Starcrawler
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.[4] De Wilde is the child of photographer Autumn de Wilde and drummer Aaron Sperske.[5] HistoryOriginsIn 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."[6][7] 2017–2018: Early period and debut albumStarcrawler'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.[8] Starcrawler won the Grulke Prize for Developing U.S. Act at SXSW for their performances at the festival.[9] 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.[10] 2018–2020: Devour YouStarcrawler released the single "Hollywood Ending" along "Tank Top" as a B-side on November 16, 2018.[11] 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.[12] 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.[13] On October 11, the band released their second studio album Devour You.[14] 2020–present: She SaidOn 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.[15][16] 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."[17][18] Starcrawler released their third album, She Said, on September 16, 2022 via Big Machine Records.[19] Critical receptionIn 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."[2] Band membersCurrent members
Former members
DiscographyStudio albums
Extended plays
Singles
Music videos
Miscellaneous musical appearances and collaborations
FilmographyDocumentary
References
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