Stars

Canadian band Stars bring together candied melodies, boy/girl vocal harmonies, chamber pop touches, and electronic undercurrents for a sound that helped define the the indie scene in the early 2000s and onward. Fine-tuned production and songwriting with a dramatic flare became Stars’ hallmarks on standout albums like 2004′s Set Yourself on Fire, and the band continued sporadically releasing new material throughout the ensuing years. In 2022, after actively evolving since those efforts, Stars released their ninth studio album, the existentially reflective From Capelton Hill.
Stars formed at the close of the ’90s when Toronto natives Chris Seligman and Torquil Campbell bonded over their fondness for sophisticated soul and pop artists like the Smiths, New Order, and Marvin Gaye. The duo recorded material that would become the first Stars album Nightsongs in New York in 1999, bringing in guest performances from future permanent vocalist Amy Millan and Metric’s Emily Haines, but existing only as a studio project at that time. Around the start of the 2000s, the band’s lineup solidified when they relocated to Montreal and started playing live. Bassist Evan Cranley and drummer Patrick McGee joined the band, Millan signed on full-time, and they began working on new material as Nightsongs was released in early 2001 on the Le Grand Magistery label. Before 2002 came to an end, the band headed back into the studio to record a sophomore effort. The soft-hued Heart was released to critical acclaim in the U.K. before Christmas; Heart appeared on the Canadian label Arts & Crafts in mid-2003. Throughout this time, the members of Stars were involved with multiple projects. Campbell was part of Memphis, a duo with his longtime friend Chris Dumont, and several Stars players also had roles in Broken Social Scene, most notably Millan, who contributed vocals to the band’s self-titled 2005 album.
In September of 2004, Stars released their ambitious and theatrical third studio album Set Yourself on Fire. It would become one of their most-loved releases and all of its tracks were creatively remixed by the band’s peers. Stars released those remixed songs on a new album, Do You Trust Your Friends?, in 2007. During July of that year, as a preemptive measure to beat any blog leaks of their next record, Stars made In Our Bedroom After the War available for download two months before its actual September release date. They also created their own label, Soft Revolution, which released the band’s next studio album, The Five Ghosts, in 2010.
After moving to the ATO label, Stars released their sixth album The North, in the summer of 2012. A more buoyant and playful collection than recent releases, the positive vibes continued two years later with the upbeat disco-influenced No One Is Lost. Led by singles “Privilege” and “We Called It Love,” Stars returned in late 2017 with There Is No Love in Fluorescent Light. In 2022 the band returned with their ninth studio album On Capelton Hill. While still musically upbeat, the album’s lyrical themes were reflective and often heavy, focusing on mortality, impermanence, and the sometimes-cruel passing of time. ~ Kenyon Hopkin