Rock’n’roll is back and its no longer your father’s macho misogynist metal. We caught up Rough Trade’s new up and coming secret Starcrawler before their Paris gig at Les Bains, better known for their fashion week parties, but boy, was Paris ready to rock. Fronted by Arrow de Wilde taking the stage in bedazzled briefs and ending with fake blood by the mouth, proving that some bands are worth catching live. Formed in summer of 2015, they already made headlines earlier this year having been hand-picked to play the CalJam Festival in LA by curator Dave Grohl before playing Desert Daze.
Their soon-to-be-announced full-length debut album will be released in early 2018 and was recorded by Ryan Adams on analogue tape. Starcrawler is quickly taking the position as heirs to rock, they don’t call them rock stars and royalty for no reason. Read what lead vocals Arrow de Wilde (father is drummer Aaron Sperske, formerly of Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti), guitarist Henri Cash, drummer Austin Smith and bassist Tim Franco had to say to Fucking Young.
Starcrawler sounds so glam and goth. Where did the name come from?
Austin: Its something I just made up, random word association.
Arrow: We got our first show booked and didn’t have a name.
Austin: We were like, give us two days and we will make one up.
Arrow, your mother is Autumn de Wilde, a famed photographer of musicians and designers like Elliott Smith and the Mulleavy sisters of Rodarte, and is credited on the video of Ants.
Arrow: We didn’t really think it would be a music video. She was like “my friend has a camera and wants to film some of your set just for fun.” We needed a video for ants and ended up using some of the footage for that.
So is she a proud mom?
Arrow: Yeah.
Your big radio break came when Elton John played you on his BBC show Beats One. How was your reaction?
Austin: It was cool! We were all sitting around streaming it. A very gratifying feeling, someone like Elton John is listening to our music and felt compelled enough to play it.
Teen Vogue stated on their recent piece on you that “Metal isn’t dead. “ Agreed?
Arrow: People are craving it a lot all over. If we didn’t have any attention, maybe it would be because rock is or dead or we just suck. I think people are getting tired to whatever they have been listening to the last couple of years.
Maybe everyone wants to scream! Finally, loud rock! You guys are all fucking young. I’m a good decade before, has it changed since I was at school?
Austin: It’s the same, only difference is we have the internet. You can do more research, access to music.
Arrow: Being exposed to more is a good and bad thing I think.
Austin: I actually enjoy living in this time. I don’t feel nostalgic wishing I was living in a different era. Its pretty great to be living now.
The biggest difference for me, is I’m one of those people that listens to an album from beginning to end, not a big singles fan, more into B-sides. Henri and Arrow just graduated High School. It seems pretty Hannah Montana to go to class and then play gigs.
Arrow: I like Hannah Montana. We went on one small tour my senior year and had to talk to everyone at school to get some time off, because public school is pretty strict surprisingly, especially in your graduating year. I didn’t have that much homework.
I hated high school, that’s probably why I ran away to Paris. Did you like it?
Arrow: No.
Starcrawler has its roots in Echo Park where you went to high school. Has Los Angeles had any influence on your sound?
Arrow: I think growing up in such a musical city has already inspired us in many ways. A lot of people talk about the light in Los Angeles, our senses could also be different because of all of the smog, but it creates this pink type of sunset, I think John Waters talked about it before.
I’ve talked to bands from New York who said they found L.A. depressing because it felt more isolating than a compact city.
Austin: That’s so sad!
Arrow: I find New York depressing. In the summer they leave the trash bags out and it stinks up the whole city. If you are used to condensed cities I can understand, but L.A. is spread out with nature in between.
How do you find Paris?
Arrow: I like Paris and Europe in general because it is much older. There are old churches, castles and shit. We have a lot of fun walking around.
What role does fashion play for all of you guys? Music can be so visual.
Arrow: I like to wear clothes. I come up with costume ideas and stuff, but I don’t like to advertise anyone’s brands. I really like some designers and wear some designer clothing but with music, I don’t see why its necessary to have to walk runway. Its not rock’n’roll at all to advertise someone. Seems to be contradicting the whole thing, that’s just my take on it.
Where do you guys like to shop?
All: Thrift stores, vintage.
