Music

‘Starlings have a skill for mimicking the sounds of their setting and time’: We talk to Starling

Look Down B&W

Starling. What a great name. How did you decide on it?

Vanessa: When we first started writing the songs, our luxurious view was a gutter of an old building, but it’s where all the starling’s seemed to like to hang our and bathe. So we stared at a lot of starlings when we were finding our sound, but also, as soon as we heard that starlings have a skill for mimicking the sounds of their setting and time. I like that they’re most dazzling when they flock together in a murmur – their edge and strength is in unity. I like that.

We hear you are friends with a shared musical passion. How did you decide it was time to start a band?

Dan: It was the songs actually, we knew each other before but when we had a new flurry of songs that didn’t suit any other outfit we thought we’d try them out together.

What sounds do you each bring to the table?

Dan: I can’t help but be rock, Vanessa comes from a film music background, Sol is omni-genre and Craig comes from bag-pipe music.

Which band is most revered by you as a group?

Dan: As a group we might have to fight over this one, for me it would be anyone with a lasting influence – which is evidence that they’ve made good art. So the obvious one would be the Beatles but any band that people still listen to 10 years later.

Who has the biggest guilty pleasure in their record collection?

Vanessa: I’m out of the closet with this one – Michael Bolton gives me chills. The boys are too cool to admit that they listen to their West End musical records every morning. Jazz hand exercise.

You have a shared dream – what do you need to do to achieve it?

Dan: All we need now is for people to listen to our music as we’ve found each other, we’ve put our music on tape now all we need is for people to hear it. Although, a world tour would be a nice cherry on the top.

The new single is Lights – what’s it all about?

Dan: Dan: It’s all about how when the s**t hits the fan you know who your friends are.

Do you get more of a kick from composition or live performance?

Dan: That’s a tough one, because we love writing but then love communicating with people and meeting people. For me, it would probably be live shows.

Vanessa: It’s always composition for me, it was my first love and a hard one to forget.

Lastly, tell us one thing nobody else knows about you…

Dan: I’m a tidy freak, I can only work in complete order or be perpetually distracted.

Vanessa: In primary school I used to steal paint from the art room to fill the sinks with coloured water. I was the mystery sink colourer and never got found.

www.starlingband.co.uk

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