News
1 October 2026 – Stella Dunai Decides It Is Time to Move On! With Laidback Alt-Folk
By Editorial Team - October 1, 2026
Summary
Empress frontwoman Stella Dunai launches her solo journey with Move On!, an intimate and relaxed alt-folk single recorded in Australia.
Key Facts
- Empress lead vocalist Stella Dunai branches out with solo alt-folk single 'Move On!'.
- Steps back from lush electronic-soul production toward an intimate, acoustic-led arrangement.
- Explores themes of personal transition and emotional renewal with relaxed warmth.
- Entities: Stella Dunai, Empress, Move On!, Australia
- Tags: stella-dunai, move-on, empress, australian-music, alt-folk, singer-songwriter
Stella Dunai steps away from her role fronting electronic-soul collective Empress for "Move On!", a laidback alt-folk track highlighted among today's strongest Australian discoveries. The exclamation mark in the title suggests considerably more urgency than the music itself, which approaches change with warmth rather than melodrama. That contrast gives the track much of its personality.
Artists moving from band or collective settings into solo work frequently use the opportunity to demonstrate every musical idea they were apparently prevented from using previously; Dunai takes the more convincing route of giving the song room to breathe. "Move On!" strips the focus back toward voice, songwriting and a relaxed instrumental framework, revealing another side of a musician better known within a more electronic and soulful environment.
It also illustrates why solo releases from established group members can be genuinely interesting rather than merely supplementary. Different arrangements expose different instincts. Dunai sounds comfortable allowing silence and simplicity to participate in the song rather than filling every available frequency. The result is an alt-folk release that feels reflective without becoming sleepy and approachable without sounding anonymous. Moving on is rarely as straightforward as song titles make it appear, of course. At least Dunai has supplied considerably better travelling music than the motivational podcast usually recommended for the journey.