Biography
In 2012, guitarist Scott Hibbits and bassist/singer Loren Vanderbilt launched the Chicago-based indie pop group Star Tropics. An unexpected meeting over a scarce Smiths B-side sparked their partnership, leading the pair to begin joint recordings that started with a drum machine before they expanded the lineup by adding singer/guitarist Nikki Navarro and drummer Dan Julien. Echoing late-'80s college rock and dream pop, the quartet issued their first release, the 2013 single "By My Side/Tempest." The 2015 follow-up "Summer Rain/Swept Away" caught the ear of the well-regarded San Francisco imprint Shelflife Records. Drawing on classic boy/girl harmonies and ringing, atmospheric guitars, Star Tropics unveiled their debut full-length, Lost World, during summer 2017.