Stars

Biography

Stars is a Canadian indie pop/rock band based in Montreal, Quebec. Since forming in 2000, they have released nine albums and a number of EPs. Their music has been nominated for two Juno Awards and two Polaris Music Prizes.

History

All members of Stars grew up in Toronto, Ontario. Torquil Campbell and Christopher Seligman recorded the first Stars album Nightsongs×Nightsongs27 February 2001 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracksA1– Counting Stars On The Ceiling4:13A2– My Radio (AM Mix)4:20A3– Going, Going, Gone4:29A4– This Charming Man2:42B1– On Peak Hill3:35B2– International Rock Star3:08B3– The Very Thing3:26B4– Write What You Know3:19C1– Tru3:35C2– Better Be Heaven3:34C3– Liar4:31C4– Tonight3:35D1– Toxic Holiday3:41D2– My Radio (FM Mix)3:51D3– Friend's Father's Mother3:48D4– Angeline5:41 in New York in 1999. When they began to do live shows, they called in Evan Cranley, a childhood friend, to play bass. Cranley then recruited Amy Millan to be part of the band.
After a short stint in New York, the four musicians moved to Montreal and began to work on the second full-length album, Heart×Heart2002 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1What the Snowman Learned About Love5:162Elevator Love Letter4:033Heart5:564The Woods2:455Death to Death4:066The Vanishing4:377Romantic Comedy4:208Time Can Never Kill the True Heart4:599Look Up4:1810Life Effect3:1511Don’t Be Afraid to Sing4:24. In Montreal, they met Patrick McGee, who became their drummer. Heart was released on the new label Arts&Crafts, which also hosted their friends Broken Social Scene. While on their first North American tour together, Stars and Broken Social Scene shared and swapped members on a nightly basis. Heart appeared on the !earshot National Top 50 chart in March 2003, and won critical acclaim.
Stars rented a house in the Eastern Townships in the middle of winter. For a month and a half, the five of them lived together and wrote Set Yourself on Fire. It was recorded at Studio Plateau in Montreal and was produced by the band and Tom McFall. The record received good reviews, and, along with the band's live performances, established them on the national indie rock scene in Canada.
Stars have cited a wide variety of musical influences ranging from Berlioz to Outkast, citing among others Paddy McAloon, New Order, The Smiths, Brian Wilson, and Momus. They covered The Smiths' "This Charming Man" on 2001's Nightsongs and The Pogues' "Fairytale of New York×Fairytale of New York9 December 2005 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Fairytale of New York6:13" in 2005. Other indie artists have been guest collaborators on many of their tracks, especially for an early period including the release of their first LP.
Anticipating that their album In Our Bedroom After the War×In Our Bedroom After the War10 July 2007 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1The Beginning After the End2:202The Night Starts Here4:533Take Me to the Riot3:484My Favourite Book4:055Midnight Coward3:456The Ghost of Genova Heights4:367Personal4:078Barricade3:519Window Bird4:4410Bitches in Tokyo2:5011Life 2: The Unhappy Ending4:1612Today Will Be Better, I Swear!5:4913In Our Bedroom After the War6:47 would leak at some point between the final mixing and the official release, Stars was one of the first bands to make their album available in digital form the day after it was completed on July 10, 2007. The CD release included a bonus DVD, a film called Are We Here Now, consisting of interviews with the band and the band's close friends as well as live performances around the globe; it was directed by Anthony Seck.
Meanwhile, Campbell was also an active member of the band Memphis. Millan has released two solo albums, Honey from the Tombs in 2006 and Masters of the Burial in 2009.
On September 1, 2008, the band released the EP Sad Robots.
Their single "Celebration Guns" is the title song for the television series ZOS: Zone of Separation and was provided for free as part of a collaboration with Moms Against Climate Change.
Stars have covered the Smiths' "Asleep" for American Laundromat Records' charity CD Sing Me to Sleep – Indie Lullabies. The CD was released worldwide in May 2010.
In June 2010, the band released their fifth studio album, The Five Ghosts×The Five Ghosts21 June 2010 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Dead Hearts3:292Wasted Daylight3:433I Died So I Could Haunt You3:044Fixed3:265We Don't Want Your Body3:256He Dreams He's Awake4:047Changes4:138The Passenger4:179The Last Song Ever Written3:1710How Much More2:5611Winter Bones3:00. In Canada, the album was released via Soft Revolution, the band's own new label. It has been distributed worldwide via Vagrant Records.
The band's sixth studio album, The North×The North4 September 2012 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1The Theory of Relativity4:272Backlines2:123The North4:524Hold On When You Get Love and Let Go When You Give It4:395Through the Mines4:116Do You Want to Die Together?3:127Lights Changing Colour3:078The Loose Ends Will Make Knots2:329A Song Is a Weapon3:1210Progress3:5011The 4003:2812Walls4:17, was released on September 4, 2012, via ATO Records. It was promoted by offering a free download of the first single "The Theory of Relativity" in exchange for signing up for the band's official e-mail list.
Stars performed at the 2013 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival as well as the Field Trip Arts & Crafts Music Festival, celebrating the tenth anniversary of their label Arts & Crafts Productions.
The band released their seventh album, No One Is Lost×No One Is Lost14 October 2014 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1From the Night6:292This Is the Last Time2:463You Keep Coming Up4:044Turn It Up4:325No Better Place4:226What Is to Be Done?5:187Trap Door4:388Are You OK?4:029A Stranger3:2610Look Away4:1311No One Is Lost4:45, in October 2014. Chris McCarron, formerly of Land of Talk, officially joined the band as the lead guitarist; he had previously contributed to The North and toured with the band.
Stars were on the line-up for the WayHome festival in the summer of 2016, north of Toronto.
On January 1, 2017, the band was part of CBC's The Strombo Show's Hip 30. Various Canadian bands covered songs from The Tragically Hip to commemorate the Hip's 30th anniversary.
Stars released their eighth album, There Is No Love in Fluorescent Light×There Is No Love in Fluorescent Light13 October 2017 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Privilege4:272Fluorescent Light3:483Losing to You6:214Hope Avenue3:155Alone5:066We Called It Love3:557Real Thing3:348The Gift of Love3:339On the Hills4:0610The Maze4:5911California, I Love That Name3:4112Wanderers4:01, produced by Peter Katis, on October 13, 2017, on Last Gang Records worldwide.

Musical style and influence

Stars' music has been described as "beautiful, eloquent indie pop", characterized by lush instrumentation, nimble production and mixing, narrative lyrics, and soft but nuanced vocals. The band's style has evolved from an electronic-pop sound as heard on Nightsongs (released on Le Grand Magistery record label) to more rock-based instrumentation on their following three full-length albums, reflecting the permanent additions of singer-guitarist Amy Millan and bassist Evan Cranley on Heart (released on Paper Bag Records), and eventually drummer Patrick McGee on Set Yourself on Fire.
Their songs have been featured on Queer as Folk, Alias, The O.C., Warehouse 13, Degrassi: The Next Generation, Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill, The Vampire Diaries, Skins, Continuum, Chuck, One Week, indie film Tanner Hall (2009), Studio C, and the 2011 film Like Crazy. Their music is also featured in the software-based artwork I Want You to Want Me (2007), by American artist Jonathan Harris.

Band members

Torquil Campbell – lead vocals, synthesizer, melodica (2000–present)
Chris Seligman – keyboards, French horn, backing vocals (2000–present)
Evan Cranley – bass, guitar, backing vocals (2000–present)
Amy Millan – lead vocals, keyboards, guitar (2000–present)
Pat McGee – drums, percussion (2003–present)
Chris McCarron – guitar (2014–present)

Juno nominations

Stars have received two Juno nominations throughout their career:

Polaris Music Prizes

The band has received two Polaris nominations:

Television appearances

Live! At the Rehearsal Hall
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon