Federico Stock Returns To Battle of the Bands
Federico is no stranger to Battle of the Bands—last year, he performed with Gabriella McBride in a pared-back acoustic set. This time, though, they’re raising the stakes. With bass and drums added to the mix, they’re going electric, aiming for something sharper, louder, and entirely different.
Federico grew up in London in an Italian family. He picked up the guitar at age seven, inspired by a Lego Star Wars animation in which a stormtrooper plays “Sultans of Swing.” By the end of high school, he knew music wasn’t just a hobby, it was something he loved.
He recently released an album, Nostalgiomania, recorded entirely at CU Records. One standout track is “Only Remembering,” a song that feels both sad and uplifting—melancholic and joyful at once. Its lyrics are layered and intricate, and his voice glides over soft guitar plucks like a whispering lullaby: warm, soulful, and intimate. It’s the kind of music that makes you sway gently or curl into yourself, like a hug and a nourishing cup of tea rolled into one.
He describes his sound as indie folk, shaped by influences like Elliott Smith, Nick Drake, Christian Lee Hutson, Allegra Krieger, and Cameron Winter.
When I asked who his music would be if they were a person at a party, he didn’t hesitate. “It would be me,” he said, frankly. “And it would be a party I’m throwing.” Which speaks to how much of himself he puts into his songs: they exist as an extension of him, rather than a performance.
When I asked what his parties are usually like, he laughed, then thought for a moment. “Well, it starts by putting some good records on and waiting for my friends to arrive. And if they don’t arrive, I get upset. Because the only reason I throw parties is to see my friends.” Afterwards, he said, he feels “both really full and really empty at the same time—because I feel the emptiness of their absence already. Then I feel like I’m about to die.”
Death, it turns out, is a recurring motif in his music. We both laugh, and he admitted it’s because he’s terrified of it. “People who say they aren’t are lying to themselves,” he said. “It’s not one big moment,” he said; “It shows up in tiny ones and creeps up on you.” His goal is to blend those weighty ideas with the small episodes that make up a life.
This conversation was getting way heavier and existential, so I steered us back and asked him to describe his music in three words. He paused. “Attempts to explain,” he said, before changing his answer: “Failures to explain.” Music, for him, is both the clearest way to express exactly how he feels, and proof that doing so is impossible. Still, he keeps trying. “Music is a gift I’ve been given by other musicians,” he said. “If I can give that to even one person, that would be enough.”
That dedication shows in his live performances. At Battle of the Bands, expect drums, electric guitars, and a full-band energy that transforms his usual intimate solo guitar into something bigger, more raw, and more alive. Federico’s music brings people together, whether swaying to a lullaby-like guitar or moving to the pulse of a full band. If you haven’t yet, listen to his album Nostalgiomania on Spotify—you’ll see he’s clearly onto something special.