Inbar Starr

Inbar Starr is a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in Los Angeles, California. Her forthcoming EP is her debut release and contains a captivating collection of songs that offers a window into her eclectic life. Starr has always had a tremendous passion for music. She was born in Israel and was allegedly singing before she was talking; she wrote her first original song at the tender age of seven. In her teenage years, she drew inspiration from the likes of Alicia Keys, Alanis Morissette, Neil Young, Avril Lavigne, Blink 182 and Etta James. She is self-taught on the piano, guitar, ukulele, and took lessons for the trumpet and drums. She made a big move to Los Angeles in 2011, setting out to connect with other musicians and develop herself as a creative force. She was soon bolstered by an endorsement from Daisy Rock Guitars and emerging victorious from a YouTube competition held by Grammy Award nominated artist Jamie Cullum. This gave Starr the opportunity to connect with Cullum at a show in Belgium and subsequently embark on a European tour herself. Inbar Starr is putting the finishing touches on her debut EP which is slated for release later in 2019. For now, you can check out the first single from said EP and you can also watch her “Acoustic Series - Originals Unplugged” on her YouTube channel, where you can see previews and behind the scenes videos of her upcoming EP. A fresh single by Inbar Starr called “If It Feels Right” is giving us goosebumps! Right from the first few seconds, you’re hit with a mix of modern sounding beats and the simple and humble acoustic guitar. The vocals enter shortly thereafter, and you are enveloped in the dulcet tones of Inbar Starr. Her voice is wonderfully captivating, and her songwriting is tasteful and well crafted. The song itself has a great momentum and builds nicely towards each chorus. Newer elements such as additional backup vocals are introduced gradually, showing great restraint and care in the arrangement. This is definitely a single quality song, and we recommend you get it in your ears immediately!
Give a listen to "If It Feels Right" on Spotify, and keep scrolling for Inbar's interview with BuzzMusic!
It's great to chat with you Inbar Starr! Can you tell us about your background and how you first became involved with songwriting?
Thank you, the pleasure is all mine! Music was a fascinating thing to me my entire life, and I always knew I wanted to sing. I grew up in a little Kibbutz in Israel and I had a very ‘hippie’ and humbling childhood, walking around barefoot and memories of ditching school, and running to the nearby orange orchard and just sitting, looking at the sky and just being.I grew up listening to so many different artists from Stevie Wonder, Etta James and The Beatles to Britney Spears, Avril Lavigne, Alicia Keys and Alanis Morisstte. I wrote my first song at the age of 7 and never stopped writing, though I’ll admit my first original songs were heavily influenced by Avril Lavigne and Alanis Morissette - kinda funny to listen back nowadays. For a moment there, I was so obsessed with Blink 182 that I learned how to play the drums, thinking drumming was my future, but after 2 years I woke up just knowing that singing is my life and I can’t be distracted anymore by anything else (though I cherish my drumming days very much!).
You have a diverse pool of artists that influence you. How do you balance that variety and bring a bit of each to the table?
Well you know, it’s funny you should ask- I feel like I truly found my voice only about 5 years ago and what a journey that was… and to be honest, I don't think of the different artists that influenced me as part of the process while creating my art. I think that just happens organically and subconsciously, so there’s no real need to balance anything, just to stay true to what I feel and what I wanna say through my music, that’s the most important thing. However, I am very thankful for all the inspiration around me and even now- I’m listening to different artists from all around the world and get inspired by them and their stories!
What does your songwriting process generally look like?
Every day looks a bit different. There will be times where I’ll be doodling with the guitar, trying to find something that inspires me. Sometimes lyrics will show up first and I’ll be sitting down without any instruments and just write. Sometimes, something magical and unexplainable happens, where music and lyrics come together and really quickly - it’s almost an out of body experience. There will also be some sessions where everything will feel uninspiring or it will take forever to finish one song, in which case I’ll just let it be and may come back to it later (or not. man, I have tons of unfinished songs in my phone that I gotta get back to one day lol).
Did you have a certain message or intent behind the music in your new single “If It Feels Right”?
Absolutely. This song was mainly born out of social anxiety and that need that we all have to ‘fit in’. But at what cost? I kept asking myself this question after I noticed that in some situations, I modify myself to fit a certain group of people or I don’t feel like being myself would work around them. So I wrote ‘If It Feels Right’ almost as a self reminder that I should consider myself and my values first before saying yes and joining others on different activities. I’m really searching for my tribe, some of which I’ve found already and some are scattered throughout the world. How nice would it be to have a really close group of friends who I can just be myself around?
What plans do you have for the future after you release your forthcoming EP?
The EP is coming out this summer and I’m so, so excited about it!! In May I’ll be embarking on a U.K. tour with my buddy James Kirby (a singer-songwriter from England) to promote the EP (first edition physical copies will be available in my shows too - woo hoo!) and looking at a west-coast U.S. tour this fall. - Buzz Music Magazine

Today we’d like to introduce you to Inbar Starr.

Inbar, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was born in Israel on a kibbutz, a communal settlement that is traditionally agriculture-based. A very hippie place. And I was always singing, even before I could talk. My mom loves to tell the story of how when I was only a few months old she would sing a song to me and I would repeat the exact same notes back to her. Growing up in that environment, and with the Israeli culture in general, really helped to shape me, pushing me to think outside of the box and nourishing my craving for creativity.

I wrote my first original song when I was about seven years old. There was a talent competition in my school and I was the only first-grader to sign up. The song was about my goldfish, and I won third place. I remember that feeling, standing on the gym basketball court in front of hundreds of kids, holding a microphone and singing my little heart out. That feeling has never left me.

In school, I studied trumpet for four years, drums for two, as well as music theory and choir. I taught myself how to play guitar, piano and ukulele around age 14, and have not stopped writing songs ever since. Big musical influences for me at that time were Alanis Morissette, Avril Lavigne, Blink 182, Alicia Keys and Westlife.

I moved to LA in 2011 to meet cool musicians and to develop further as an artist. My first stop was a music school in Pasadena, which was a good cushion to land on since I didn’t know anybody here in this city. I met so many creative people at that school, and little did I know I would also meet my future husband there. He was a drum teacher at the school, though we met five years after I started going there.

With only $1,000 to my name — which paid for the first month’s rent for a room I’d found, and books for school — my first year in LA was spent learning everything I could about music. I was serving tables to earn a living, doing homework on the train back and forth to school, and sleeping on a friend’s couch when I’d worked late at the restaurant. And I kept writing songs, broadening my horizons into new musical styles and grooves.

In 2012, I joined a cruise ship as a solo guitarist/singer, my first full-time music job. The experience taught me so much more than school, and I would perform every night for four hours to an international crowd (and sometimes in rough seas). Plus I got to travel and see Alaska, Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico. While it was a blast, the cruise ship was also a bubble. So after completing a couple of multi-month contracts I returned to LA, motivated more than ever to keep pursuing my music career.

In 2013, I was endorsed by Daisy Rock Guitars and I won a YouTube competition held by Grammy-nominee Jamie Cullum. The prize was getting to meet him at his concert in Belgium, and this inspired me to do a small European tour. I played 10 shows around Switzerland, Germany, Holland and the UK. When I got back to LA, I got the opportunity to sing background vocals and play harmonica on a song by Taboo from the Black Eyed Peas. All these experiences taught me lots and gave me confidence and the reassurance that I was on the right path.

Nowadays I’m working on my first official album/EP, with help from my musician-producer husband and a talented group of musicians and friends. And you can catch me playing shows around LA four or five nights a week.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I think life is always full of surprises and challenges, no matter what you choose to do.

There are some things that come easier. I’ve always found music to be comforting and it flows through me very easily. But my road so far has been packed with no shortage of challenges and I’ve had to navigate my way through a whole rainbow of different emotions. As an artist, ideally, you develop a thick skin so you can take rejection and criticism. But sometimes I break; I’m human after all. I always get up, though, and I get better and stronger at what I do.

Being a freelance musician, there are no guarantees or steadiness with anything I’m doing. But it’s also a life that can be full of magic and moments of pure happiness. Being able to take my feelings and put them into songs, that’s what moves me and makes me feel alive.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Inbar Starr story. Tell us more about the business.
I write about my life through my music. I release a piece of my soul with each song I write and let people in a little bit more each time. It’s a very personal thing if you think about it, but that’s the best way to really connect to music and to other human beings. I found my true sound about three years ago, and it’s an ever-evolving, never-ending process.

But I’m so excited to soon release my first album/EP (by the end of 2018). It’s full of confessional songs that I’m super proud of. I’ve also been documenting the behind the scenes of making the record, which I’ll be releasing as a series on YouTube, so watch for that too.

As for what sets me apart?
It’s an interesting question. There’s one song on my new record that touches on this exact subject, funny enough. I can go on and on about how many hours we spent in the studio, creating new sounds and music that will sound unique and fresh. But I think it really comes down to who I am as a person. I carry with me so many stories and life experiences and, above all else, feelings that are my own.

And I use music as a platform to share it all and express it with my voice, figuratively speaking and literally. We are all unique human beings with a story to tell, no matter what we do. That’s why it’s so fun to read through your magazine and see all the different stories about creative people around LA.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Do you believe in manifestation and the law of attraction? I do. Everything around me and the things that have happened to me, a lot of times I’ve already imagined this happening. I think we can create our own luck and reality.

The part I’m not the best at is patience. Things take time to bud and grow and it’s only after they happen and I’ve experienced them that I can truly look back and call it luck, and appreciate the process I went through. But let’s talk again in a couple of years when I’m playing a stadium tour and my answer may be more defined. See what I did there? Bring it on.

Contact Info:

Website: www.InbarStarr.com
Email: InbarStarr@gmail.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/inbarmusic
Facebook: www.facebook.com/inbarmusicpage
Twitter: www.youtube.com/inbarmusic - Voyage LA Magazine

Born in Israel, Inbar Starr has always had a great passion for music. She sang before she could talk, and wrote her first original song when she was simply just 7 years old! Wow! As a teenager, drawing inspiration from a diversity of musical influences such as Alicia Keys, Alanis Morissette, Neil Young, Avril Lavigne, Blink 182 and Etta James, Inbar taught herself to play the guitar, piano, and ukulele and took lessons for trumpet and drums.
Inbar Starr has an emotionally rich vocal texture that will send you the ultimate chills through your spine. Starr recently released her single titled “Take It”. The overwhelming presence of her vocal strength was prepossessing and elemental. Inbar Starr essentially reinvents the genre of pop music with a refreshing and new sound. The way she emotes her emotion helped the listener feel at ease with allowing their individual emotions to consume the mood and their thoughts. Inbar Starr invites her listener into “Take It”, a safe haven for us to allow the deeply pro-founded lyrics, vent for us. The multitude of components provided to us in “Take It” puts Inbar Starr on a pedestal of star-appeal that it will be quite difficult to forget who she is. Inbar Starr merges between the genres of emotional and fun pop while finding a balance between the two. We thoroughly enjoyed this single and can't wait to hear what's next from Inbar Starr!
Listen to "Take It' here.
Connect with Inbar Starr on social media:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/inbarmusic
Facebook: www.facebook.com/inbarmusicpage
YouTube: www.youtube.com/inbarmusic - Buzz Music Magazine

“Hope you don’t have a fever because you are definitely going to get hotter after hearing Inbar’s sexy, sultry vocal stylings… an​d did we say she plays guitar, too? Really! Rock on, girl!” says Tish Ciravolo, President and founder of Daisy Rock Girl Guitars.​ - Daisy Rock Guitars

Catch Daisy Rock Girl Guitar Artist Inbar Starr on her European Tour!

Oct 24th- Lausanne, Switzerland
Oct 25th- Munich, Germany
Oct 29th- Kiel, Germany
Oct 31st- Hannover, Germany
Nov 1st- Hannover, Germany
Nov 2nd- Lubeck, Germany
Nov 4th- Amsterdam, Holland
Nov 5th- Groningen, Holland
Nov 10th- Oxford, UK
Nov 11th- London, UK - Daisy Rock Guitars

A one-off Speakeasy Sunday at the Turl Street Kitchen, featuring stunning music from LA-based singer-songwriter and guitarist, Inbar Starr, who is currently touring Europe with her two piece band.

Starr is in the UK meeting up with Jamie Cullum after winning his Facebook cover competition, and is in Oxford for one night only. - Music In Oxford

The Bradetich Foundation and Brian Bromberg's Bass on the Broadband are excited to announce a joint benefit concert featuring performances by Brian Bromberg, Jeff Bradetich, Arni Egilsson (performing with LA jazz guitarists, Jim Fox and Mitch Holder) Bunny Brunel, Stu Hamm, David Young, Inbar Horowitz, Ryan Bradetich and more. When: Thursday, Aug. 29th Where: Genghis Cohen Restaurant 740 N. Fairfax Ave. Los Angeles, California 90046 Time: 6:00pm-8:15pm (Doors open at 5:40) Tickets: $30.00 - Student Discount $15.00 – To purchase tickets, please contact Tammy Jo Leonard (949)-285-7522 – Tickets will be tax deductible if purchased before Aug. 29th. Come enjoy a superb evening of Bass, Bass and more Bass and help the Bradetich Foundation and Bass on the Broadband continue their missions. Proceeds will help fund summer bass camps, student scholarships, educational outreach, instruments for schools in need and to keep the bass music thriving on Bass on the Broadband’s 24/7 internet radio. It promises to be an unforgettable evening!! - International Society of Bassists

The Bradetich Foundation and Brian Bromberg's Bass on the Broadband are excited to announce a joint benefit concert featuring performances by Brian Bromberg, Jeff Bradetich, Arni Egilsson (performing with LA jazz guitarists, Jim Fox and Mitch Holder) Bunny Brunel, Stu Hamm, David Young, Inbar Horowitz, Ryan Bradetich and more.. - The International Society of Bassists

And the other winner for the Everything You Didn't Do Cover Competition is...
Inbar Starr. Congratulations!! And a massive thank you again to everyone that sent versions of the song! - Jamie Cullum

Doors & Bar 7pm Music 8pm

With her dynamically exquisite voice, rising Israeli artist Inbar has been captivating audiences from a very young age. The singer-songwriter provides delightful melodies with a unique storytelling ability.

In July 2013, Inbar won a song competition organized by Grammy nominee Jamie Cullum. This led to a European Tour which took her to Switzerland, Germany, Holland, Belgium and the UK and included ten sold out shows. In 2014, Inbar played at the NAMM Show with her band, representing DRG Guitars. She also headlined the Spring Festival 2015 at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, CA. In 2016 she was recruited to sing background vocals and play harmonica on a song by Taboo from The Black Eyed Peas called "The Fight."

We are excited to welcome Inbar Starr to Purley on Thames as part of her 2019 tour and very privileged to be amongst the first to hear her upcoming record which she will be releasing in the US only after the tour. - The List U.K.