Fresh from storming the Festival Republic Stage at Reading Festival 2025, NYC's Been Stellar sit down with NME to talk about their love of bread, the pressure of R+L, meeting Ben Stillar, touring with Fontaines D.C., advice from The 1975's Matty Healy and plans for a new album
00:00Hi, I'm Andrew Trendle. You're watching NME. We're back at Reading Festival 2025 with Bean Stella.
00:12Hello, how's it going?
00:14Pretty good, how are you?
00:15Good, yeah. We just got in, played and now we're here.
00:19That was an amazing set. How was it for you?
00:21Yeah, it was good. I was just saying it felt really weird because we had London last night and it feels like...
00:28Kind of woke up and just played the show, like within 12 hours, you know, just playing two shows. Funny, yeah.
00:34It was a breakfast set.
00:35Not enough breakfast sets.
00:37Yeah, not enough breakfast, yeah.
00:38Did you bring croissants?
00:40I had a croissant earlier. I had a bap, as you would say, a bacon bap before I played.
00:45Ah, he knows the lingo.
00:46That gave me everything I need, yeah.
00:49But if you go to Leeds, they call it a cob. It gets very confusing the further north you go.
00:53The words for bread change. England is pathetic.
00:56But for it to be a bap, it has to be on the roll, right?
00:59Yeah, yeah.
01:00Okay, okay. So if it was just like white bread, that'd be a sarnay? I've heard that too.
01:04Yeah, yeah. I don't think I've ever had a sarnay in brown bread.
01:08Okay.
01:09Some people call it, also they call it a cake up north. This gets really confusing.
01:13A cake. Yeah.
01:14A bap is also a cake.
01:15Okay.
01:16It's like a bacon sandwich, but like...
01:20Oh, like a bacon wrap?
01:21Yeah, yeah, yeah.
01:22No, no, no, no.
01:23It's like a roll with bacon, but we can...
01:27A roll is a roll in America, right? A roll is a roll.
01:29A roll is a roll.
01:30Yeah, yeah. Well, in New York, when you say a roll, it's kind of the specific...
01:33It's like a Kaiser roll, if that rings any bells.
01:36Like if you go to a deli, you'll get it on a roll or a hero, and the hero is like a long, like, you know, submarine roll.
01:42So...
01:43But, I don't know, this is neither here nor there.
01:44Most anyone's ever talked about bread at the Reading Festival.
01:46Yeah, well, I'm very passionate about it.
01:48We love carbs.
01:49We love to eat.
01:50Yeah.
01:51Kaiser roll is a good band name, or a good, you know...
01:53Yeah, there's already the Kaiser Chiefs, though, right?
01:55Yeah, they kind of monopolize the Kaiser.
01:58But maybe in the next slide.
02:01Amazing set, as we were saying.
02:04Is that a Thinline Jazzmaster?
02:06Oh!
02:07Yeah, thank you for asking.
02:08It's a Thinline Jaguar.
02:09Oh!
02:10I just got it back in March.
02:12I had to go to Canada to get it because the Trump's new tariffs, I couldn't get it shipped over without spending another $1,000.
02:19So, I smuggled it.
02:21I smuggled it from Canada.
02:23Hear that, everyone?
02:24Hear that, Donald?
02:25Lock me up, lock me up.
02:26Try it.
02:27Ice are coming.
02:28Yes, you try.
02:29Beautiful guitar.
02:30Google it.
02:31But do you guys feel the weight of playing a festival like Reading Leeds, or is a show a show?
02:35We strive for, like, a show's a show.
02:38I think that that's, like, a really...
02:40I think you should treat, like, every show the same.
02:42And I think if it's, like, a festival or if it's, like, you know, middle of nowhere and there's only, like, 20 people there or something.
02:49I feel like, ultimately, what you're doing should... you should try to be, kind of, you know, tapping into the same thing every night.
02:56But, obviously, that's, like, easier said than done.
02:59But, I mean, it's, like, a pleasure to be here.
03:01Like, last night when we were in London, we were...
03:04I was telling people that, like, they were, like, oh, what more do you have for the tour?
03:07And we're, like, oh, we're doing Reading.
03:09There was a guy who was, like, that's, like, that's awesome.
03:11And I was, like, I guess it is cool.
03:13So, yeah.
03:14You weren't, like, channeling Kurt Cobain vibes today?
03:17No, no, I wasn't wheeled out in a hospital gown.
03:21But maybe next year.
03:22Next year?
03:23Yeah, depending on how my year goes.
03:25And you guys have played some pretty amazing shows recently.
03:30We just talked about Prima.
03:32You were at the Fontaine's show at Finsbury Park, right?
03:35Yes.
03:36Yeah.
03:37What's it like being on the road to Fontaine's?
03:40Oh.
03:41Yeah, it was good.
03:42We did a tour with them in the U.S.
03:44That was really fun.
03:45We really loved touring in the U.S.
03:47And those venues were really cool.
03:50And then, yeah, we did a few shows with them earlier in the year.
03:53They were really cool.
03:54One in, like, Lyon.
03:55And then, how do you pronounce the other town?
03:56I think Arles.
03:57Yeah.
03:58Something like that.
03:59And those were, like, in, like, Roman Colosseum type venues.
04:04And those were, like, very surreal.
04:06Yeah.
04:07I don't know.
04:08They're very nice people.
04:10And they've been, yeah.
04:12It feels nice.
04:13It's good.
04:14What's it like backstage with Fontaine's?
04:16Well, they're, yeah, they're normal guys.
04:22But the, I do want to shout out Bailey, their guitar tech.
04:27And he taught us about, like, a contact cleaner and stuff.
04:30So he's been, you know, their team has, like, been, like, just as, like, welcoming and, like, helpful.
04:37So I feel like, I don't know, like, when you're opening up for, like, bigger bands like that, you always want to try to, like, you know, like, what can I gleam from this experience?
04:46And I think, like, you know, like, seeing an operation like that and how, like, well-oiled it is, like, you kind of are, like, okay, like, how can we, like, implement that in our own way and stuff?
04:57So, yeah.
04:59Highlight of the set.
05:00Always on my mind.
05:01Beautiful.
05:02Beautiful song.
05:03Thanks.
05:04That's it.
05:05No, I mean, what can you tell us about the decision to put a song like that out outside of the album and, you know, the confidence to kind of lean on a love song like that?
05:18Yeah, I think, like, we wanted to, we wanted to put out a few songs that kind of, I don't want to say bridge the gap between the next couple records, but we felt like we had a lot we wanted to get out of our system and get out of our system then.
05:34Usually, like, before we were, like, a band on, like, a label, we would, you'd write a song and you'd put it out and we'd, like, put it on Spotify ourselves or whatever.
05:41And the whole notion of being in, like, an album cycle or whatever is kind of weird.
05:46So, we had these three songs and we wanted them to have some life outside of being in an album cycle.
05:53So, we wanted to do them and now that we're working on our, like, our next record, it, like, it kind of cleared the pipes in a really good way.
06:00Yeah.
06:01Well, that was it. I was going to ask if the Breakaway EP tells us anything about what's to come or is it just a matter of, like, punctuation and carry on?
06:07Yeah, it doesn't really sound anything, it doesn't sound anything like what we're writing now and it doesn't sound like the first album.
06:13So, I think it's just, it's its own thing. So, yeah, I wouldn't take that as, like, to me, it doesn't feel like, it doesn't feel like a foreshadowing of anything else.
06:24Yeah.
06:25The stuff we've been working on now, I think, kind of speaks for itself. Yeah.
06:29Is there anything you can tell us about the energy or direction or vibe of the next album so far?
06:34We have a lot in our heads and, like, we're working all the time on it.
06:37And we've been, like, working on it kind of, like, since the first album came out.
06:42And I think, like, it's always a balance between, like, I think it's really good to have your eye, like, set on, like, the main goal with, like, what you have for, like, a concept or, like, just, like, what, you know, what you want the record to sound like.
06:58It's a balance between that and then also, like, remembering that they are just songs and that, like, you need to just write songs.
07:05And so, I think, like, right now, we're kind of, like, in this balance of, like, you know, you don't want to get too attached to, like, what is it?
07:13What's the saying where it's, like, when you're, like, something up in the sky and your nose down on the ground or something.
07:19I don't know.
07:20So, it's, like, I mean, it's kind of revealing itself as we go.
07:23But, yeah, no, I mean, I think, like, obviously, like, shit's getting crazy.
07:29So, like, there's, like, kind of, like, constant lyrical, like, influence from, like, what's going on in the world.
07:38And I think we are, yeah, I guess the one thing I'll say about it is, like, we are, like, obsessed with this, like, album.
07:44Our first record had so much to do with place and we want this record to have a lot more to do with time and now.
07:52Not that this album, like, won't have to do with, like, New York in subtle ways or whatever, because that's where we live.
07:58And that's, like, but I think, like, ultimately, like, we really want this album to feel like everyone, there's, like, kind of this collective consciousness happening right now
08:08where it feels like everyone has a similar thought of, like, where the fuck is this going?
08:13And, like, I feel like they kind of want to, like, without getting doomy, we kind of want to, like, just tap into that collective consciousness, you know?
08:20It's a concept album about bread.
08:22Yeah, exactly, exactly.
08:24Anyway, yeah, it's more or less about that.
08:27Being part of the Dirty Hit family, I was wondering if, like, does Matty Healy ever chime in and give you guys advice on, like, dealing with hype and moving from one record to another?
08:35Or does he leave you alone?
08:36He leaves us alone.
08:38We've talked to him a couple times, though.
08:40He's cool.
08:41Yeah, I mean, we toured with them, and he was a really nice guy.
08:45And then he came to our show in L.A. with Fontaines and talked to him a bit there.
08:52But, no, I mean, yeah, we don't really, we don't have that kind of relationship with him.
08:56But I think on that tour, he was really, like, we were, we were really disoriented playing, like, arenas.
09:01And, like, the biggest thing that was different for us was using in-ears as opposed to, like, the wedges on stage, which we've always done.
09:09And so he was, he gave us a lot of advice for that, because we were, like, the first couple shows were, like, how the fuck, it's so weird.
09:15Like, it doesn't seem like it's that weird, but it really is.
09:17So, he was helpful with that.
09:19This is the part of the interview where I ask you if you're still in touch with Ben Stiller.
09:24I wouldn't say we've ever really been in touch with him, but we've, yeah, yeah, we, don't start that rumor.
09:32No, but we, yeah, he, he's a nice guy.
09:37We don't know him, but we, like, met him years ago, and he was, he was very cool, and he gave us his blessing with the name.
09:45And then we met him again.
09:49He came to our show in New York at Bowery, and he was, he was very kind.
09:55Yeah, well, didn't you, like, give him a hug?
09:57Yeah, yeah, well, he walked up, so, like, we played, and he was, like, kind of hanging out.
10:01So, like, he came, because I met him before.
10:03So, when he walked into our green room, I went in for a hug, and he reciprocated it, but very tentatively.
10:09He was like, oh, okay, I guess I'm hugging this guy.
10:12I, like, forgot he's, like, an A-list celebrity.
10:14Yeah, but he was cool, man.
10:16He was, he dug it.
10:17He's, shout out to Capital Punishment for the NME listeners.
10:21That's his band.
10:22It sounds like the B-52s meets the birthday party.
10:25Oh, wow, what do you play?
10:26He plays drums, and he's really good.
10:27So, check it out.
10:29So, Severance, cameo, incoming, not incoming?
10:32If they'll have us, of course.
10:33Yeah, yeah, yeah.
10:36What are you guys gonna do after this interview?
10:39Probably, get some food.
10:42And then, maybe ride some of the rides.
10:46Hopefully, keep everything down.
10:48I've never ridden a ride here.
10:49So, let me know how it goes.
10:51I was here, like, two years ago, and I rode the swings that, like, go up high, and I think I passed out, because the G-force.
10:58I don't think I'm meant to be, like, swung around in the air, but maybe I'll do it again, just see how it goes this time.
11:06But then, watch some people, watch some music.
11:09Maximum G-force for Chapel Rome.
11:11Oh, God, yeah.
11:13Maybe, yeah, maybe that's where I'll watch the set from.
11:15Good combo.
11:16Swing around.
11:17Pink Pony Club.
11:19Yeah.
11:21We'll see.
11:22Bean Stella, thank you so much for your time.
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