Thousand Stars are a local band consisting of Aaron Murray, Lauren Black, Steve Mackinnon, Marc Davidson and Scott Adamson and are currently finishing of the second, as yet, unnamed EP. They will be supporting Airship on Wednesday the 2nd of November. So there could not be a better time to catch up with the band…
How do you “sell” the band to people that have not heard of you before?
If you come to a Thousand Stars Performance you’ll be lucky enough to hear and see an all round exciting performance, complete with heart stopping drum and bass combinations and soaring harmonies and melodies. We come together to create a unique blend of pop/rock ,oozing with enthusiasm for their music.
There are very few local bands with female lead vocalist, why do you think that is?
(Lauren) Not many girls aspire to be a rock singer in a band but it can bring a different edge to the music and this genre in particular however it is often perceived as a boys club but all you have to do is look the likes of Paramore and Lacuna Coil to know that it can work.
(Marc) I feel this is an out-dated assumption, I think there are a large number of female vocalist emerging and doing very well such as LJP, Cocoa Majestic and Megan Blyth, but I think girls should be encouraged to do it because it can bring a softness and edge to what can be perceived as a ballsy genre.
Can you tell us a bit about how songs are constructed in the band, where do the ideas come from etc.?
Our songs don’t come from any one source, it can be something as simple as a riff, a drum beat or even a single note . However when we began Aaron was a big influence in writing the music but as we have matured and grown as a musical family the music has spouted from many things.
(Lauren) From my side of writing lyrics if one of the boys say anything ~ it could be a single word, two words or even a phrase that simply stands out a story begins to form in my head and it translates to the paper and into a song.
How’s the new EP shaped up?
The E.P has shaped up into something we are all very proud of as individuals and as a group, and would like to Thank John from Strathsound who did the whole recording and would recommend if anyone is looking for a hands on sound engineer looking to squeeze the best of individuals he’s your man.
Have you got a name for it yet (the band were looking for suggestion from their facebook page)?
As with the E.P Name we have a few ideas in the pipeline along with some inspiring album art ideas but are yet to confirm so watch this space.
We are hoping to do an exclusive E.P Launch before the year is out but again all the details are still being ironed out at this time
How are you looking forward to being on the same bill as Airship?
We are very pleased to have been offered the chance to play with such a potentially massive band – who we think have a massive future ahead of them. From what we have heard of Airship its going to be a night full of future anthems and we are looking to being a part of it
We are also looking forward to playing with Midnight Glory for the first time hopefully the first of many.
What are your ambitions for the band?
Realistically we would like to be in a position to be considered for Belladrum, the thought of playing such a huge local festival in front of friends family and lots of boozed up strangers fills up with the joy and is one of the reasons we do what we do. (Marc) Further done the line I think we would like to have a good solid local following and be first on the list for all the big local events
Which of your songs best represents you, and why?
Thousand Stars (which is on the new E.P Complete with a musical extented outro) It is the complete package , by that we mean it showcases all the bands talents, it also has a massive melody some great harmonies and is just everything we feel a good pop/rock song should be.
(Marc) For me it is my favourite song to play live because it has such a good feel good factor
Anything else to plug?
Yes, Hit us up on Facebook , www.facebook.com/thousandstars we are hoping to get upto 200 “friends” the get us to 200 Facebook “friends” campaign LOL.
And just make sure you dont miss out on the Airship Gig – Mad Hatters November 2nd we are on first from 8.15
Article by Chris Lemon
Photos by Fraser Davidson
Thanks to Mark Davidson, Lauren Black and the rest of Thousand Stars
