WildeStarr having been formed in 2003, releasing a few albums to their namesake, with a third underway entitled "Beyond The Rain". This trio of musicians have got plans to discuss this album to the fullest content possible. A few of the members London Wilde vocalist/keyboardist and Dave Starr guitarist/bassist goes into discussion about said release.
1. What role do you play in the band?
Dave: All Guitars and bass, and I write the guitar/bass music
London: I am the lead singer. I sing and write the lyrics and melodies. I am also the sound engineer. I record and mix the music. I also play keyboards if the song requires them.
2. Why did you guys end up with a name like WildeStarr for your band's name?
Dave: Seemed to fit since its a mix of both of our names! Definitely an original sounding band name!
London: WildeStarr is a combination of our last names. When Dave and I were first engaged, my
friends were teasing me that if I hyphenate my married name it would be Wilde-Starr. Dave took a liking to it, and wanted to use it as our band name, but without the hyphen. I honestly thought
It was a dumb idea at the time, but I like it now.
3. What has influenced your sound and style?
Dave: For me, I'm a child of the 60's and 70"s, most of my influences are from those years and the 80's as well. If I had to narrow it down to 3 bands, I would say KISS, Thin Lizzy, and Judas Priest.
London: I am influenced by the melodic power singers of the late 70’s. I do use a lot of vocal harmonies when I record and write. When I am recording the harmonies, I hear bands like The Mamas and the Papas, maybe a little ELO and Queen in my head at times. Those are sounds that have stuck with me growing up. They seem so warm and inviting to me.
4.What are your songs about? (What specific themes do they cover?)
London: This record is loosely of my version of a rock opera; I’m telling the life story and emotional journey of my brother who committed suicide in his rehearsal studio in Hollywood in 2012. He was a gifted guitarist, and musician, and it hit me very hard. We both struggled to overcome our rough childhoods, and constant disappointments that come along with the job of trying to stand out in the music business. It was staggering for me to have him finally give up on his dreams, after so many years of us sharing our hopes and overcoming so much. I was able to piece together in great detail his thoughts and the key incidents that drove him in his last months, days, and hours because I was the first on the scene and had access to his extensive personal journals. I wanted to include him on this record, not just his story, but elements that I thought he would like musically. I guess it was my way of saying to him “I understand!” Strangely, he kind of became the 4th member of the band in spirit. Both Dave and Josh were coming into the studio with ideas that were not typical of themselves, and sounded eerily like my bother…We all felt he was indeed being a part of this record in some way. The first part of the record deals with the rise of the passion for the guitar, and is intentionally slightly more simple and “open” sounding with a hint of 70’s vibe, because it represents the era of our youth. The second half of the album gets more dark and complex musically, as the story progresses to later years, and the actual suicide and beyond. It conveys the personal interaction myself and others had with him after death as well. The song ends with a positive message of love and hope. I never like tragedies, I am a happy ending kind of person.
5. Do you write your own songs? (Discuss the songwriting process in detail.)
Dave: Yes! All we do is original music.The only time we have played a song from another band, was "Neon Knights" from Black Sabbath. That was the Japan bonus track on our last CD "A tell tale Heart". As for song wring... I start by writing music on the guitar, and when I have a rough idea for a song layout, I show it to London and let her do her thing. We will usually go back and forth until its just right.
London: The way we work is Dave writes the music on the guitar, and I record a demo version of the raw guitar tracks. Using that as a reference, our drummer Josh Foster starts working on drum ideas, and I start working on the lyrics and melody. Then we tweek the arrangement if necessary, and final track the song starting with drums, then guitars, bass, and finally vocals.
6. How do you describe your music to people?
Dave: Power, energy, aggression, and passion
London: I usually just call it melodic metal.
7. Why did you think that the title track "Beyond The Rain", would make a good enough single and video choice for this album release?
London: The title track “Beyond The Rain” most captures who we are as a band. It has power, drive, and nice hooks as well as layers of complexity and sophistication in that there are a lot of guitar and vocal harmonies. It has a “layered” wall of sound quality which is kind of a trademark for us. There are other songs on the album that get a little simpler, and some are more complex. The title track just had a good balance.
8. "Beyond The Rain', received the lyrical video format, when released why go this direction, what makes lyrical videos so appealing nowadays?
Dave: For one reason, its gets the message across and at a fraction of the time and cost of a regular video.London: I think people like to know what the singer is saying. Since we as humans communicate with words, I think it makes more of an impression to be able to follow the lines while listening to the song.
9. Can you tell me something about the album that gives us a reason to hear it, once it is released upon the masses?
London: If you want to know what 3 experienced songwriters and technically proficient musicians sound like playing with a mysterious ghostly 4th member’s influence, after spending 4 years crafting the best music they can muster, then I think it’s worth a listen!
Dave: For those who have followed over the last 8 years, I think they will love the new album. It show our progression and growth as artists. For those who are new to us.... welcome aboard!
10. What is your favorite and least favorite song off "Beyond The Rain"?
Dave: Hard to pick one favorite, but I really love "When The Night Falls". Least favorite?? I don't think that's a fair question at this time. When I look back on this album 5 years from now... ask me then!
London: My favorite track on “Beyond The Rain” is “Down Cold”. I am most proud of the vocal performance on that one, because when I listen back to it, it moves me emotionally. I also really like the retro late 70’s kind of harmonies in the chorus, which was intentional. It gives me a pleasant feeling of nostalgia. My least favorite track is probably the instrumental Metamorphose…only because it’s short, and I had the least time with it. All the other tracks are like my babies, so much time has been devoted over the 4 years we took to complete this recording.
11. What can people who have never heard of WildeStarr before expect when listening to "Beyond The Rain"?
Dave: Intense, well thought out music. Great vocals and melodies.
London: We are not a timid sounding band, the word “In your face” sometimes comes to mind! I think the listener can expect a great disk to play in the car, get you moving and rocking, or play with a set of great headphones, and get you thinking and feeling. I think it translates to any level of engagement the listener requires.
12. What do you have planned between now into this next year?
Dave: Doing lots of press for the new CD. I'm always writing new music, so that continues... it never ends!
London: We usually have a busy period of interviews, both radio and print, just after a new release, so we will be focusing on that. We have talked about possibly doing another video for the release in December, but nothing is certain.
www.wildestarr.com
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