With a video dropping earlier this month for their newest single, “Be Careful What You Wish For”, The Stars Revolt are well on their way to releasing their debut self-titled EP on the 18th of May. Here at Moshville Times, we managed to have a chat with Richie Ray, vocalist and guitarist for The Stars Revolt, about what makes the band tick. Let’s dive in!
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
We are all from the Louisville, KY area.
How did you meet?
I own and operate a recording studio in New Albany, IN and had produced projects for all the guys in their previous bands. As their bands kind of fell off, we remained friends. Skyler had come in to help renovate my new studio and we talked about starting something with Brett on drums. After a few times of getting together, Will moved back to the area from Oklahoma and we asked if he wanted to come play with us. The rest is history.
How long have you been playing as a band?
Our first show was in July of 2017, but we’ve been writing for well over a year now.
Before you get sick of being asked… Where does the band name come from?
We knew we wanted something to do with a revolution because of what we were doing musically. We came up with all kinds of names before we decided on The Stars Revolt.
What are your influences?
We are all over the place. For example, Garth Brooks got me into playing music. Skyler grew up on KISS. Will’s main influence was Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue. Oddly enough, my old band, Shindig, got Brett into playing drums.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
We’re this weird hybrid of modern radio rock and 2000’s emo. I know that sounds weird, but that’s the best way to describe it. We have some pretty catchy songs with an ominous type feel to them. I don’t know if there’s anyone else really doing what we’re doing right now. It’s not really like we’re reinventing the wheel, we’re just taking it down a new path.
Do you have any particular lyrical themes?
This new EP is more of a “break up” record. We didn’t really follow a format or theme or anything for this record. We just kind of wrote what came out.
What’s your live show like? How many shows have you played?
I like the think our live show is entertaining, but then again I’m probably pretty biased. We put quite a bit of time and effort into all of that, from what we look like, to how we move on stage. We want to make sure that when you see us, you feel like you’re seeing a real show. I think we’ve only done maybe 10 shows so far. We’ve mostly been focusing on writing the record and getting ready to launch this thing before we start hitting it super hard.
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
I probably couldn’t even begin to tell you some of them, but once I watched a guy who was incredibly high on something walk into traffic on the interstate. No one could get to him fast enough and he got hit by a car doing around 70mph. It was horrifying. I’m sure that’s the not the crazy story you were looking for, but it was pretty wild.
What kit do you use / guitars do you play / etc.?
Brett plays an SJC custom drum kit, Skyler has a Carparelli guitar that he had built, I play a Stratocaster that I completely modded out, and Will plays a Thunderbird.
What, if anything, are you plugging/promoting at the moment?
Right now we are promoting our self-titled EP. It’s up for pre-order on iTunes and Amazon.com and goes live everywhere on May 18th. We are also pushing our video for “Be Careful What You Wish For” that is now up on our YouTube channel.
What are your plans for 2018?
Pretty much to promote and tour on this record. We are going to be hitting it hard for the last 6 months of 2018. Everything we’ve done for the last year has kind of lead up to this point. I’m sure we’ll be doing another video before the end of the year as well.
If you were second on a three-band bill, which band would you love to be ing and which band would you choose to open for you? A chance to plug someone you’ve toured with, or a mate’s band we’ve not heard of before!
Man, that is a tough one. I’d say I’d love to Acceptance. They are one of my all-time favorite bands and highly underrated. As for the opener, I’d have to go with Since Anaheim. They are our label mates and play super catchy pop/punk.
P.S. Their album Loosen Up Champ comes out on May 11th!
From the previous Band of the Day Saccage: how did you start creating music and why?
I was sitting with my dad watching the This Is Garth Brooks TV special on NBC. I saw how he performed and controlled a crowd and had the catchiest songs. Right then, I knew what I wanted to do. I went the next day and bought a guitar and haven’t looked back.
From another BotD: what is your dream venue to play?
Probably Wembley Stadium. That place is iconic. Any concert footage I’ve seen from there is insane.
And from Huxtable: what is your favourite TV show theme?
The band’s name that asked this question makes it even better. Hand’s down, the theme from Perfect Strangers. It’s been off the air for 20+ years and I still get it stuck in my head sometimes.
The Stars Revolt is released on May 18th and is available to pre-order here.
The Stars Revolt: official | facebook | twitter | instagram | youtube
