Starcrawler was a band that I heard before I saw and I fell in love with their sound. Then, I saw a music video of theirs and I fell in love with them even more. Musically, they are a very dynamic band whose sounds resonates your entire body. Their She Said album is absolutely amazing from beginning to end and made out 22 Best Albums of 2022 list. Seeing a music video by the band is one thing, but you really are in for a treat if you get to see them live and trust us, this is a band that you have to see live! Lead vocalist Arrow de Wilde is quite a presence on and off the stage, but the stage is her home. She commands your attention and is quite an empowering presence up there. She’s very tall and small in stature, but owns that stage like a giant. We had the the priviledge to cover one of their shows in 2022 in Durham, North Carolina and the venue was packed! The energy was insane and so much damn fun! The band was on fire and that electric energy resonated all throughout the tiny venue. We had a chance to sit down with Arrow a short time after the show on a day off from their dates with Gaven Rossdale and Bush for a fun Q&A session  

Every superhero or villain has an origin and a band is no different, minus the secret government experiments and radioactive spiders. What’s the origin of Starcrawler?

Arrow de Wilde/Starcrawler: Henri and I went to high school together, I approached him one day because I wanted to start a band and asked if he played guitar. Luckily he said yes, and we started hanging out all the time and put the band together.

Band names: Sometimes they have an interesting story behind them and sometimes it is something random pulled out of a hat. What about Starcrawler?

It’s pretty much something random pulled out of a hat. We had our first show booked but no name yet, so we just started putting together random words and Starcrawler sounded cool and it just kinda stuck. I wish it could have been a cooler story though.

You were gigging in clubs in high school yet you weren’t even old enough to get in them. How did you get around that detail?

Get a fake ID.

You went out to Joshua Tree to write for the ‘She Said’ album? What was the expectation going into that as opposed to staying at home and writing together?

When we went to Joshua Tree, it was the first time since the pandemic that we had all been in the same room together so we actually didnt end up getting much writing done at all on that trip (haha). We were just so excited to see each other we just ended up jamming and hanging out and drinking white claws. We definitely needed it though, also we saw a UFO so it ended up being worth it. 

You’re a very expressive person. Do you constantly write? Maybe not so much songs, but as a cathartic outlet?

It’s hard for me to write on tour because my brain is so scattered, but when im home i pretty much just write down random sentences and things i think of in my notes app or in a notebook, and save them for later as a sort of word bank that I can pull from at any time. 

She Said is definitely not a one trick pony album with every song sounding the same. You color with a lot of colors from your musical palettes. Did you guys bring very diverse tastes/influences to the creative aspect of making this album?

Yeah, definitely. We all have slightly different tastes in music which I think is cool because they tend to all mesh together in this unique way. I think its good when you’re writing to not keep yourself in a box, and to not set rules for yourself.

You had a pretty big year in 2022 (Korea, the MCR tour, Jack White dates, headline tour) and 2023 is starting out strong. What are your favorite moments (one or two of them) of 2022?

Touring with MCR was a huge highlight for sure. That tour was so much fun; their fans are amazing too. Going to korea was also insane. It was all so cool and so exciting, and I’m very grateful! 

When I first heard of the band, I could hear vibes of Shirley Manson throughout your singing from time to time. Then, I saw a Vevo clip where she said you and the band were the future of music. She praised you for challenging the status quo. That had to blow your mind, right? Didn’t you end up meeting her or getting to talk to her?

Yeah, she’s the coolest. That was such an insane moment. I still talk to her every now and then, she gives me advice sometimes. She’s the best and such a badass. 

You’re playing some pretty big festivals this year, Welcome to Rockville and Sonic Temple (a fave of mine) just to name a few. Do you get any time to actually stop and enjoy a big show like that? Do you ever get starstruck at some of the bands/artists around you?

It usually depends on the schedule and routing of the tour, but normally we get to hang out the day of the show and see any other bands that are playing that day. But then we usually have to start driving later that night or the next morning, so we don’t get to see the whole weekend.

I am a HUGE KISS fan and I read that you had a KISS themed Sweet 16 party? How did you manage that? Is KISS the connection to your blood capsule routine in concert later on?

Haha yes, I did! It was at an all ages venue in LA that’s gone now. It was pretty fun for a sweet 16. I was definitely the only one into KISS at that party though.

We end our interviews with something called 3 For The Road where we try to ask three fun, but not so usual questions. Who was your first celebrity crush? 

Ooh that’s hard; probably Joe Jonas or some shit. 

If you could have any celebrity, cartoon character, whoever be the sound of your inner voice, who would it be?

Maybe Tweety bird. Or vincent price. Those are kind of my two personalities so maybe both for different thoughts depending on the situation.

Do you have a favorite movie quote?

“Shut your mouth” – The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

Interview by I’m Music Magazine Owner/Editor Johnny Price