The Starlings: Press

“Simply put, fans of the Americana genre will be interested in hearing The Starlings debut Songbook. Based out of Seattle, this five-piece expertly blends folk and country, displaying top-notch musicianship at every turn. Songbook is filled with harmonies, flourishes of dobro and mandolin, rolling banjo's, and a nice mix of front-porch foot stomping and back-room balladry.

"Tell me a story..." are the words that open the CD, and indeed main vocalist and primary songwriter Joy Mills has a way of offering a tale that is often poetic, but in an accessible way, steeped in language and subject matter that is familiar to the genre. Vocalist/guitarist Tom Parker contributes two of his songs as well.”

Rarely will Seattlest agree to drive out of town for anything other than a sunny hike or a day on the slopes. Not with so much to do and so many bands to see right here in Seattle. So when Mrs. Seattlest brought up the idea to drive out to Monroe with a friend to see The Starlings, our initial response was something like, Did you just say Monroe? Really? It's not that we have anything against "The largest City in East Snohomish County" -- it's just that it was, well, Friday night and couldn't we just go to The Croc or something?
We're so happy we made the trip. The Starlings were amazing (we've been wanting to see them for quite a while) and we actually had a wonderful time in little 'ole Monroe. The show was at a place called Eddie's Trackside Bar & Grill. A real small-town destination where the locals come to play pool, eat tater-tots and eyeball each other from the bar. And the name ain't some silly gimmick because of a somewhat-close railroad. At Eddie's the trains scream by not but a few feet outside the windows of the joint. It was totally surreal to be drinking a beer, listening to some great country/americana and have a train whistle suddenly going off right outside. The band plays through, sings louder. We just smile and keep tapping our feet.
Prior to The Starlings taking the stage, Chad Hinman & the Never Was warmed the crowd with their inimitable brand of folk/rock/americana. Chad's a charming fella, full of smiles and light-hearted conversation and the guy knows his way around a song and a guitar. Between Chad and bandmate Jack Quick (who's probably one of the best slide-guitarists we've seen in a while), we were actually kind of sad to see them leave the stage. It was time, however, to finally see The Starlings.
Led by Joy Mills and Tom Parker, The Starlings are that kind of music which takes us back to a time of narrow, winding roads at night, in the mountains of Wyoming. Our dad is at the wheel and we're straining our eyes, trying to peer down into some dark river valley. The radio's on and it's all harmony and mournful strings and a beat that hearkens images of being on a train. Or being a train. It represents something. A mood. Anticipation. The feeling like we were on our way toward something fantastic in its simplicity. Setting up camp in the dark. Waking to the smell of eggs and sausage over a smokey campfire. The Starlings, for us, were something like that. And we can't wait to see them again.

"...one of the most widely respected and touted local musicians on the Americana and roots scene - Joy Mills and Tom Parker of The Starlings."

Though the Starlings are a relatively new act on the burgeoning Americana music scene, the various members have been making music, either together or separately for a number of years...the band plays a lo-fi, authentically old-fashioned style of country music. It all began some five or six years ago when Joy and Tom formed an acoustic duo in Seattle and played the local club scene. Gradually it evolved into a band set-up, though when the economics demand it, they still perform duo gigs. With like-minded musicians Chad Hinman, Jack Quick, David Dressel, Mick Chegwidden, and Aimee Zoe Tubbs they recorded their critically-acclaimed debut album Songbook. A somewhat dark and foreboding record, the songs lyrically are a throwback to the mountain song tradition of the Appalachians. Death, longing for a departed lover, thoughts of home and unrequited love run like mountain streams through the lyrics that are married to timeless melodies...Steeped in the country tradition, they are closer to the Anglo-Saxon influenced mountain song tradition prevalent in the country music of the 1920s and 1930s rather than the homogenised version of today's country mainstream..."