"Talking At The Diner" Podcast Ep. 41 ft. Brendan Johnson of Stella Ruze

I met up with Brendan Johnson - guitarist and primary songwriter of Stella Ruze, a band that he started in 2014 with vocalist / mandolin player Katie O' Donnell, keyboardist Mason Hunter, and trumpet player Alex Styer. In the ten years the band has been together, their sound has evolved past early comparisons to The Lumineers and Mumford and Sons to a more complex marriage of modern folk melodicism and jam band experimentation, dropping beautifully melodic gems with four-part vocal harmonies that can morph into psychedelic instrumental odysseys at any moment.

Celebrating their tenth year as a band, Stella Ruze has spent much of 2024 navigating all the pivots and adjustments that come with sticking around for a decade. Personnel changes and realignments are part of the deal, but through all that they completed their third studio album - “Origin” - and are doing what they need to do to “keep the train on the tracks.” Do yourself a favor and GO see this band at their album release party for “Origin” at Ardmore Music Hall on 12/21/24. Appearing with them will be fellow Philly folk mainstays Hezekiah Jones and Brittany Ann Tranbaugh.

I hope you enjoy my conversation with Brendan. He’s a thoughtful, kind, and curious person. And a pretty damn talented one at that!
~ JKF ❤️