Starling previews her long-awaited debut album with new single ‘No Leader’, out October 9th

LISTEN TO ‘NO LEADER’ HERE

Having spent the last few years releasing a wave of bold and impressive offerings, which have included the heavily-praised EPs ‘The Heart’, ‘The Body’ and ‘The Soul’, alt-pop goddess Starling is back once again to offer up the first preview of her long-awaited debut album ‘To Be Alive’ with a brand new single ‘No Leader’, out on October 9th.

Much like her output to date, ‘No Leader’ looks to cement her as one of the more adventurous and dexterous artists on today’s new music landscape. Filled with bright and glittering production alongside her distinctive falsetto voice, her latest release is jam-packed with exciting ideas and a progressive direction that sees her return in stellar form.

Speaking about the new track, she said, "I had taken ayahuasca in the forest and it taught me that in all the time I had been looking to others for answers I should have been looking to myself. In a constant quest to find myself, to understand meaning, life and my purpose I tried every therapy, meditation, and immersion possible and in this started to realise, I was the one I was looking for. Every type of spiritual excursion was had from vipassana to trauma therapy to kundalini and it guided me to me. This is the truth. When no one is here to guide us, or what we are told doesn't resonate, we must guide ourselves… and be our own leader."

In Starling’s World, there is no judgement, no shame and no apologising for who you are. And as she prepares to release her debut album ‘To Be Alive’ – a positive, powerful alt-pop record about owning both the light and darkness in our lives, Starling has been on a journey of self-realisation, taking her from south London squats to Soho bars and back, full circle.

Born one of six children to a scientist father and artist mother, Starling’s upbringing was an unusual ride - love, trauma, wealth, poverty – a world of extreme contrasts.

Escape from her tumultuous home life in London’s suburbs was found on the stage, training initially as a classical actor but the budding star was becoming sick of being other people – she wanted to be herself.

Meanwhile working at a Soho members club Starling was asked to sing for an event, despite having never sung in public and incredibly unsure of her ability.

While performing a Joni Mitchell cover in the bar, she was spotted by Zero 7’s Henry Binns, who was instantly captivated by the unique tone of her voice. It was a chance meeting that would be the catalyst for Starling’s career.  

Starling decided to park her career as an actor, setting herself a goal: she had six months to get a record contract or it wasn't “meant to be” As month six approached, her dreams were realised, and she was signed to Communion Records.

Starling continued to work with Henry Binns on the creation of three EPs: 2016’s ‘The Heart’, 2017’s ‘The Body’ and 2018’s ‘The Soul’. The output was dark, emotive pop that really tackled the depths of her childhood trauma. By EP three, ‘The Soul,’ she’d settled on a new, quirky-pop sound, one that reflected a transformation within herself, and the response from fans and media was instant. Comparisons to Lorde and Bastille were made, playlist features, press and radio play started to pick up, totalling five million streams before she’d even got to work on her debut album.

It was throughout this time and while living in a south London squat, the fledgling pop star began to discover her second love: that of mentoring young creatives alongside her music, being named Best Mentor by Abbey Road Studios.

Through this period of self-exploration and expression, a different Starling emerged – one more accepting of the pain she’d been through with a determination to tell others that they should embrace every type of emotion they feel, even the ugly stuff.

Leaving Communion behind, Starling’s debut album ‘To Be Alive’ is a fully DIY effort. Produced in part by Damian Taylor (Bjork, The Prodigy) and David Kyle Payne (Meghan Trainor, Sigala), her unique life perspective and personal journey has spawned a vibrant pop record, completely unapologetic in its message of personal empowerment.

Over twelve tracks – of a possible 250 written for the project – Starling tackles broken relationships, dark thoughts, dreams of sexual encounters and a fierce message of being in charge of your own narrative. 

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