Starcrawler

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Starcrawler
Henri Cash and Arrow de Wilde performing with Starcrawler at Rock am Ring, 2018.
Background information
OriginLos Angeles
GenresPop punk,[1] rock and roll[2]
Years active2015–present
LabelsRough Trade, Big Machine
MembersArrow de Wilde
Henri Cash
Tim Franco
Seth Carolina
Bill Cash
Past members
  • Austin Smith
Websitestarcrawlermusic.com

Starcrawler is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 2015. The band consists of lead singer Arrow de Wilde, guitarist Henri Cash, bassist Tim Franco, drummer Seth Carolina, and pedal steel/guitar player Bill Cash. They have released three studio albums: Starcrawler (2018), Devour You (2019) and She Said (2022).

Starcrawler lead singer Arrow de Wilde and guitarist Henri Cash both attended Los Angeles' Grand Arts High School.[3] De Wilde is the child of photographer Autumn de Wilde and drummer Aaron Sperske.[4]

History

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Origins

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In the summer of 2015, Arrow de Wilde and Austin Smith came together to collaborate in making music. When the school year began in 2015/2016, the two decided to recruit new members, a guitarist and bassist. One day during school Wilde saw Henri Cash and asked, "You look cool, do you play guitar?" Cash was carrying a tuba at the time. Wilde later recruited bassist Tim Franco. In an interview with FY Magazine when asked about the origins of the name Starcrawler, drummer Austin Smith said, "It’s something I just came up with, random word association." Arrow added, "We got our first show booked and didn't have a name."[5][6]

2017–2018: Early period and debut album

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Starcrawler's debut 7", "Ants" / "Used To Know", was released in 2017 on red/white splatter vinyl with a picture sleeve in a limited edition of 500 copies, which sold out quickly. Starcrawler released their first 7" single from their debut album, "I Love LA" / "Castaway", on Rough Trade Records on February 16, 2018. The single features a photo of the band on the front and back labels, and comes in a pink sleeve.

In March 2018, Starcrawler performed a number of shows at the world's biggest music showcase, South By Southwest (SXSW), in Austin, Texas. Their performances gained notoriety for their energy and antics. During their final gig at SXSW, lead singer de Wilde terrorized the crowd by spitting blood in the face of a photographer, hurling attendees' personal possessions into the crowd, and firing a snot rocket into the face of another audience member.[7] Starcrawler won the Grulke Prize for Developing U.S. Act at SXSW for their performances at the festival.[8]

Starcrawler performed their singles "Love's Gone Again" and "I Love LA" live on Later With Jools Holland on May 29, 2018 before the start of their 2018 European Tour. The tour ran from May 30 to June 23 and included concerts in Spain, Luxembourg, Germany, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Austria, France and the Netherlands.[citation needed]

The band's self-titled debut album Starcrawler was released that year by Rough Trade Records on both white and black vinyl. 200 copies were also pressed on white vinyl with an alternate cover.[9]

2018–2020: Devour You

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Starcrawler released the single "Hollywood Ending" along "Tank Top" as a B-side on November 16, 2018.[10]

On February 26, 2019, Starcrawler released the second single "She Gets Around" that recalls '90s alternative rock bands like Nirvana and The Breeders with heavy power chords and Arrow's outstanding vocal performance who snarls the tune's dark lyrics in between enthusiastic growls and howls.[11]

The band contributed a cover of the Ramones song with the same title to the soundtrack of the film Pet Sematary, which was digitally released on April 5, 2019.[12]

On October 11, the band released their second studio album Devour You.[13]

2020–present: She Said

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On August 2, 2020, de Wilde stated in an Instagram post that she was sexually assaulted in a dressing room by a male stripper in January on a tour stop with The Growlers in Melbourne, Australia. She said her bandmates were locked out of the dressing room while the assault took place, and that while none of the members of The Growlers directly participated in the assault, they laughed and filmed the incident, in which she repeatedly attempted to leave but was held down. Starcrawler guitarist Henri Cash later made a statement backing up de Wilde's claims, stating that the band had tried to enter the room to no avail. Brooks Nielsen, lead singer of The Growlers, who was said to have orchestrated the incident, issued an apology on Instagram and stated that guitarist Matt Taylor had taken temporary leave despite denying the allegations.[14][15]

On October 8, Austin Smith announced his departure from the band on Instagram, citing his need for time to "[find] the joy of life with family and friends" and for a "much needed break". The band later confirmed Austin's departure, stating he was "no longer playing in Starcrawler", and that they "wish him well in the future."[16][17]

Starcrawler released their third album, She Said, on September 16, 2022 via Big Machine Records.[18]

Critical reception

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In a review in The Guardian the band was described as "Blending the sludgy, doom-laden riffs of Black Sabbath with the urgent pop-punk of The Runaways, the young LA band Starcrawler are a group whose entire DNA seems linked to the 1970s."[1]

Band members

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Current members

  • Arrow de Wilde - vocals (2015 - present)
  • Henri Cash - guitar (2015 - present)
  • Tim Franco - bass (2016 - present)
  • Seth Carolina - drums (2020 - present)
  • Bill Cash - pedal steel/guitar (2020 - present)

Former members

  • Austin Smith - drums (2015 - 2020)

Discography

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Studio albums

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Extended plays

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  • Acoustic Sessions (2023)

Singles

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  • "Ants" / "Used to Know" (2017)
  • "Let Her Be" (2017)
  • "I Love LA" / "Castaway" (2018)
  • "Love's Gone Again" (2018)
  • "Chicken Woman" (2018)
  • "Hollywood Ending" / "Tank Top" (2018)
  • "She Gets Around" (2019)
  • "Pet Sematary" (2019)
  • "Bet My Brains" (2019)
  • "No More Pennies" (2019)
  • "Lizzy" / "Bet My Brains" (“Live At Third Man”) (2020)
  • "I Need To Know" ft. Mike Campbell (2020)
  • "Roadkill" (2022)[19] No. 40 Alternative Airplay[20]
  • "She Said" (2022)
  • "Stranded" (2022)
  • "Broken Angels" (2022)
  • "Stranded (Acoustic)" (2022)
  • "Learn To Say Goodbye" (2024)

Music videos

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List of music videos, showing year released and director
Title Year Album Director(s)
"Ants" 2017 — Chris Blauvelt & Autumn de Wilde
"Let Her Be" Starcrawler J. Casey Modderno
"I Love LA" Autumn de Wilde
"Love's Gone Again" 2018
"Chicken Woman" Gilbert Trejo
"Hollywood Ending" 2019 Devour You
"She Gets Around"
"Bet My Brains" Jellyclaw
"No More Pennies" Arrow de Wilde & Jonathan King
"I Need To Know" (ft. Mike Campbell) 2020 — Gilbert Trejo
"Goodtime Girl" 2021 Dark Nights: Death Metal Soundtrack
"Roadkill" 2022 She Said
"She Said"
"Stranded"
"Learn To Say Goodbye" 2024 —

Miscellaneous musical appearances and collaborations

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  • Contributed the song "Ants" to Rough Trade Shops: Counter Culture 17 (2017).
  • Contributed the song "Pet Sematary" to Pet Sematary Soundtrack (2019).
  • Contributed the song "Let Her Be (live)" to City / Valley : a Live Recording of the Brekfest Festival (2019).
  • Featured on the track "Turn Over The World" on Perry Farrell's album The Glitz ; The Glamour Boxset (2021).
  • Contributed the song "Goodtime Girl" to Dark Nights: Death Metal Soundtrack (2021).
  • Contributed the song "If You're Gonna Be Dumb, You Gotta Be Tough" to Jackass 4.5 (2022).

Filmography

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Documentary

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  • City / Valley : A Concert Film of The Brekfest Festival (2019)
  • What Drives Us (2021)

References

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  1. ^ a b Daniel Dylan Wray. "Starcrawler review – fake blood and oral sex in faithful Sabbath homage | Music". The Guardian. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  2. ^ JAMES, FALLING (August 16, 2018). "Local Talent Gets Its Moment in the Sun at Echo Park Rising". LA Weekly. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  3. ^ Aly Comingore (August 23, 2017). "Starcrawler's Arrow De Wilde Knows How To Put On A Show". Nylon.com. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  4. ^ "Arrow de Wilde's Starcrawler dives into the L.A. Indie scene like it was born to rock". Los Angeles Times. January 31, 2018. Archived from the original on January 31, 2018.
  5. ^ "Starcrawler release debut single 'Ants' - Culture Addicts". cultureaddicts.com. Archived from the original on May 6, 2017. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  6. ^ "Is Rock Here to Stay? Catching up with Starcrawler, the Band That Will Make You Fall in Love with Rock All over Again". November 2017.
  7. ^ "Starcrawler Will Spit Blood in Your Face". Archived from the original on March 26, 2018.
  8. ^ "The 2018 SXSW Grulke Prize Winners". March 19, 2018. Archived from the original on March 19, 2018.
  9. ^ "California Sounds: Fresh L.A. Rock from Starcrawler, a jazz-funk breakdown by Knower and John Tejada's new music with Reggie Watts". Los Angeles Times. January 15, 2018. Archived from the original on January 15, 2018.
  10. ^ "Listen: Starcrawler – 'Hollywood Ending' / 'Tank Top'". Remote Control Records. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
  11. ^ "Starcrawler drop explosive power anthem She Gets Around: Stream". Consequence of Sound. February 26, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
  12. ^ "Starcrawler cover 'Pet Sematary' for film soundtrack". DIY. April 5, 2019. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  13. ^ "Starcrawler's New Album 'Devour You' Is Made Of Blood, Sweat & Physical Injuries". Aupium. October 11, 2019. Retrieved October 11, 2019.
  14. ^ Bloom, Madison (July 31, 2020). "Starcrawler's Arrow de Wilde Accuses the Growlers of Facilitating Sexual Assault, Band "Takes Full Responsibility"". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  15. ^ "Starcrawler's Arrow de Wilde says the Growlers filmed male stripper sexually assaulting her". Los Angeles Times. August 1, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  16. ^ "Âustin on Instagram: "Dear Starcrawler Friends and Family, I'd like to thank all the fans, my friends, and family for your support over the years. It's been an incredible journey. One I will never forget. Thank you for letting me do what I love and play drums for you all. I will no longer be performing with Starcrawler. I know 2020 has been a hard year for us all. I've decided to take time off to focus on finding the joy of life with friends and family and take a much needed break during these difficult times to rediscover my love for music. I am beyond grateful for the unforgettable experiences and all the kind and wonderful people I have connected with during my years with Starcrawler! I am excited to see what the future holds and look forward to reconnecting soon. ❤️ 📷: @atibaphoto"". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 25, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  17. ^ "STARCRAWLER on Instagram". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 25, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  18. ^ BIG MACHINE RECORDS SIGNS AMERICAN ROCK BAND STARCRAWLER
  19. ^ "Future Releases on Alternative Radio Stations". AllAccess. Archived from the original on June 6, 2022. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
  20. ^ "Alternative Airplay - Week of August 20, 2022". Billboard. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
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