After introducing the project with a slew of gossamer dream-pop releases, LA’s Starling are adding a bit of edge to their sound for their debut EP with San Antonio shoegaze label Sunday Drive Records (home to recent releases by Glare, Leaving Time, All Under Heaven, and more). Forgive Me,’s lead single “I Can Be Convinced” demonstrates the release’s punkier tones and squealing guitar feedback, which pull against vocalist Kasha Souter’s sugary vocals. “A song written about needing stillness, to be told no, to be confined all in a confused love,” the group shared of the new single. “Kasha did not intend the song to take such an upbeat direction when she brought it to the band. Although it is a sad and yearning song, the beat and arrangement made this song our lead single.”
The music video for the track, directed by a friend of the band, David Milan Kelly, accentuates this balance of heavy/soft with the band performing among a group of ballerinas. “David worked with us to create a visually interesting music video that honored the feeling and matched the pacing of the song,” the band adds of the visual. “David and Kasha both separately had the thought to add ballet dancers to the mix, so when it was brought up by Kasha they knew it had to come to fruition. From the big white skirt Kasha found at a thrift store not knowing what it would be used for at the time of purchase, to the dancers who came ready to improvise and learn poses on the spot; as much planning as we did, a lot of this came together by trusting the process and allowing things to fall into place.”
Check out the video below, and pre-order Forgive Me, here.
