Though she’s happy about it, Stella Webb admits that the manner in which so much attention has been brought to her in the past few months is unexpected. A routine singing session with Steph Altman on which she sang David Mallett’s “Garden Song” for a GoFundMe campaign amassed hundreds of thousands of YouTube views in only a month, an obvious indication that something magical had been created. Webb and Altman’s cover has become a hit streaming song in its own right and has cultivated major interest in the singer’s upcoming EP release.
The traditional template of record label vetting has long been challenged by artists whose fanbase has emerged from a grassroots format. The Weekend, Justin Bieber, Halsey, Megan Thee Stallion; these are a few examples of the megastars whose careers took off thanks to online attention. Like all of these aforementioned musical artists, Stella has her own style and sound which offers something special amongst an already diverse music community. One listen to this latest iteration of “Garden Song” will exhibit the charm and tenderness Stella and Steph have manifested to capture the hearts of so many new fans.
GoFundMe had already decided on the mid 70s hit “Garden Song” for their most recent campaign; the dilemma was in finding an artist and version which would be compelling and stand out in comparison to prior covers by such artists as John Denver, folk icons Peter, Paul and Mary, and others. Stella and Steph’s take on “Garden Song” is sublime in its modern organic tone.
Ms. Webb relates, “Covering such a well-known song can be quite a challenge because you don’t want to lose the magic of the original. I think the version we ended up with is a good mix of modern and respect for the original. I think because my voice lends itself well to folk and that’s a genre I write in a lot, the vocal performance conveys the sentiment of David’s songwriting quite authentically. GoFundMe really wanted something uplifting and I think the lyric sections we chose do well to uplift and convey that positive message.”
Producer Kris Roggemann (credits include Grammy/Brit Award for Life Achievement/Kennedy Center Honoree Pete Townshend) of Mophonics NYC immediately thought of Stella to contribute the lead vocal to “Garden Song” and championed her for the ad campaign. The recording highlights Stella’s intimate vocals complemented by sparse instrumentation such as cello, a few wind instruments, and textural elements. While lending her voice to ad campaigns is a new venture for her, Stella considered the experience intriguing.
She states, “Kris reached out to me with the GoFundMe brief and they were really keen on having my vocals in the final spot. I am always really grateful for these opportunities as it’s not something I ever thought I’d be doing. The briefs are always unique and the people are great fun to work with. Steph was really the driving force on the whole instrumental arrangement.
GoFundMe had heard my demo and were keen to have my vocals on the track so we set about creating a good arrangement with lots of layers. Steph is really experienced in the ad space and had quite a clear idea of the arrangement he wanted. It was fun to collaborate on harmonies and adlibs to give the arrangement some breathing room from just lyrics alone.”
With nearly a million streams for this GoFundMe campaign/song in a matter of mere weeks, the company and Stella are on the receiving end of attention like they’ve never experienced. Ms. Webb’s soon to be released EP “Cowgirl, Blue” is eagerly anticipated by fans. So many great artists have seen a cover song serve as a starting point for a deep catalogue and this is likely to be the case with Stella based on advanced industry-only listenings of “Cowgirl, Blue.”
For the moment, Stella Webb is giving “Garden Song” the respect it deserves and professes, “Having such a positive response is so encouraging especially as I am now releasing my own music. The song itself is so iconic and I’m glad to be a part of a campaign for a company that is seeking to facilitate real positive change in the world.”
Writer: Basil Thomson