Reseigh while both were at work at the local Long & McQuade music store in their hometown of Surrey. The foursome were rounding out nicely but Ryan wanted to take up the task of screaming for the band so Steve Reseigh suggested that they bring in his brother Sam Reseigh to play bass and Stella's line up was finalized. The five newly formed members of Stella officially began with their first jam on Erik's 17th birthday, November 28th of 2007. They spent the next year working on the six songs that would eventually become the bands first EP titled "A Moment To Reflect". In August of 2008 the five members of Stella had a meeting with Steven Chan who had just started the independent music label Arc Of The Universe Music Inc. Chan was made aware of Stella while taking pilates with Ryan and Erik's mother Veronica at her home studio. Stella played their first show on July 24, 2008 at Amber Jack's Pub in Surrey, BC and Chan was in attendance. The next day he called his partner Fernando Pontellini and told him " I don't remember any of the songs but I do remember they were doing some pretty amazing stuff with their guitars". Without consulting his partner (which he later apologized for) Chan brought Stella into the studio to begin pre production on their first EP. Stella began pre production on 'A Moment To Reflect' at the Arc Of The Universe Studio in August of 2008. The beginnings of the recording were wrought with problems ranging from corrupt computer hard drives at the newly outfitted studio to poorly recorded tracks by an inexperienced engineer. In January of 2009 the entire project was scrapped and Fernando Pontellini put a hold on the project he was working on and took over the recording of the band's album. The album was officially released on July 25, 2009 to favorable reviews by both online and mainstream media.

2009 to Present
Stella played local shows for the first 6 months of their first album's release and after working on a Canadian tour without much success, the label decided that they should concentrate on the US as a touring ground. On January 1, 2010 Stella left Canada on their first US tour, playing mostly small clubs and all ages events across the country. The entire tour lasted 4 and a half months ending on May 15, 2010. Stella are currently in studio once again with Fernando Pontellini recording their second effort 'Surrey's Finest' due for release in late August/early September 2010. They are also planning another North American tour which will take them across Canada to Montreal and then back into the US for another 8 weeks.