Starstruck Avenue

Where did the name "Starstruck Avenue" come from?
The name Starstruck Avenue came from a little garage band Adam and Felice put together at 13 years old.

How did you guys put this band together?
Felice: Basically Me and Adams band broke up and at the exact same time Steve and Dereks band "Say it Sooner" broke up so from there we decided to form a new Starstruck Avenue. From a young age we all knew that we wanted to pursue a career as musicians so we didn't hesitate to start jamming right away.

Your album "Walk Away" was released last week. How exciting was it?
After nearly a year of working on it ,we were extremely excited to release the album to the public. It is definitely one of our greatest achievements as a band so far!

How have people responded to it so far? We heard it and we absolutely loved it. Great job!
Thank you ! We've been getting tons of good feedback so far! We are so happy that people are enjoying the album just as much as we are.

How was the recording process for this album?
As much as it was really long process, we enjoyed ever minute of it. Half of the record was actually recorded in a church located in Farnham, Quebec which once belonged to The Arcade Fire. So that was really thrilling for us !

Is there a particular song you’re especially proud of on the record?
We are proud of all our songs but in particular we really enjoyed writing and playing Reminisce, track number 9 on the album. We really stepped out of our comfort zone with that song by adding the funk element to the song.

Hard question here... What are your top five favorite pop punk songs?
1- Slow down by The Academy is..
2- Fat Lip -Sum 41
3- Misery business by Paramore
4- Make Danm Sure by Taking Back Sunday
5- High Regard by The Story So Far

Have these artists influenced your musical style for your album?
They definitely have but at the same time we are trying to deviate from the generic Pop Punk sound by adding the Funk Element to our songs while still remaining true to the genre.

And to finish... Any big plans or goals for 2015?
Our goal for 2015 is to get our music to the ears of every kid who have been going through the same struggles as us growing up. We are currently trying to put a little tour together to help us achieve this goal. - Valentine K

On March 20th, Montreal-based punk band Starstruck Avenue released their inspirational debut album, Walk Away, at a great show at Petit Campus. Its down-to-earth members, Adam Radimiri, Felice Mendicino, Derek Mota, and Steve Mota, kindly took the time to sit down with me to talk about music, perseverance, family, and fishing.

What part of Montreal are you guys from?

Adam and Felice: East End. Rivière-des-Prairies.

Derek and Steve: Saint-Michel. We’re half from Saint-Michel, half Rivière-des-Prairies.

Adam: We’re all from the ‘hood.

How long have you been playing together?

Steve: Five years.

How did you guys meet?

Felice: Well, actually, me and Adam went to school together.

Steve: And me and Derek came into this world together.

Felice: I saw Steve playing a show with his band back in 2010.

Adam: And we decided to form Starstruck Avenue.

How long have you each been playing music?

Felice: It’s eleven years for me.

Adam: My dad always had a Fender Stratocaster. As a kid I used to freak out over it, and he gave it to me one day. From there I just always played it.

Derek: Me and my brother, we’ve been playing since the age of ten, so it’s about eleven years now.

Steve: Half our lives.

Derek: More than half of our lives.

What’s the inspiration behind your album?

Adam: Things that hurt in life.

Steve: A lot of rough times.

Adam: And stuff like that. That’s the most powerful on the album.

Felice: Also, we chose a different life than most kids our age. We’re going all in with music so it’s really about going your own way and being your own person and being yourself, believing that no matter what path you go in to keep going and being yourself.

Do you find you enjoy recording yourselves or performing live better?

Derek: Live.

Steve: Performing. Yeah, definitely.

Felice: Personally, I like recording.

Adam: I like recording too.

Derek: Recording is stressful.

Adam: Yeah, it is stressful.

Who are your musical inspirations?

Adam: System of a Down. Their characteristics are sick, man.

Felice: Angus Young from AC/DC.

Steve: Just any drummer.

Derek: A lot of musicians, but it was mostly, when I was ten, my dad teaching me music and everything.

How did you come up with your name?

Adam: It was a buddy of ours.

Felice: Yeah, a buddy of ours. We used to practice with this guy back in the day, and we came up with name together. We just stuck with that.

Adam: We played in a band with him and then he left but we stayed with the band, you know.

How would you describe your music in a few words?

Adam: I have a headache.

Felice: No, it’s loud man. Funk.

Steve: Funk, punk, crunk, runk.

Adam: Slam dunk.

Steve: Yes sir, Miller.

Derek: It’s inspiring, lyrically.

Steve: Inspirational rock.

I noticed a lot of your music has to do with not having to fit in, and how we should never give up. If you were to speak to someone who is being bullied or suffering from a mental illness such as depression, what advice would you give them?

Felice: I’m pretty sure we’ve all been there. Don’t give up. It’s only the story so far.

Adam: There’s always a light at the end of the tunnel.

Steve: The one thing I’ve got to say about bullying is that school is one thing. Once you’re out of school, man, it’s a whole different game, so don’t worry about what’s going on dramatically in school.

What are your plans for the coming year? What are you looking forward to the most?

Felice: Touring.

Derek: Recording an album.

Felice: Yeah, recording an album, but mainly touring. We’d like to get out of Montreal and see what’s out there.

Derek: Exploring new places.

What places would you like to explore?

Adam: Definitely Ontario.

Derek: The southwest.

Steven: Anywhere we can.

Felice: New York, Boston, Jersey.

Derek: Australia.

Steven: So on and so forth.

Out of the venues you’ve played so far, which has been your favourite?

Felice: Olympia.

Derek: Olympia has to be it for Montreal.

Adam: Petit Campus is awesome too.

Why?

Adam: The sound is very good.

Felice: Actually, the last time we played at Olympia, there were about a thousand people, so it was the biggest crowd we’ve ever played in front of. The whole experience itself was just amazing.

What would be your ultimate dream?

Felice: More touring.

Adam: To win a Grammy and to play live in LA.

Derek: I’d be happy to just live off music.

Steven: I just want to wake up and play music.

When you’re not playing music, what are you doing?

Adam: Thinking about music.

Steve: Playing outdoor hockey.

Derek: Working and watching The Sopranos.

Adam: In the summer, I like to fish. - FRANCA G. MIGNACCA

Starstruck Avenue were a welcome jolt of energy. They really left a mark on the audience with their pop-punk sound (think Fall Out Boy/Good Charlotte) and captivating energy. These four young musicians had a rock solid foundation of music and a truly professional presentation that had no dull moments. It was wall to wall one of the best of the night. The whole thing made me forget I was at a competition because it felt more like a Starstruck Avenue concert. Great job fellas! - BEN MASSICOTTE

Starstruck Avenue‘s first song “Walk Away” instantly evoked The Police; funk and pop collided as this four-piece rock outfit lay into the beat. They followed with “Sometimes,” a pop-rock song with raspy vocals, and “Crazy,” which brought me back to Blink 182, featuring start-stop arrangements that kept the music interesting. “Apology” reminded me of Sum 41, followed by “I Used to Be,” a pop-rock tune that got fans singing. Adam Radimiri was met with a loud response when he asked the crowd if they were feeling good tonight. “We’ve Caused a Disaster,” another high-energy rock song with a welcomed ballad-y breakdown, was followed by Weezer’s “Say it Ain’t So,” and it is here I must report something that let me down. During the song, Mr. Radimiri signaled to the soundman to bring up the vocal level. I had trouble understanding the lyrics, and was glad to see Adam requesting more volume. Unfortunately, the soundman was too busy checking his phone to notice the request. To me, this is unacceptable and annoying. Live sound is tough, and it’s shitty as a performer to be working with someone who isn’t attentive. Adam, I feel your pain. The funky and anthemic “Reminisce” showcased Derek Mota’s bass-slapping abilities and his love of the groove. Closing their set was “Only at the start,” a tune that got the musicians huddled together for an instrumental break before thanking the grateful crowd, who returned the favour. - DAVE TONE