Starbenders has just released one of the best albums of the year and we couldn’t be more proud of them. “Take Back The Night” gives all hard rockers a chance to remember what it’s like to listen to a wonderfully produced album like the ones that came out in the 70s and 80s. Starbenders invites you to…Take Back The Night. Will you follow them? Let’s see what singer Kimi Shelter had to say…
Interview: Sakis Nikas
Rockpages.gr: Kimi, new album and a new chapter for Starbenders. First of all, let me tell you that this is your best work so far…I totally mean it! How long did it take to write and record “Take Back The Night?
Kimi Shelter: The creative was pretty quick! Over the course of a year we put together the songs themselves. It’s the other side that takes forever; logistics, visuals.. the business shit.
Rockpages.gr: The first video from “Take Back The Night” was the excellent and at the same time moody “We’re Not OK”. Why did you choose this one as the first sample of your new record?
Kimi Shelter: We were able to identify that the song is an important part of the story that the record tells. We wanted to set up all the twists and turns without giving away the ending, which is what a song like “we’re not ok” can do.
Rockpages.gr: By far, my favorite cut on the album is the opening song “The Game” which features an impressive guitar solo by Kriss. Would you like to tell us a few things about the song?
Kimi Shelter: This song was definitely a really high bar. I wanted to write an arena rock song that had the potential of reaching people outside of our genre and fanbase etc. it was really fun to just go for it!
Rockpages.gr: One of my all-time favorite albums is “Trash” by Alice Cooper. So, you can imagine my surprise when I saw that you did a version of “Poison”. How did you end up covering Alice and were there any other cover songs on the table for possible inclusion?
Kimi Shelter: We’re huge fans of Desmond Child as a writer, so this song seemed like a very challenging task to take on. Our producer felt that we’re one of the few bands who could even come close to pulling it off so we took a crack at it! The song structure and vocal progressions are such high level, we had a blast trying to fly with the eagles.
Rockpages.gr: Another highlight that really captures the essence of the album and Starbenders is the song “Marianne”. Although the album has many things and sonic elements to offer, I truly believe that this is quite representative of the album. What’s your opinion?
Kimi Shelter: I love this song, it’s just so classic. It sounds like something that’d be playing on FM radio in the 70’s or down at the roller skating rink. I wanted to touch on the innocence and power that the solid gold hits of that time had.
Rockpages.gr: I had heard of you through the past decade but the first time that I really got in touch with the heart and soul of Starbenders was when I saw you live on stage in Athens, Greece. What do you remember from that live experience?
Kimi Shelter: It was such a dream come true. I’m from a small town in Georgia, so the thought of being on a stage in Greece was super surreal. I’ve also been unofficially adopted in my adult life by a Greek family, so getting to see and play for family members was really special. The people are like no other and I felt a lot of pride to be welcomed by them.
Rockpages.gr: You are one of the very few new bands that pay real attention to the production value of an album. All the sonic details are well-crafted and presented. At the same time, you an absolute juggernaut on stage. As an artist, what do you prefer more…the artistic freedom of the studio or the live interaction with your fans?
Kimi Shelter: I love the studio. Seeing the songs come to life and made flesh is very exciting and satisfying. Live performance is another monster, it’s more polished if you will. In the studio I feel a little more freedom, but getting to play for fans is also an untouchable and vital part of what we do. Then you get so see the music move through other people’s hearts and minds, which I personally love. Letting go of the meaning I put into songs is so cathartic. I can pass it off to the listeners and fans to attach their own meaning and use.
Rockpages.gr: I grew up in the 80s when hard rock music reigned supreme and the vast majority of my favorite bands come from the States or have a US-style of sound. How’s the current music scene in Atlanta, Georgia?
Kimi Shelter: I honestly couldn’t say, we’ve become pretty detached to the scene here. However, Georgia is very well known for a lot of influential music. Ray Charles, Little Richard and Otis Redding alongside The Allman Brothers and REM to name a few.
Rockpages.gr: How you would describe your style? I am asking because you combine many elements from the rock, punk, new wave scene. By the way, what’s your main influence as an artist?
Kimi Shelter: My main influence is the music itself and the source. It feels limitless and as if I haven’t stumbled upon all the magic that there is to be found quite yet.
My style is based on what I consider to be the best pieces of the past funneled through the body of a piscean middle child who happens to front a rock band in 2023.
Rockpages.gr: The (in)famous desert island question: what are the 3 records that you would take with you on an abandoned island?
Kimi Shelter: David Bowie – The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, The Beatles – White Album, Depeche Mode – Violator
