New York City five-piece, Been Stellar, have announced their debut LP, ‘Scream From New York, NY,’ and released its lead single, ‘Passing Judgment.’ The band’s self-titled EP was released in 2022 before their signing to independent label Dirty Hit. The LP is scheduled for release on June 14th and is available for pre-save/pre-order. Directed by Gabriel Long, the track’s accompanying video features the band performing the song in a posh restaurant while a nearby guest appears uninterested and disconnected from her conversation.
“Passing judgment without home/ Passing judgment without home/ Once I see how can I hear?/ If you hear, that’s how I know,” sings frontman Sam Slocum in the chorus, accompanied by distorted, gritty guitars, and a pounding drumbeat. Speaking of the track in a press release, the band shared: “We were finishing ‘Passing Judgment’ in the midst of our first tour in the UK. Playing through it a bit differently each show, we were learning to look at the song from different angles.”
While sharing their insights on the track, Slocum added, “Lyrically, I was thinking about why we judge the world around us, and how passing judgment on someone or something is usually rooted in being unsure in oneself… The recording feels live because of this process—there’s a chaotic feeling in the drums and bass that wouldn’t be there if we hadn’t finished writing it live.”
Been Stellar is currently supporting The 1975 on their ‘Still…At Their Very Best’ tour and is set to perform live dates in the UK throughout the summer. The band’s lineup consists of Sam Slocum as the frontman, guitarists Skyler Knapp and Nando Dale, bassist Nico Brunstein, and drummer Laila Wayans.
The band is excited to be signed to independent label Dirty Hit, which is home to The 1975, Beabadoobee, and Bleachers. Their previous EP had already gained attention from fans and critics alike, cementing their spot in the NYC guitar scene. NME proclaimed, “In capturing this, it’s a release that proclaims them as one of their city’s brightest new hopes.” The announcement of their LP is a promising continuation of the band’s musical journey
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