We all had our own way of playing with dolls as kids—whether it was full-blown soap opera drama or Ken and Barbie playing house. With their new single Kissing Stacey, Dreaming Soda— Sydney duo Ella Sterland and Renee Stein—pull us back to those glittery, plastic worlds, only this time with a dose of grown-up hindsight. Blending electro-pop with dreamy indie textures, the track explores sexual identity and self -discovery because if “Barbie’s into Stacey then what the hell does that make me?” I had a chat with Ella to find out more about the song’s origin story, the band’s creative process and more.
Lizz – “Thank you for joining me to talk about the release, I appreciate you taking the time to speak with me.“
Ella – “Thank you! It means so much to me that you like Kissing Stacey, it’s a bit of a left field and chaotic, so the fact that you like it makes me feel really seen and excited to share it with the world!“
Lizz – “Firstly, what inspired Dreaming Soda to write Kissing Stacey?“
Ella – “A big part of the Dreaming Soda project is all about making songs that take me back to my childhood; those pre-internet, skinned knees, toy playing days, and Kissing Stacey covers a topic that I was always wanting to write a song about- making Barbie dolls kiss each other. It felt a little one dimensional when the ideas were brewing, with a major focus on bi-panic and toy imagery. It wasn’t until I saw a YouTube essay on the queer Marxist theory of Barbies that I found the layers I was looking for! Barbie gets to exist in conservative spaces and be an icon of heteronormativity and gender roles, while also being a tool for queer exploration; all this while she has a million dream houses and a closet Kylie Jenner could only dream of. I was so inspired to try and fit all these feelings into a song, and I’m really happy with where we landed!”
Lizz – “If you don’t mind me asking, is the theme of queer exploration in your work influenced by your own personal experiences?“
Ella – “I think a lot of people experiment with roleplay as kids, especially if they have the privilege of privacy, and it was definitely an experience of mine to play out scenarios with my dolls that I felt a bit too scared to look further into. It’s been a journey for me in discovering and exploring my sexuality, and I feel really grateful that I have the freedom and safety to figure it all out. That middle period of my life, where I was a self-conscious teenager, it was definitely a time of procrastination when it came to sorting out my identity. In the last few years, I have comfortably acknowledged myself as Pansexual – that’s the term I resonate with.”
Lizz – “I can see from and Instagram post that Kissing Stacey was written back in 2022 – What prompted you to release it now?“
Ella – “Releasing music is a big and expensive task, and it just wasn’t possible for a long time. In truth, I delayed the release for a few reasons. I moved home, fell out of love with music, and felt pressured by the popularity of the Barbie movie to try and coincide the release. I am really glad that Kissing Stacey is finally here in all her glory, because if it had come out any earlier it wouldn’t be the incredible world it is today!”
Lizz – “You also produce your own zine that intertwines with your music – can you tell me a bit more about that?“
Ella – “I am such a big fan of physical media, and the lyrics are my favourite part of the songs I’ve released. I really wanted to have a way to showcase the stories behind the songs of my first EP, and I had the idea of putting together a comic book/zine to be a visual component to the release. I spent days storyboarding the release during lockdown, and got the project 200% funded on Kickstarter which was just amazing. It was a huge project, and I had help from some amazing illustrators. Somehow, still cheaper than a music video!”
Lizz – “Take me through your creative process, what goes through your mind when you’re writing a new track?“
Ella – ‘I have written a lot of songs, and I would usually sit with a guitar or piano to create something, but the Dreaming Soda songs always come together in a collaborative way. I think a big part of the inspiration comes from samples and synth choices, and once a track is coming together, I try and think of what it ‘feels’ like; baking cookies? Playing video games? Something otherworldly? It then can take a while to get it finessed and across the finish line, especially when I can be a bit of a perfectionist, but as long as it’s fun to play then we are usually on the right track!’
Lizz – “If you could have any musician, dead or alive feature on this track, who would it be and why?“
Ella – “I would love Ashinkko to do a verse. Like, could you even imagine?!”
Lizz – “Finally, plug yourself, where can the readers find you?“
Ella – “We are @dreamingsoda everywhere!”
A huge thanks again to Ella for giving me the opportunity to peak behind the curtain of this track! Stream Kissing Stacey from 20/09/25, your inner child will thank you!