​

The biting hook of their debut album Ciao Bella's opening track "Jetlag" is dripping with satire and grungy guitars, but it's also the perfect example of the deeper meaning and emotional duality in all of STARRY EYES' music. Like the title suggests, ciao bella means a both somber goodbye to the beautiful things in life that have passed, and a starry eyed hello to the beautiful things to come. The self-produced EP was mixed by Phil Ek (Band of Horses, Fleet Foxes and Mudhoney) and mastered by Multi Grammy-award-winning engineer Greg Calbi (Adele, Ramones, Paul McCartney).

 

The story of California grunge-pop band, STARRY EYES, is both tragic and triumphant. The band evolved from the friendship between founding duo: guitarist John Shippey and drummer Matthew Scoggins. The pair worked for two years on the music for their debut EP, Ciao Bella, while on a frustrating search to find the right singer to complement their unique sound. John and Matt eventually struck gold in early 2021 with singer and lyricist Kyle Tekiela, and for three weeks it looked like the LA-based group was complete. Then, Matt died suddenly of drug-related causes, and the band’s ambitions came to a tragic halt. Today, nearly two years after Matt's death, John and Kyle have soldiered on and the band’s story is a powerful rebirth narrative.

​

With their anthemic debut release 'Jetlag' garnering press and radio attention from both sides of the Atlantic from the likes of world famous KROQ, Earmilk, and Music Crowns to name a few, STARRY EYES now look to build upon their previous success with their latest single ‘Over Oceans’.  Like all of their tracks ‘Over Oceans’ is filled with deeply personal and introspective themes. A stark contrast to the indulgent lifestyle portrayed in their debut ‘Jetlag’, ‘Over Oceans’ acts as the hungover aftermath. Utilising a more sombre tone, the band crafts a delicate soundscape of bright guitar arrangements mixed with tranquil vocal harmonies that diverge from Kyle’s reflective, low-register vocal performance. The track acts as a reminder that the only thing that matters in life are the ones you love, whilst warning of the fragility of life so as to not waste time on petty distractions that take away from what truly matters. Kyle explains "Over Oceans is a heartfelt thank you to my beautiful wife Nicole and my incredible son Lincoln who saved me in a time when I really needed saving.”

​

"Many of the songs on Ciao Bella wrestle with the issues of addiction and loss. For us the music is cathartic and allows us to release the pain we struggle with daily in a creative way, like a pressure valve. But we always try to balance the negative with the positive and keep looking toward the future and all it's possibility." 

​

The Ciao Bella EP will be released May 5th.