Star & Micey

Josh Cosby, the lead singer of Star & Micey, has described Star as a homeless individual in Memphis who once performed a tune for him honoring his fiancée Micey. The Memphis-rooted ensemble—Cosby together with Nick Redmond, Geoff Smith, Jessie Munson, Jeremy Stanfill, and Adam Woodard—produces charming, upbeat pop songs colored by antique textures, taking cues as much from indie groups fond of nautical chants, such as the Decemberists, as from bluegrass ensembles like Freakwater and Nickel Creek. Foundations for the band lie in the longstanding connection between bassist Smith and Cosby, two musicians based in Nashville, Tennessee. They formed a tight friendship while still young teenagers and started writing material jointly during high school. Star & Micey took shape once Cosby handed a demo CD-R to Redmond, who served as a sound engineer at Nashville’s Ardent Records. The recording resulted in Redmond’s entry into the new group as well as a recording agreement with Ardent. Their first full-length album, issued under the band’s name, appeared in fall 2009, prompting the original trio to undertake an extensive trek across the United States. After returning to Memphis, the lineup grew to include drummer Stanfill, accordionist Woodard, and violinist Munson. In 2010 the band issued the singles “12 Days of Memphis” and “Crazy Jean,” followed the next year by the single “Back to the Night.” Two years after that, Ardent released the EP I Can't Wait. Early in 2016 the group delivered the album Get 'Em Next Time on Single Lock Records.