(EDITOR’S NOTE — Chelsea O. of Stress Dolls spoke with 1120 Press recently to discuss her new radio show, The Scene, on WBFO The Bridge, as well as the new Stress Dolls single, ‘Body,’ just released on Sun Pedal Recordings, which marks her first release by a label. Both the song, and the show, are must-listens. It was awesome speaking with this gifted artist. — You can hear The Scene every Sunday at 10 a.m. by downloading the WBFO The Bridge app, or on WBFO 88.7 HD-2 or WNED 94.5 HD-2. — photo provided)
1120 PRESS: Thank you for speaking with us. Congratulations on your new radio show, The Scene. How did the show come about, and how do you feel now that it’s finally debuted and is off the ground and real?
CHELSEA O.: Thank you so much! The program has been in the works since February, so I'm happy to finally get started. In the weeks to come, my hope is that artists in our music community feel that The Scene is an eclectic representation of what's happening in Western New York and Southern Ontario, and that listeners are able to discover regional artists that they love.
As far as the history behind the show: I used to work at a station called Alternative Buffalo (107.7 FM, now The Wolf) as the host and producer of their local music show, Localized. Bentley, who is now program director of WBFO The Bridge, was the morning host on that station, so we got to know each other as co-workers. Eventually I resigned from radio to make a move to Nashville and Bentley went on to be music director at 103.3 The Edge, but after I moved back to Buffalo I'd see her around every so often. She was the one who invited me to host The Scene, and I'm glad that she did! I was unsure I'd ever have the opportunity to work in radio again, but I'm really grateful that this is the chance that presented itself.
1120: If the show had a mission statement, what would it be?
CO: The goal of The Scene is to be representative of the WNY and Southern Ontario music communities and to give listeners a means of discovering regional music.
1120: The show is brand new and just getting its footing but moving forward, are there any elements/features you’d like to add to it?
CO: For the foreseeable future, the format of the show is going to be playlist-based, but there's the possibility of an interview and/or live performance element at some point. Honestly, my favorite part about Localized was being able to interview people. I love hearing stories and, as a songwriter, it's awesome to find out more about the creative process of other artists. We'll see!
Something that has been discussed is attempting to create a monthly, or bi-monthly, live showcase series at a local venue. Once again, this is all just talk right now... one day at a time.
1120: How can artists submit their work to the show for consideration?
CO: Artists from WNY and Southern Ontario who are interested can submit their work via the form on The Bridge's website HERE.
Please include links to .wav files that are downloadable and not just links to your Spotify/Bandcamp/Soundcloud profile!
1120: Your band, Stress Dolls, is headlining a big show on June 9 at the Town Ballroom with Cooler, Starjuice and Tsunami Tsurprise. It’s a great bill. What can you tell us about the show, and what else is happening on the Stress Dolls front?
CO: I am so excited for the Town Ballroom show! I frequented the Ballroom quite a bit while in high school and college, and it's been a longtime dream of mine to play there. I think it's great that they've created the Oxford Pennant Stage for shows that are on a somewhat smaller scale, it makes the venue more accessible to local acts. The bands that we're playing with are groups that I've been following for a while and I dig their music very much. There's been a ton of planning and I feel fortunate that it's all coming together... I can't believe it's only a week away!
As far as other things happening with Stress Dolls: my new single, "Body,” — ( song below) — came out June 2 on Sun Pedal Recordings. This is my first release working with a label and it's been somewhat of a whirlwind experience. They reached out to me near the beginning of 2022 and, long story short, I was invited to work with a producer named Jim Wirt, whose credits include artists such as Something Corporate, Incubus, and Fiona Apple. We recorded 11 songs together, and this is the first to be released. There will definitely be more music coming out in the months to come, so please give a follow on Spotify, Apple Music, Youtube, or wherever you stream.
I also have a few other shows planned for the summer — solo; as a duo with my friend Sally Schaefer; and with the band. All of those dates can be found on my website HERE.
1120: Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us. Is there anything else you want to say that we haven’t discussed?
CO: Thank you so much! Hope to see you at a show some time, and be sure to tune into The Scene Sundays at 10 AM on WBFO The Bridge 88.7 FM HD-2 (or streaming at wbfo.org/the-bridge).