The Stars

Stars is a Canadian indie pop band. Originally formed in Toronto by vocalist Torquil Campbell and keyboardist Chris Seligman, the band relocated to New York City and then subsequently to Montreal.

Their music has been described as “beautiful, eloquent indie pop”, 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 the Le Grand Magistery record label) to more rock-based instrumentation on their last two 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 Pat McGee on Set Yourself on Fire.

The band’s breakthrough single was “Ageless Beauty”, from their 2004 album Set Yourself on Fire. While released to minimal fanfare in Canada in October 2004, Set Yourself on Fire slowly gained a strong following and critical praise soon after its March 8, 2005 U.S. release. Millan, Cranley and Campbell are also members of the indie band Broken Social Scene, with whom they currently share a record label, Arts & Crafts.

The song that will start it all, Your Ex-Lover Is Dead from the album Set Yourself on Fire:

Also from Set Yourself on Fire, Ageless Beauty:

Elevator Love Letter from the album Heart:

There new album coming out in August (available online now however at iTunes after being leaked on the internet) is titled In Our Bedrooms After the War. The first song is an ambient track with a timely poem at the end:

Oh the blood and the treasure
And then losing it all
The time that we wasted
And the place where we fall
Will we wake in the morning
And know what it was for
Up in our bedroom
After the war

Some tracks like The Night Stars Here are available to stream online.