'It feels like I'm about to burst': Lennon Stella on her debut album and first Juno nomination

There are a lot of firsts happening in Lennon Stella's life right now: she's a first-time Juno nominee, she'll be performing at the Juno Awards for the first time, and she's about to release her first album.

These firsts may be surprising because Stella has grown up in front of an audience. You might know her from her collaborations with her parents, the country duo The Stellas, or watched her viral YouTube videos she made with her sister Maisy, or you might recognize her from her six-year run on the show Nashville.

The last time Stella sat down with q's Tom Power in Toronto she had just shifted from country music into pop. This time, Power joined the newly Juno-nominated pop sensation in Nashville to talk about the challenges she's faced over the past year and the career milestones that await her in 2020. 

"It feels like I'm about to burst," said Stella. "I'm so excited for [my album] to be out and just have this part of me in the world. I can't wait."

Stella will be performing at this year's Juno Awards on Sunday, March 15 in Saskatoon. She's nominated for single of the year for her song La Di Da as well as breakthrough artist of the year.

Watch the 2020 Juno Awards broadcast on Sunday, March 15, at the SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon, at 8 p.m. ET across the country, to be aired live on CBC-TV, CBC Radio One, CBC Music, the free CBC Gem streaming service in Canada and globally at cbcmusic.ca/junos. If you're in Saskatoon and would like to attend the Juno Awards, you can find ticket information here. 

Download our podcast or click the 'Listen' link near the top of this page to hear the full conversation with Lennon Stella.

— Produced by ​Stuart Berman and Ben Edwards