STARS - an interview with the band

By: Sarah Youngson | July 06, 2010 | Music

STARS – Fixed (From The Five Ghosts, 2010)

On June 22 and 23, STARS, the contagious indie-pop quintet, played a set of back-to-back sold out shows at the Troubadour. In celebration of their latest album, The Five Ghosts (released June 22nd), the group returned to LA, the place that arguably gave the kick-start to their current cult-like status as indie favorites. It was ten years ago that the band visited the Santa Monica station KCRW, whose radio show Morning Becomes Eclectic first harnessed interest in STARS’ Nightsongs through their influence on the airwaves. Eight releases later, and the band has accumulated a diverse and dedicated fan base, and was ready to go in a bit of a different direction with The Five Ghosts, their latest album.
The Five Ghosts, unlike their other releases, includes tracks with more of an upbeat, dance-oriented feel, sounding less orchestral than their previous albums, like their critically acclaimed Set Yourself on Fire. In the same vein as other STARS releases are Amy Millan and Torquil Campbell’s unmistakably charming vocals, and their emotionally charged lyrics that continue to play on the common themes of love and death.
STARS, (who are also all members of Canadian indie music collective Broken Social Scene) are currently on an extensive international tour. Malibu Mag got a chance to speak with Evan Cranley from the band, about their LA shows and their recent release.

An Interview with Evan Cranley:

MM: You just released your latest album, The Five Ghosts, and it seems like there’s much more of a dance-y feel, definitely more so than on your other records, so I just had to ask, did you plan to go in that direction, from the get-go?

EC: Yeah, and I think every time we do a record it’s a pretty conscious decision as to which direction we’re going to go. I really wanted to push the synthesis on this one.
Instrumentally, it’s a little more pared-down… it’s a little colder, not as much orchestration, but I found with the other records before this one, we had explored that already. I have a fear of making the same record over and over again. I think that’s important for a band that’s been around for 10 years to challenge yourself…

MM: Definitely, and it sounds great. About the title you chose, The Five Ghosts, what sort of significance does this have to the record, and to the band?

EC: Well I think if you asked everyone else in the band, they would all have a different take on it. Mine… What comes to mind is when the person that you used to know becomes a ghost, and they almost evaporate into the ether. I find it fascinating how you can have such a close, personal relationship with something or someone and have them disappear, like they didn’t exist. For me, it’s kind of an idea of the living ghosts. Everyone has their own take on it, though. We write from experience, as a band, so we all have our own views.

MM: Definitely…Your tour, obviously, has been a great success so far. You’ve played sold out shows in Seattle, San Francisco, and then recently two nights in a row at the Troubadour in Los Angeles. Can you tell me a little bit about your experience on tour?

EC: Sure, it’s been the most unique experience the band has ever had, because we decided to play our first record in its entirety as our first set of the evening. Essentially, it’s like we leaked it… live. It was a challenge for us, and hopefully it was a challenge for our audience to music they’ve never heard before. So, it was incredibly gratifying because the people in the audience were really excited to hear the material, and responded so well. I could easily say it was one of the best tours we’ve ever done.

MM: I know a lot of fans were really excited to hear the record, and to hear it in it’s entirety… It’s refreshing, when so much of the way we listen to music these days is in bits and pieces, MP3’s from the internet… Also, we understand that you have a special connection to KCRW – the radio station in Los Angeles… What’s the history there?

EC: There’s actually a story there, because Nic Harcourt, who was the host of KCRW (Morning Becomes Eclectic), really liked our record, Nightsong, and championed us in LA, and played us on the air, like 10 years ago. LA was one of the first cities to come along and really embrace us as a band. LA, Seattle, Toronto, were all at the forefront of helping us break through. What can I say? Nic Harcourt helped give us a break, and actually played stuff that he discovered on his own, and played it on his show. Nic Harcourt has a huge history with the band. I love the show, and love what he’s done for the band… It’s real radio, you know? We want to support real radio. Nic Harcourt, Arianna Morgenstern, Morning Becomes Eclectic… They took a chance on us, and you rarely see that - radio hosts, and dj’s championing something they love.

MM: Right, and people definitely look up to their opinions on the show, as a real taste-making force, so that’s great… So, you guys have been touring for a while now. What are some of the best, or strangest moments that you’ve experienced on tour?

EC: Every night was kind of weird because we were playing music that no one had ever heard before. Usually when fans come to your shows, they’re expecting to hear songs that they like. So the strangest part of it was just involving ourselves in this world that we’d created for onstage and people in the audience. Every night was kind of bizarre! When you’re talking about ghosts, and death, the life after, and personalities evaporating, every night is kind of weird.

MM: I know that you’re playing Montreal soon… How do you feel about playing in your hometown?

EC: I’ve been here for ten years now, so it feels like my hometown. I’ve bought a house here, I have a community here. The city still inspires me, and it has from the first day I moved here. I still draw a lot from the city, creatively, and with my community of friends. It’s one of those special cities. There’s nothing else like it. If I don’t feel the city anymore, if it becomes uninspiring to me, and not a place that I draw from, I’ll look for a different experience. But I just love it here so much.

MM: So what are your plans for the future, then, after you finish touring?

EC: Hm… Well, I’d love to put out another record next year. I would love to try to not wait three years… That would be good for us. If we put something out for November 2011, I’d be thrilled. It’s kind of a pipe dream… I’ll just continue to write and record music for Stars. That’s what I want to do. There’s not really much time off. When people like you, you have to get out there, and try and embrace that moment as much as possible. When people don’t like us anymore, and that’s all said and done, then we’ll stop doing it. But we’ve got to keep going right now. My answer is, that I’ll go back, pay with the band, and make another record as soon as possible, so basically not stopping what I’m doing.

MM: So yeah, as long as you keep working with new sounds and trying new things, it stays exciting, and people remain interested.

EC: I’m grateful, because we’ve finally found people that really love this band. We have really dedicated people. I think that people who love Stars really love the band. I’m just grateful because I think it took us a long time to find our audience. We’ve finally found it, and now we don’t want to let go of it!

Check out the latest happenings with STARS on the web:

http://www.myspace.com/stars
http://www.youarestars.com