An Interview with Dunja von Stoddard by Ilya Mirman
When Dunja von Stoddard talks about the music of the 1960s, she doesn’t just talk about songs. She talks about a feeling.
With her band Aquarius, von Stoddard and her bandmates aim to recreate the sound, spirit, and atmosphere of the era — from vintage instruments and psychedelic projections to a setlist that spans garage rock, British Invasion pop, and heavier late-decade psychedelia.
The band will bring that immersive experience to Massachusetts audiences this month with performances at Niagara Coffee Haus in Millis (April 11) and Worcester (April 25).
We spoke with von Stoddard about the band’s origins, the enduring appeal of ’60s music, and why authenticity matters.
How did Aquarius come together? What was the vision for the band?
Some of us were already playing together in another band called The Tom Prettys, which is a female-fronted Tom Petty tribute band. The singer Dana and I started feeling like we wanted to branch out and explore a different catalog of music.
One night we were driving home from a show listening to a playlist of ’60s and ’70s songs, and it really resonated with me. I grew up on a farm with hippie parents — artists and bohemians — and that music was always playing. Everything was on vinyl, records constantly flipping.
What I love about ’60s music is how raw and human it feels. There are mistakes left in the recordings — background noise, stray notes, coughing. Today everything is so polished and perfected.
Those old recordings feel closer to what live music actually is. When we play live, sometimes something unexpected happens and the band has to adapt. Someone adds a jam, the song shifts slightly, and suddenly everyone in the room is part of that moment. That’s what makes it human.
What kind of reception have you gotten so far?
We actually haven’t played much yet in our home base in the Hudson Valley.
Our launch party was at my house in Rhinebeck and it basically turned into a 1960s-style party — pineapples, umbrellas, scarves everywhere. It was chaotic but people had a blast.
After that we jumped straight to playing at the Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles, because Strawberry Alarm Clock was playing there. The reception was incredible.
What surprised me is how multi-generational the audience is. I thought it might mainly appeal to people who grew up with the music, but younger audiences know these songs too.
And then when older audiences come, it can be really emotional. When we played the Cutting Room in New York, my mom’s generation came and some of them were literally choked up hearing the songs again.
Do you have favorite artists from the ’60s?
I absolutely love The Zombies. We play Time of the Season and I get to do the organ solo, which I love.
I’m also drawn to songs with great keyboard parts, like Deep Purple’s “Hush.”
And I love garage rock. I was part of the ’90s garage rock scene in the Pacific Northwest, which was inspired by bands like The Sonics and The Ventures. Those fast, three-chord songs really speak to me.
We also cover artists across the spectrum — Dusty Springfield, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones. The catalog of ’60s music is just enormous.
The show is very visual — costumes, lights, psychedelic projections. How important is that?
For me it’s incredibly important.
There are lots of cover bands that play the songs well, but I want people to feel like they’ve stepped into another world.
Everything matters — the instruments, the clothes, the lighting. I even bought a vintage Vox Continental organ for the band.
I studied fine art in graduate school, so visuals are very important to me. When I see a band whose visuals don’t match the music they’re playing, it pulls me out of the experience.
For Aquarius we want to create a complete sensory experience.
You’re classically trained in piano. How did that lead to rock?
My mother encouraged a lot of classical training — piano, ballet, all of that.
I love Chopin and Beethoven, but rock and roll is where my heart is.
When I was younger and going to garage rock shows, that’s where I felt the most connected — to other people, to the energy in the room. Rock music gave me a sense of freedom that classical music didn’t.
If you could step into a time machine and attend one real 1960s concert or festival, what would it be?
Probably Monterey Pop Festival or Woodstock.
My parents almost went to Woodstock. They had a Volkswagen bus and friends who went, but they stayed home because they heard how muddy it was.
Part of me wishes they had gone just so I could hear those stories.
Seeing bands like Jefferson Airplane back then would have been incredible.
What are your goals for Aquarius in 2026?
I want to reach as many people as possible.
We’re not just putting on a show — we’re creating an experience. When people come up afterward and say a song brought back a memory, or that they danced and sang all night, that’s the best feeling.
So the goal is to play as often as we can in as many places as we can.
What’s coming up for the band?
This weekend we’re playing the Courthouse Center for the Arts in Rhode Island.
Then we’re heading to Niagara Coffee Haus in Millis, Massachusetts, which is a very intimate venue — only about 50 seats. It’s almost like a living room show.
After that we’ll be playing venues like The Falcon, Town Crier, and Colony in the Hudson Valley.
I’d also love to start doing festivals — maybe even tour in a Volkswagen bus someday and sell vintage clothes at festivals to really lean into the whole ’60s experience.
The 1960s were politically turbulent. How does the band handle politics internally?
We actually leave politics at the door.
Our band reflects a wide range of views — some people lean left, some are more conservative. We know where everyone stands, but we’ve made a conscious decision to focus on the music and our relationships with each other.
The goal is to bring people together, and music can do that in a way that politics sometimes can’t.