StarBenders

Atlanta glam-rockers StarBenders are treating the Guitar Player community to an exclusive premiere of their new single, "Far From Heaven," as well as the videos for "Downtown" and "U Like Me Now."

"It's about a love that makes you fall from grace," explains vocalist/guitarist Kimi Shelter. "I was always grabbed by the poetry of Adam and Eve—it’s a very gothic sentiment to be doomed by love. Sonically, we wanted to go for something massive. I’m definitely a 'swing the cat' player, and I was automatically attached to the unhinged likenesses of Johnny Thunders, Ronny Wood, Ace Frehley, and Mick Ronson."

Shelter plays a Rock n’ Roll Relics Johnny Thunders model armed with David Allen CoolCats P90s through a hand-wired Vox AC15. Co-guitarist Kriss Tokaji's rig includes a black Gibson Les Paul '57 Reissue and an Orange OR15 amp.

"Kimi and I don't really have a specific way of splitting up guitar parts," says Tokaji. "We're both rhythm and lead players, and we naturally find our place in the sonic spectrum. Together, we like to pack a powerful punch." - Guitar Player Magazine

Rising out of the Atlanta music scene with its glitzy alternative-rock hybrid comes the Starbenders, a group committed to producing fresh rock ‘n’ roll.

A four-piece outfit consisting of lead vocalist and guitarist Kimi Shelter, drummer Katie Herron, guitarist Kriss Tokaji, and bassist Aaron Lecense, the Starbenders combine the upbeat excitement of popular music with a grungy nostalgia that is reminiscent of the 1970s New York club scene.

The final product is a hard-driving, youthful sound that aims to bring listeners to another time.

“I think we always strive for that youthful, aggressive energy,” Tokaji said. “I think that’s just the way we play. It’s what naturally comes out with all of us.”

The band members said this energy is similar to that of many of their favorite artists—musicians like The Stooges and Iggy Pop, who the band members listened to growing up. Though they cite many inspirations behind their sound, ultimately they said they value above all the development of their own style over working with the framework of music that has come before them.

“I do think we are outlaws because we are pushing limits on genres, and we’re not taking the rule book that’s been established by other rock bands,” Shelter said. “We choose to be outlaws.”

It’s this aversion to the rules that inspires the Starbenders to work towards putting out a distinct sound, a part of their creative experience that they find especially important and integral to their music.

“There are no rules with us,” Lecense said. “And I think that the day rock and roll has rules is the day that it dies.”

Their individual love for music is ultimately what brought them together. Shelter and Herron met at a summer camp when they were teenagers, and said they had always dreamed of starting a band together.

After playing in a group with Lecense, Shelter suggested bringing Herron in as a drummer. They said they were impressed by Tokaji’s guitar abilities at a house show, and then the band completed its formation.

“Musicians are like magnets—you can only resist that attraction for so long,” Lecense said. “It’s like having three soulmates. Eventually you’re bound to be together.”

Some of the band’s recent work, like the single “Down & Out” released in January, is written as a direct response to the tumultuous reality faced by many people in 2017. The majority of its work finds its roots in the individual experiences of being and translating one’s reality into a piece of art.

“I think as artists, we’re all sensitive to what’s going on around us all of the time, so you can’t really avoid channeling when something bad or good happens,” Tokaji said. “That’s always going to have to come out through your art.”

For a band that is constantly writing and creating, there is no shortage of opportunities to channel these experiences. The band just released another single, “Far From Heaven,” in March, and plans to continue releasing new material consistently throughout the summer.

Touring is also on the horizon for the Starbenders. The band has plans to partake in several regional tours, including time spent out West, until eventually joining a national tour after the summer.

In the near future, the Starbenders will bring its electric dynamic to the Caledonia Lounge on Sat., April 15th, where fans can expect a performance that is “loud and not polite,” according to Shelter.

“We’re an experience,” Lecense said. “It’s not just music.” - The Red and Black

Atlanta Band StarBenders are bringing back the aesthetic and punk-ish sensibilities of glam rock for their new music video, ‘Time Stops,’ a song that celebrates romance regardless of gender.

Frontwoman Kimi Shelter originally formed the band with Katie Herron after the two were sent to somewhat of a reformist nature-healing camp during their youth. Later on, they found their bassist, Aaronoius Monk, sitting outside a bar.

“He was sitting on the curb smoking a cigarette. I sat down and we started talking. We’ve been friends ever since,” Kimi said. Guitarist Chris Tokaji joined last, helping the band fully form the angsty but classic sound they’ve been about since day one. Check out the video for ‘Time Stops,’ below. - Galore

Atlanta’s resident glam rock band, StarBenders‘ drop their latest fete exclusively with LADYGUNN today. ‘Down and Out’ is a synth-heavy doozy with lead singer Kimi Shelter’s witchy voice dripping with 80’s glam, lust, and desperation for the starlight.
Kimi’s sordid teenage past is one factor that brought the band together. Kimi and drummer Katie Herron met in a nature-healing camp for wayward girls in Georgia. They made a pact to start a band together and years later their dream materialized rounded out with misfits in their own right, bassist Aaronoius Monk and guitarist Chris Tokaji. The group make music that appeals to the gut-wrenching hope and lust for life that we all have in us, and summons the ear to action.
Their first full-length album, Heavy Petting is out now through Institution Records. Look out for these beautiful babies at a dark and smoky venue near you and read our interview with Kimi below.
What was one ‘living on starlight’ you have had recently?
Being part of the music industry will toss you about quite a bit. It’s a contemporary “Don’t Stop Believing” if you will. We have to take in starlight or we’ll surely sink to the bottom of the sea.
What inspired “Down & Out?” When was the last time you felt down and out and then something good happened?
Down and Out is an apocalyptic pop song. You’re being told that everything will be alright while the world is on fire. It’s about what people who are tuned in and turned on face in this world. Like riding a wave, you just have to hold on long enough for something good to happen. We really lean on one another as a band and it makes that holding out period a little easier.
What are some inspirational aspects of the Atlanta music scene?
Atlanta is a tough ass town. There’s always been a lot of tension in the south, but it’s led to a common element that you find in all ATL bands… An Unapologetic Presence. You have to be bold and loud as shit to drown out the peanut gallery.
When do you guys feel most in sync?
When we’re playing shows… there’s just an energy that you can’t beat. For the entire time we’re on the stage, we have to communicate telepathically, which is pretty cool. You get off the stage and you’ve already been in each other’s minds for the last hour. It’s as close as you can be to one another.
LADYGUNN STARBENDERS DOWN AND OUT
The cover art by cover art: Juan Montoya really captures the song in a very Wrinkle in Time, futuristic, 80s, favorite movie soundtrack. How did you guys collaborate on the art?
Juan is one of my favorite local artists. We bonded over our mutual love for KISS, which made a collab super effortless. I sent “Down & Out” over to Juan and told him to just go for it. His aesthetic is out of this world (pun intended). Check him out @montoyablackmagic
What is one magic element about playing together that makes you happy?
Nothing bonds you to another person like going through this shit show together. It’s a kind of intimacy that is definitely magical. In order to make a sword, you have to heat and strike iron over and over again to make it lethal… we’re gettin lethal, baby. - Ladygunn

“‘Blood’ was inspired by an image that I saw of a dark room full of people, with only one person shrouded in a red light,” Kimi Shelter, vocalist/guitarist of Atlanta’s StarBenders explains. “It made me think of running into a past love after not having seen them for a while. Their taste never left your mouth and you feel attached to them telekinetically as they move around the room. After seeing them, the obsession intensifies to the point of utter restlessness.”

The band got an assist on the song, which was recorded at Glow in the Dark Studios in Atlanta, from the studio’s ghosts, she says. “They lent their own contribution of eeriness onto the track.” It’s an eeriness that you can feel throughout the song.

The space lent an other-worldly touch to the video as well. “Inevitably, we wanted to shoot the video there as well. Our Institution Records label mate and friend, Brooklynn, was able to make an appearance on the keys. The camera spins around the room, never settling on one subject. This is a metaphor to the disorienting nature of love and obsession.” - Bullett Magazine

Atlanta-based art-pop outfit Starbenders have released an erie music video for “Powder,” which is culled from a recently released seven-inch. [Photo cred: Ben Rouse]

“‘Powder’ is a love song,” said the band. “It's about the addictive effect that love itself takes, whether for flesh or chemicals. When you're in love with someone or something the things that are thrown away are the most precious. So we live in this dark place biding our time in order to collect the scraps from our beloved. The video ties into this idea through the portrayal of a cult, with lead singer Kimi Shelter as a member. We'd do anything for our leader, even kill for him. We are not lost.”

Check out the unsettling clip below and be sure to leave us a comment with your thoughts. - Alternative Press

When rebellious Rock’n’Roll band Starbenders approached INDIE to be the catalyst for their new music video release we jumped at the opportunity to not only push their release but also to have a little chat with these up and coming rock’n’rollers!

Who all is in Starbenders and what are their roles in the band?
Kimi Shelter, lead singer and guitarist from Atlanta, GA
Katie Herron, drummer from Huntsville, AL
Kriss Tokaji, lead guitarist from Atlanta, GA
Aaron Lecesne, bassist from Atlanta, GA

How long has the band been together and how did you get started?
The band has been together for 2 years. We got started after Kimi Shelter began working with producer Nico Constantine. We’d all been in other bands and known one another for a while and it was the perfect time to get together.

Why did you decide to name the band Starbenders?
Kimi: My vision of the band has been clear and uncut since the beginning. We wanted a name to carry the tradition of glam. In the midst of a celestial brainstorm, the name revealed itself to me.

Tell me about how everyone got into being musicians?
The genesis of our individual crafts are parallel amongst us all. We all love rock n’ roll and were automatically allured by the mysticism of being performers. Each one of us are relatively self taught; born with the ability to channel our callings from a young age.

Christian Cody | Brooklyn | 2016Photographer Christian Cody
Clothing by Sav Noir

First song you ever wrote?
The band’s first song was a track called ‘Abduct Me’. It’s unreleased, but it’s become a throwback crowd favourite.

What is it about music that you love the most?
Through selling freedom, we get to walk the path of being free men and women. Music allows us to journey into any realm we require.

What is the greatest struggle about being involved in music?
There are dark sides to every party, but we have to trust our struggle. It’s part of our journey so we try to use all that we encounter, whether it’s positive or negative.

How would you describe the band in 3 words?
Intergalactic, romantic, thunderous

Does Starbenders have a code, a motto to live by?
Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. -Nietzsche


Describe the perfect gig?
When the band is telepathically connected to one another and the energy of the room propels us forward into a blacked out adrenaline stupor.

You say your music comes from “this misunderstood state of mind—a snotty teenage attitude toward life”. As you guys get older how do you hold on to this teenage attitude?
Part of youth is being under the impression that you can change the world. There are a lot of things about the world that are terrifyingly unjust. We carry the torch of the unspoken, and in that way maintain a “teenage attitude”. Rebellion is built into the foundation of the band.

What is the song blood about? How did writing this song come about?
Blood was inspired by an image that I saw of a dark room full of people, with only one person shrouded in a red light. It made me think of running into a past love after not having seen them for a while. Their taste never left your mouth and you feel attached to them telekinetically as they move around the room. After seeing them, the obsession intensifies to the point of utter restlessness. We cut the song from the floor at Glow in the Dark studios in Atlanta, GA. The song seemed to appeal to the ghosts of the studio, as they lent their own contribution of eeriness onto the track.

What are your biggest non-music influences?
Love is the truest inspiration of art.

What’s next for Starbenders?
We’re soon to be releasing our new full length record “Heavy Petting”. It’s an exciting release for us. The band plans to embark upon new territory in the next year, both sonically and physically. - Indie Magazine

For those of you who haven’t been paying attention, StarBenders have been unleashing their brand of dark, androgynous glam rock on Atlanta’s music scene since the band’s inception two years ago. Their new single, “Blood,” taken from their upcoming album, Heavy Petting, continues on the stylish path their platform shoes have forged.

Recorded and shot at Matt Goldman’s Glow in the Dark Studios, “Blood” starts off with a slow, almost mesmerizing bass and drum intro over which frontwoman Kimi Shelter toils and twitches like she’s casting a spell upon the ears and eyes of her audience. The chorus completely flips the song into a frenzy, speeding up the tempo, and allowing Shelter to unleash her howling vocals.

The video, in turn, focuses on the band performing, with the camera swirling and spinning around the room, matching the dizzying effect of the lyrics. In addition to the group’s lineup of Shelter (guitar/vocals), Aaron Lecesne (bass), Katie Herron (drums), and Kriss Tokaji (guitar), labelmate Brooklynn makes an appearance on keyboards, which serves as payback, if you will, for StarBenders serving as the backing band in her video for “What I Need.” All in all, it’s a solid effort from a band that’s starting to make waves in Atlanta and beyond.

Recently, I had a brief conversation with Lecesne on the band’s upcoming album. When I asked him about the title, here’s what he had to say:

“Our music in some ways celebrates youthful rebellion, and we thought Heavy Petting embodied that kind of rebellion in a sort of innocent way. And you know, there’s an undeniable sexual component to the topics we explore in our songs, anyway, so the album name fit right in with what we’re about as artists and was a good way to hint at the overall theme of the album given the subject matter of the songs.” - Immersive Atlanta

We’re guessing the benders this Atlanta quartet usually go on probably don’t involve astronomy, although they might end up on the ground staring up a lot. And Starbenders‘ vocals kind of sound like snotty Martians chirping over bubblegum glam that gets a bit wah-wah pedal space-oozey towards the coda. So we’ll allow there may be a future of interstellar discovery for this band. But for now, it’s a late summer run through the midwest and east coast and work on their debut album that’s in the works.
This here Paper Beats Rock is the premiere of one of the two tunes on their new digital single after an EP earlier this year. Start your own bender, below. - CMJ

Earlier this year, Atlanta indie-rock act Starbenders released their Powder b/w Diet Soda 7-inch. It not only showed the group shedding their “bubblegum punk” origins in favor of darker tones, but it also was a step toward a more prolific output. They already have a new LP ready for release sometime in the near future. But before that, they’re preparing yet another 7-inch set to be released August 18th via Institution Records.

The single’s A-side, “Brake”, continues the bands trend of intense, raucous jams. The escalating guitar and vocal lines seem to climb throughout the track, sounding like they’re approaching some momentous peak. Then the song drops the tension, opening up for a bright hook with choppy chords and snapping drums. It’s a push-and-pull between these competing ideas, resulting in a heavy rallying cry. - Consequence of Sound

Some people revile their teenage years. Others spend entire lives trying to relive them. For guitarist and singer Kimi Shelter, her years spent navigating the turbulent waters of teen angst were inspiring enough to form the basis for her band Starbenders. In its brief two-year lifespan, the angst-riddled grunge rock outfit has carved out an impressive fan base enamored with the quartet's ability to translate hazy memories of suburban rebellion into a crude mix of glam, punk, and grizzled throwback rock 'n' roll. "What better thing to do than write about the best time of your life and cling desperately to never having to be a grown-up?" Shelter asks.

Growing up in a small South Georgia town across the state line from Jacksonville, Fla., Shelter, who prefers to keep her birth name off the record, was the lone punk girl living out the classic maligned punk existence. She hung out around skate parks catching whatever half-baked band was playing and dodging cops after curfew. "I think back to those times and they were the best," she says. "Everything is so fucking amazing and exciting."

Afraid her daughter would descend into delinquency, Shelter's mother sent her to a wayward youth nature camp where she befriended drummer Katie Herron. They bonded over music and made a pact to one day form a rock 'n' roll band of their own. The two spent their college years apart, and Shelter began cutting her teeth in Atlanta's garage rock underground, taking inspiration from the caustic sounds of bands such as the Coathangers, Black Lips, and Subsonics. "If Atlanta has anything that we're known for, it's being violent and confrontational as far as the music goes," she says. "The gnarliness of the scene was definitely a big influence."

After playing in various bands, Shelter began crystallizing the aesthetic of Starbenders and tapped Herron to play drums.

"There were all of these bands that I was obsessed with in middle and high school and there was this element to them that I hadn't heard recently, so I started writing in the spirit of that music," Shelter says. "[Starbenders] is the most me thing I've ever done."

She specifically points to the iconic lyric: "All I wanted was a Pepsi, just one Pepsi, and she wouldn't give it to me!" monologue from Suicidal Tendencies' Reagan-era punk classic "Institutionalized" as an influence, in addition to songs by the Cramps, Pixies, and Brand New.

Starbenders' self-titled debut EP, released late last year, takes the unrestrained grit of those influences and polishes it over with the smooth sheen of pop production.

Even though it was the band's debut, the EP had decades of experience built into it. Atlanta mainstay and Lady Gaga alum Nico Constantine produced the EP and gave it the same rock 'n' roll gloss he provided on garage rock outfit Biters' second EP, It's OK to Like Biters. Jeff Bakos, whose résumé includes working with punk staples such as the Anti-Heros and GG Allin, recorded and engineered the release.

Shelter's lyrics seem torn from a fresh, tear-stained page of a teenage girl's diary. "Please don't hate me baby/That's just how the devil made me" from "Bitches Be Witches" contrast with more straightforward lines such as "It'd be so grand if you'd be my man/Ask me to the dance and hold my hand" from "Enchantment Under the Sea."

The EP stays true to its loud-quiet-loud grunge roots, but moments of weirdness including the mangled horn breakdown on "Alter Boy" stray from well-worn rock tropes.

Starbenders' second release, the "Powder/Diet Coke" 7-inch, offers more glimmers of the band securing its footing among Atlanta's countless garage rock bands. "Powder" pushes the lyrics past high school, ruminating on the dangers of cocaine addiction.

So far, Shelter says the band is focused on releasing a steady stream of singles and EPs before a proper full-length arrives.

The new songs will be "more wiry," she says, and will continue to explore some of the darker sides of being a teenager: dealing with sexual harassment as a young girl.

In the meantime, Starbenders has felt a rare amount of success for such a young band. Shelter insists the greatest benefit has been providing the same connection to teenagers that Suicidal Tendencies and the Cramps provided for her. "I can't wait to get to the point where more and more kids can come and listen to our music and we can be a kind of halfway house for all these kids," she says. "Some people still want to be a part of that halfway home no matter what their age." - Creative Loafing

Atlanta’s Starbenders have done a lot of growing up in the last two years. When the quartet first formed in 2013, they thrived on what frontwoman Kimi Shelter referred to as “blasphemous candy-coated bubblegum punk.” This energy carried them through their self-titled EP, which saw the band embracing those rowdy ethos with tracks like “Bitches Be Witches” and “Bat On A Leash”. But there’s a looming darkness behind all the mayhem, a vibe they’re tapping into directly for their upcoming 7-inch out later this year via Institution Records.

The disc’s A-side, “Powder”, could be considered a buzzkill compared to their past work. While their EP glorified debauchery, this new track paints a bleak picture of drug use. Shelter gives a low croon over slowcore guitars, talking about leaving her spine behind and doing lines of cocaine. It isn’t until the chorus that she brings back her fierce snarl, providing a well-earned release. Given the band’s bright and bratty past, there’s an added poignancy to the song; it’s a glimpse at what it’s like to realize the old vices are starting to lose their fun. It’s all packaged in the band’s matured sound, laden with the heavy distortion of growing old. Listen in below.

https://soundcloud.com/starbenders/powder - Consequence of Sound

The Atlanda outfit Starbenders’ frontwoman Kimi Shelter has described their music as “blasphemous candy-coated bubblegum punk.” “Blasphemous” may be a bit hyperbolic, but there’s no doubt an irreverence to Starbenders’ music, one that’s delivered through a sarcastically sugar-sweet image. Case in point: “Diet Soda”, the B-side to the group’s upcoming “Powder” 7-inch release. Although the tune itself is sunny and catchy at times, particularly in the verses, Shelter really lets it wail in the chorus, with the attention-grabbing line “Am I still beautiful to you with this blood on my hands?” becoming the most distinctive feature of the track.

As Shelter puts it to PopMatters, “I was staring at myself in the mirror at a bar one night after I had some drinks in me. Just looked into myself and said, ‘Am I still beautiful to you with this blood on my hands?’ Maybe a spirit traveled into me at that moment. I guess I channeled some woman on the run, a woman who had been persecuted.” - Pop Matters

When we were hit with the new track from Starbenders – described using Iggy Pop, Nirvana and Katy Perry in the same breath — we were instantly hooked.
‘Rock N Roll Boyfriend’ is a tasty track with infectious vocals and a nonstop groovy rock rhythm, and today (Jan. 8), Diffuser is beyond excited to premiere the tune’s official music video — you can check it out above.
As catchy and irresistible as the studio track is, the accompanying visuals are even more mesmerizing. Directed by Josh the Orange and produced by Nico Constantine and Jason Kingsland, ‘Rock N Roll Boyfriend’ is a straightforward (and trippy) addition to Starbenders’ portfolio.
“This song is a quick jab to the throat, so we wanted a visual that carried the same spirit,” lead singer Kimi Shelter tells us. “The video for ‘Paranoid’ by Black Sabbath is what gave us the idea for a performance in front of a green screen. The color choices and images we went with are really rippin’.”
She goes on, “Those colors have a bit of a kawaii thing going on, mixed with comic book art. People that take this s–t too seriously are just not going to get it, which is fine because don’t play for the sissified. When we were shooting, it was great becase we were able to knock it out in a few takes. It’s an IDGAF song, so we could not give a f–k while shooting.”
As for some of the more convulsing shots found in ‘Rock N Roll Boyfriend,’ Shelter explains, “There’s a video of Iggy Pop performing ‘Five Foot One’ on the ‘Tomorrow’ show with Tom Snyder; that inspired a lot of the camera spasms.”
If you like what you hear — and we’re guessing you absolutely do — make sure to stay up-to-date with everything happening in Starbenders’ world (including their current tour schedule) at their official Tumblr here.


Read More: Starbenders, 'Rock N Roll Boyfriend' - Exclusive Premiere | http://diffuser.fm/starbenders-rock-n-roll-boyfriend-exclusive-premiere/?trackback=tsmclip - Diffuser

Although Starbenders identify themselves as a “female fronted punk ‘n’ roll band,” the group’s earliest recordings hardly sound D.I.Y. Instead, the band's initial sonic offerings incorporate punk, glam, and bubblegum influences into danceable modern rock. If future offerings are as solid as “Rock ‘n’ Roll Boyfriend,” which blends angst-riddled and time-tested rock with the sex appeal of today’s pop hits, these newcomers have a bright future. The band’s debut EP is dropping soon, and the first 15 people through the door at Saturday’s show at the Masquerade will get a free advance copy. - Creative Loafing

On their Tumblr page, up-and-coming rockers StarBenders describe their sound as akin to “Iggy Pop playing 7 minutes in heaven with Katy Perry.” It’s a bold and playful declaration, one that’s befitting of the group’s youthful presence. However, the Iggy Pop comparison also hints at the punk edge that rears its head throughout the otherwise thoroughly poppy songs StarBenders play. “Touch”, a tune from their forthcoming self-titled EP, is an ideal representation of the band’s style.

Singer and guitarist Kimi Shelter tells PopMatters about the song, “Me and my producer Nico Constantine have an inside joke—if something strikes me as material for a song, I say, ‘I’ll have it on your desk by tomorrow morning.’ We always have a good laugh about it. The day I came up with “Touch,” I asked him what I should write about. He said, ‘You need a song about sex.’

“I’m like, ‘No problem—I know a little bit about that.’ ‘Touch’ was born out of the initial riff you hear at the beginning of the song, and the rest of the music is built around that. It was one of those songs I didn’t have to force—I was just along for the ride.

“In the first verse, the female is empowered. There’s a line where she’s talking to the guy—‘It’s pretty cute that you think you’re in control.’ Then, in the second verse, I decided to pull it back and bring out a more vulnerable side. Girls always act tough when they’re in pursuit, but after the deed is done, that’s when the vulnerability comes out. This song shows vulnerability on both sides, both from the man being pursued and the woman afterward. The girl’s in control in the beginning, and the boy’s in control by the end. Which is something I identify with. I always joke around that I need to be put in my place. There’s nothing sexier than that.” - PopMatters

We can get all wacky with visuals in music, and I'm sure I've shared with EARMILK readers some of the most peculiar of video complements. However, maybe the best way to portray your art through video is to leave it sweet and simple, so that way the music cultivates the following, instead of the ability to cut and produce videos (although that is an immensely important skill to have).

Atlanta-based indie band (which is not something you hear everyday) Starbenders just released a new video for their track "Touch" and I'm thoroughly impressed by their simple nature. It's a black and white ensemble of the band in live form, strumming and executing their tune in an entertaining way. Nothing to complex, yet very effective.

Front-lady Kimi Shelter of Starbenders explains, "I write from my 14-year-old self, and I'm still very in tune with that self because that's the age when you really start to understand and appreciate music, and it was the age when I started to create myself as I am today. Now, when I write something, I ask myself, 'If I was 14 and heard this, would I flip my shit over it? If the answer's yes, I know it's good enough."

The video is in, but their self-titled debut EP is out this fall on Institution Records, and was produced by Nico Constantine (Biters, Coathangers, Lady Gaga). He's not the only seasoned member on the project, the EP was also recorded and mixed by Jeff Bakos (The Woggles, Anti-Heros, GG Allin), and mastered by Jeff Golden (Sonic Youth, Black Flag, Bad Brains). The immense amount of experience backing this young group is enough for me to keep them on my radar.

Watch "Touch" below and enjoy more tunes in the future. Loving this rock-movement of the fall... - Earmilk

True rock & roll, at its core, lives in that youthful, unjaded space between adolescence and adulthood. Smoking cigarettes behind the bowling alley with your friends. Cruising the suburbs aimlessly for hours blasting your favorite bands because it's the only thing that makes life bearable. Sneaking out and getting busted by the cops for being at the skatepark after curfew. Awakening to the fact that you're an outsider, but realizing through the songs you're listening to that it's not a bad thing to be.

Atlanta band StarBenders' "blasphemous candy-coated bubblegum punk," as frontgirl Kimi Shelter calls it, is teenage rebellion, pure and concentrated—the transcendent rock & roll antidote to the suffocating environment that spawned it. "I write from my 14-year-old self," Shelter says, "and I'm still very in tune with that self because that's the age when you really start to understand and appreciate music, and it was the age when I started to create myself as I am today. Now, when I write something, I ask myself, 'If I was 14 and heard this, would I flip my shit over it? If the answer's yes, I know it's good enough."

StarBenders' self-titled debut EP—out this week on Institution Records—was produced by Nico Constantine (Biters, Coathangers, Lady Gaga), recorded and mixed by Jeff Bakos (The Woggles, Anti-Heros, GG Allin), and mastered by Jeff Golden (Sonic Youth, Black Flag, Bad Brains). "The new EP represents a very genuine moment for me," Shelter says. "Everything is coming from this persecuted mind frame—this snotty schoolgirl attitude toward life. Which is autobiographical—I was the little punk kid in a small town. A lot of the songs deal with saying or feeling things that put you on the outside, but then embracing that. And there's also a sexuality to it—a very animalistic, schoolgirl view of sexuality." StarBenders formed late in 2013, but for Shelter and drummer Katie Herron, its genesis lies deeper in their past—at a wilderness-therapy camp for troubled kids. Even at her teenage worst, Shelter was pretty innocent—mostly, she just liked being out and around people, listening to music and going to shows.

But in the tiny Georgia town where she lived, the police didn't have much better to do than hassle punk kids. "If you were skateboarding where you shouldn't be, you got booked," she says. "If you were under 18 and out past curfew, you got taken to the police station. I was arrested for all kinds of ridiculous shit—stuff like littering. I was arrested five or six times before I was 15." Terrified her daughter would end up on drugs, Shelter's recovered-alcoholic ex-flower-child mother was accordingly strict. Herron came from a different and even more austere background, her dad a Pentecostal tent preacher near Huntsville, Ala.—the kind that lays hands on people, speaking in tongues while they fall backward into ecstatic, near-epileptic fits of salvation.

So Shelter's and Herron's parents shipped them off to a nature-healing camp in the middle of nowhere to get 'em good and rehabilitated. "The whole troubled-youth industry is big business—and a total crock of bullshit," Shelter says. "It reminds me of that Suicidal Tendencies song 'Institutionalized'—'I just wanted a Pepsi, Mom!' But that camp is where I met Katie, so at least something good came of it. She was fascinating to me—so quiet, but so scrappy. Katie has always been mysterious to me, but at the same time, from the beginning, we had an understanding."
The two made a pact that someday they'd start a rock & roll band together. After they left camp behind, they kept in touch for the rest of high school, visiting each other whenever possible. During college, they went their separate ways, both playing in bands, their musical personalities slowly emerging and evolving until Shelter's recent rock & roll visions drew them back together in StarBenders. "All of a sudden," Shelter says, "Katie was right there with me like we were 14 again, being assholes in the wilderness. It's so rare in life that you actually stand by one of the million things you shouted you were gonna do at that age. I'm so glad Katie's in this band with me now. She's a phenomenal drummer, and we're a dynamic duo in a lot of ways. When we're out at the bar after a show, we're like two hyenas in the background, cackling and talking shit."

Shelter and Herron are joined in StarBenders by rhythm guitarist Kyle Gordon and bassist Aaronious Monk. The former they discovered playing with his old band Kill Gordon in Birmingham. ("He captured me when I saw him play," Shelter says. "He had these really interesting moves—kinda reminded of me of Dex from the Flat Duo Jets.")

And the latter they found outside infamous Atlanta dive the Star Bar after Monk was booted in the wake of a bar fight. "Aaron has this evil genius thing about him," Shelter says. "He's the guy that will come up to you and start talking physics in the middle of a bar. The night we met, he was deep into some argument with this guy about some untouchable topic like religion or politics. After a while, the guy started getting aggressive. Of course, everybody's looking, and this dude was twice his size, and Aaron was just standing defiantly in front of him still trying to state his point—finally, they come to blows and the bouncer ends up throwing Aaron out. I went to check on him, and he was sitting on the curb smoking a cigarette with a busted lip. I sat down, we started talking and we've been friends ever since."

"Everybody in the band is a defiant punk," Shelter says. "Katie. Aaron. And Kyle was a lone wolf, too. That's why we work so well together. It's one of those situations where different paths lead to the same place." And in that place, StarBenders are now making powerful music that conjures the same depth of feeling, newness and electricity that hits you when you're a wide-eyed kid at your first rock show. Will your 14-year-old self flip over it? Hell yes. It's that good.

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