Starcrawler

Starcrawler emerged in Los Angeles during 2015, forging a raw yet theatrical style that fused the punk and hard-rock edge of local predecessors the Runaways with the outrageous stage presence once associated with Black Sabbath. Their approach relied on gritty guitar riffs, melodies laced with glam-derived bravado even when cast in minor keys, and a pounding rhythmic foundation that defined the self-titled debut issued by Rough Trade in January 2018. The follow-up, Devour You, arrived in October 2019 under Nick Launay’s guidance and delivered a denser, more forceful attack wrapped in a shinier production sheen. By the time She Said surfaced in 2022 on Big Machine Records, the lineup had grown to five players, yielding a more concise and melodically direct collection produced by Tyler Bates.

The group’s origins trace to Grand Arts High School, where Arrow de Wilde crossed paths with Henri Cash, who invited her into the project he had already begun with Austin Smith. As the daughter of musician Aaron Sperske, known for his work with Beachwood Sparks and Ariel Pink, and photographer Autumn de Wilde, she had already modeled for Teen Vogue and appeared in a Bleachers video directed by Lena Dunham. Taking the frontwoman role alongside Cash on guitar and Smith on drums, the trio cut the first single, “Ants,” soon after which Tim Franco joined on bass; Elton John then championed the track on his Beats 1 program.

Cash and de Wilde quickly assumed primary songwriting duties, and the band logged countless shows across Los Angeles while supporting psych-rock revivalists the Lemon Twigs. Their live sets became notorious for exaggerated theatricality: de Wilde frequently drenched herself in stage blood in tribute to Ozzy Osbourne and sometimes performed in a hospital gown or straitjacket. During an in-store appearance at Amoeba Music the group met Beck’s ten-year-old daughter Tuesday, who later graced the cover of the debut album wearing a blood-stained dress. Throughout 2017 they maintained a rigorous touring schedule that included the Foo Fighters’ Cal Jam in San Bernardino, Echo Park Rising in Los Angeles, and the Joshua Tree Happening Desert Daze. These performances caught the attention of Ryan Adams, who captured the band’s first album on analog tape at his Pax-Am Studio.

Following extensive runs through North America, Europe, and the United Kingdom, Starcrawler returned to the studio for their second release. In October 2020 they issued a limited-edition live-to-tape single, “Lizzy” b/w “Bet My Brains,” recorded at Third Man Records in Nashville. That same month drummer Austin Smith departed; the group expanded to a quintet by adding drummer Seth Carolina and Bill Cash, who handled both guitar and pedal steel. Their contribution “Goodtime Girl” appeared on the 2021 soundtrack album tied to DC’s Dark Nights: Death Metal comic series. The third full-length, She Said, completed the next chapter in 2022.