Stars (Canadian band)

All members of Stars grew up in Toronto, Ontario. Torquil Campbell and Christopher Seligman recorded the first Stars album Nightsongs in New York in 1999. When they began to do live shows, they called in Evan Cranley, a childhood friend, to play bass. Cranley then recruited Amy Millan to be part of the band.

After a short stint in New York, the four musicians moved to Montreal and began to work on the second full-length album, Heart. In Montreal, they met Patrick McGee, who became their drummer. Heart was released on the new label Arts&Crafts, which also hosted their friends Broken Social Scene. While on their first North American tour together, Stars and Broken Social Scene shared and swapped members on a nightly basis. Heart appeared on the !earshot National Top 50 chart in March 2003,[https://www.earshot-online.com/charts/index.cfm?intChartTypeID=101&dWeekOfID=2003-03-04 "The National Top 50 For the Week Ending: Tuesday, March 4, 2003"]. !earshot. and won critical acclaim.[https://www.allmusic.com/artist/stars-mn0000018828/biography "Stars"]. AllMusic Biography by Kenyon Hopkin

Stars rented a house in the Eastern Townships in the middle of winter. For a month and a half, the five of them lived together and wrote Set Yourself on Fire. It was recorded at Studio Plateau in Montreal and was produced by the band and Tom McFall. The record received good reviews, and, along with the band's live performances, established them on the national indie rock scene in Canada.

Stars have cited a wide variety of musical influences ranging from Berlioz to Outkast, citing among others Paddy McAloon, New Order, The Smiths, Brian Wilson, and Momus. They covered The Smiths' "This Charming Man" on 2001's Nightsongs and The Pogues' "Fairytale of New York" in 2005. Other indie artists have been guest collaborators on many of their tracks, especially for an early period including the release of their first LP.

Anticipating that their album In Our Bedroom After the War would leak at some point between the final mixing and the official release, Stars was one of the first bands to make their album available in digital form the day after it was completed on July 10, 2007.{{cite web|url=http://exclaim.ca/News/stars_fight_album_leak_release_in_our_bedroom_after_war_on|title=Stars Fight Album Leak, Release In Our Bedroom After the War On iTunes Immediately|publisher=Exclaim! Magazine|access-date=August 24, 2012}} The CD release included a bonus DVD, a film called "Are we here now". It is a collection of interviews with the band and the band's close friends as well as live performances around the globe; it was directed by Anthony Seck.

Meanwhile, Campbell was also an active member of the band Memphis.{{cite web|url=http://www.arts-crafts.ca/releases_spotlight.php?search=AC060&artist=Memphis/|title=Arts & Crafts Memphis - Here Comes A City|publisher=Arts & Crafts|access-date=March 6, 2012}} Millan has released two solo albums, Honey from the Tombs in 2006 and Masters of the Burial in 2009.

On September 1, 2008, the band released the EP Sad Robots through their online store and also sold it during live shows.

Their single "Celebration Guns" is the title song for the television series ZOS: Zone of Separation and was provided for free as part of a collaboration with Moms Against Climate Change.

Stars have covered The Smiths' "Asleep" for American Laundromat Records' charity CD "Sing Me To Sleep - Indie Lullabies". The CD was released worldwide in May 2010.

In June 2010 the band released their fifth studio album, The Five Ghosts. In Canada, the album was released via Soft Revolution, the band's own new label. It has been distributed worldwide via Vagrant Records.{{cite web|url=http://exclaim.ca/News/Stars_Announce_New_Album_Five_Ghosts|title=Stars Announce New Album: The Five Ghosts|publisher=Exclaim! Magazine|access-date=March 9, 2010}}

The band's sixth studio album, The North, was released on September 4, 2012, via ATO Records. It was promoted by offering a free download of the first single "The Theory of Relativity" in exchange for signing up for the band's official e-mail list.{{cite news|url=https://www.spin.com/2012/06/stars-unveil-new-lp-synth-swoony-theory-relativity/|title=Stars Unveil New LP With Synth-Swoony 'The Theory of Relativity'|newspaper=Spin |date=June 21, 2012 |publisher=Spin Media, LLC.|access-date=June 21, 2012|last1=Hogan |first1=Marc }}{{cite web|url=http://www.prefixmag.com/news/stars-return-with-the-north-new-song/66508/|title=Stars Return With 'The North,' New Song|publisher=Prefix Mag|access-date=June 21, 2012}}

Stars performed at the 2013 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival as well as the Field Trip Arts & Crafts Music Festival, celebrating the tenth anniversary of their label Arts & Crafts Productions.{{cite web|title=Stars Join Feist, Broken Social Scene, Bloc Party & More For A&C Field Trip Festival|url=http://arts-crafts.ca/newsstory.php?search=561012|work=Arts & Crafts|access-date=February 25, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130228220948/http://arts-crafts.ca/newsstory.php?search=561012 |archive-date=February 28, 2013}}

The band released their seventh album, No One Is Lost, in October 2014. Chris McCarron, formerly of Land of Talk, officially joined the band as the lead guitarist; he had previously contributed to The North and toured with the band.{{Cite news|url=https://nationalpost.com/entertainment/listen-to-stars-the-north-with-exclusive-track-by-track-commentary-from-torquil-campbell|title=Listen to Stars' The North with exclusive track-by-track commentary from Torquil Campbell|date=August 28, 2012|work=National Post|access-date=November 17, 2017|language=en-US}}

Stars were on the line-up for the WayHome festival in the summer of 2016, north of Toronto.{{cite web|url=http://wayhome.com/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970103030338/http://www.wayhome.com/|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 3, 1997|title=PAUSE|website=Wayhome.com|access-date=November 21, 2017}}

On January 1, 2017, the band was part of CBC's The Strombo Show's Hip 30. Various Canadian bands covered songs from The Tragically Hip to commemorate the Hip's 30th anniversary.{{Cite news|url=http://www.cbcmusic.ca/posts/17763/strombo-show-tragically-hip-30|title=The Strombo Show presents Hip 30|newspaper=CBC Music|access-date=December 21, 2016}}

Stars released their eighth album, There Is No Love in Fluorescent Light, produced by Peter Katis, on October 13, 2017, on Last Gang Records worldwide.{{cite web|url=http://www.stereogum.com/1954290/stars-fluorescent-light/news/|title=Stars – "Fluorescent Light"|date=July 27, 2017|publisher=Stereogum|access-date=November 21, 2017}}

File:Stars in New York City in 2025 05.jpg and Amy Millan performing with Stars in 2025]]

Stars' music has been described as "beautiful, eloquent indie pop",{{cite web|url=http://www.indy.com/posts/stars-set-to-play-the-vogue-in-march |title=Post: Stars set to play The Vogue in March | Indianapolis, Indiana |website=Indy.com |access-date=July 6, 2011}} characterized by lush instrumentation, nimble production and mixing, narrative lyrics, and soft but nuanced vocals. The band's style has evolved from an electronic-pop sound as heard on Nightsongs (released on Le Grand Magistery record label) to more rock-based instrumentation on their following three full-length albums, reflecting the permanent additions of singer-guitarist Amy Millan and bassist Evan Cranley on Heart (released on Paper Bag Records), and eventually drummer Patrick McGee on Set Yourself on Fire.

Their songs have been featured on Queer as Folk, Alias, The O.C., Warehouse 13, Degrassi: The Next Generation, Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill, The Vampire Diaries, Skins, Continuum, Chuck, One Week, indie film Tanner Hall (2009), Studio C, and the 2011 film Like Crazy.{{Citation|title=Like Crazy (2011) - IMDb|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1758692/soundtrack|access-date=June 15, 2020}}{{Cite web|title=Stars (band) - Artist Profile|url=https://eventseeker.com/artist/427-stars-band|access-date=June 15, 2020|website=eventseeker.com|language=en}} Their music is also featured in the software-based artwork I Want You to Want Me (2007), by American artist Jonathan Harris.{{cite web|url=https://emuseum.mfah.org/objects/93883/i-want-you-to-want-me?ctx=125647985d3b25469f7c23c21ffe3ea44ba0864c&idx=1 |title=I Want You to Want Me, Works, Jonathan Harris, People, The MFAH Collections |website=MFAH.org |access-date=August 11, 2021}}

• Torquil Campbell – lead vocals, synthesizer, melodica, occasional backing vocals (2000–present)
• Chris Seligman – keyboards, French horn, backing vocals (2000–present)
• Evan Cranley – bass, guitars, backing vocals (2000–present)
• Amy Millan – backing vocals, keyboards, guitars, occasional lead vocals (2000–present)
• Pat McGee – drums, percussion (2003–present)
• Chris McCarron – lead guitar (2014–present)

{{main|Stars discography}}

• Nightsongs (2001)
• Heart (2003)[https://www.vice.com/en/article/a-completely-biased-ranking-of-the-60-best-canadian-indie-rock-songs-of-the-00s-part-ii/ "A Completely Biased Ranking of the 60 Best Canadian Indie Rock Songs of the 00s Part II"]. Vice, Cam Lindsay April 10, 2017
• Set Yourself on Fire (2004)
• In Our Bedroom After the War (2007)
• The Five Ghosts (2010)
• The North (2012)
• No One Is Lost (2014)
• There Is No Love in Fluorescent Light (2017)
• From Capelton Hill (2022){{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/stars-announce-new-album-from-capelton-hill-share-new-songs-listen/|title=Stars Announce New Album From Capelton Hill, Share New Songs: Listen|website=Pitchfork|last=Ruiz|first=Matthew Ismael|date=February 17, 2022|access-date=February 22, 2022}}

Stars have received two Juno nominations throughout their career:{{cite web|access-date=July 17, 2008|url=http://www.ctv.ca/mini_v2/junos2004/static/the_show.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040603173056/http://www.ctv.ca/mini_v2/junos2004/static/the_show.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 3, 2004|title=The Show|website=Ctv.ca}}{{cite news|title=Lavigne leads Juno honour roll|work=Toronto Star|date=February 8, 2005}}

{{awards table}}

|-

| {{juno|2004}} || Heart || Alternative Album of the Year || {{nom}}

|-

| {{juno|2005}} || Set Yourself on Fire || Alternative Album of the Year || {{nom}}

|-

{{end}}

The band has received two Polaris nominations:{{cite web|access-date=July 17, 2008|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/weakerthans-edwards-stars-among-polaris-finalists-1.307154|title=Weakerthans, Edwards, Stars among Polaris finalists |website=Ctv.ca|date=July 7, 2008 }}

{{awards table}}

|-

| {{polaris|2008}} || In Our Bedroom After the War || Polaris Music Prize || {{nom}}

|-

| {{polaris|2011}} || The Five Ghosts || Polaris Music Prize || {{nom}}

{{end}}

• Live! At the Rehearsal Hall
• Late Night with Conan O'Brien
• Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Stars (band)}}

{{Wikiquote}}

• {{Official website|youarestars.com}}
• [http://sadrobots.ca/ Sad Robots]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20050619080626/http://www.arts-crafts.ca/stars/ – In Our Bedroom After the War]

{{Stars (band)}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Canadian indie pop groups

Category:Musical groups from Montreal

Category:Musical groups established in 2000

Category:English-language musical groups from Quebec

Category:Paper Bag Records artists

Category:Arts & Crafts Productions artists

Category:2000 establishments in Quebec

Category:ATO Records artists

Category:Vagrant Records artists