Stereo Embers The Podcast 0128: Ellen Starski

“I Wasn’t Go To Be An Anthropologist”

Ellen Starski’s major in college was Anthropology, but midway through her studies it became very clear to her parents that she wasn’t going to be an anthropologist. She was going to be a musician. Her dad might have had a hunch she would be headed that direction when he gave her a guitar during her freshman year, but either way, Starski’s calling was an artistic one and whether she was strumming that guitar in her dorm room or later on fronting a blues band in a bar, it was clear that her future was going to be in music. Although
the Pennsylvania born Starski didn’t end up having a career that studied the evolution of human biology, evolution has been a big part of her musical career. In just two albums Starski’s sound has transformed from indie folk to an orchestral blend of textured pop that’s filled with nuance and soul. In this conversation Starski talks
to Alex about motherhood, stillness and why she loves the Eurythmics. She also talks about the importance of travel, self-discipline and learning chords in Nova Scotia….