Page 17 - Black Velvet Rock Magazine Issue 114

BV114 pg 14-19 Austen Starr Interview.qxp_BV114 pg 17 10/06/2026 21:26 Page 4

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50,000, so, OK, some people are watching it! It Come the album release date, Austen was about the two sides of me that want to be a
has much exceeded expectations. 50,000 is a a little less nervous. She explains, "Because, singer and a musician and a performer and the
lot more than seven! And the feedback has been with the release of the singles from July to De- really tortured side versus the really excited side
mostly positive, which also surprises me. cember (2025), it kinda eased people into what and that is really where the tortured side comes
"It doesn't surprise me in terms of Joel, as to expect. It eased people into what my voice in. When I'm stepping into this spotlight kind of
an amazing musician, and Steve Ferlazzo [key- sounds like and those are some of my biggest role, where I'm being interviewed, my album is
boards, who has worked with Avril Lavigne], hang-ups. What my voice sounds like, whether being reviewed and critiqued, people are listen-
Chloe Lowery [backing vocalist of Trans-Siber- my style is OK. So, easing them in with the sin- ing and commenting and watching the videos.
ian Orchestra fame] and Chris Collier [bass and gles over a six-month span, that really helped "Those videos, those are all my fears com-
drums, who has played with Mick Mars and Lita with my anxiety when the album was first re- ing to life because every insecurity is right there,
Ford]. They are all amazing musicians. But I am leased, as, by that time, I was like, ‘Do it! Put it out on the table. So, that is the fears coming to
not super confident with my voice, so I have the out!’ I was really eager for it to come out into the life, and the monsters crawling into the light is
feeling that I am, you know, bopping along, try- world. what comes after the insecurities. All the
ing to do it, but not quite there. Like doggy pad- "But I am still very anxious about comments demons in my brain that are telling me, ‘You're
dling my way through a storm!" and reviews and things like that. I don't Google not good enough, you're not a good enough
myself. I don't go back to YouTube videos and singer to be doing this. You're not going to be
he album coming out was a dream come read the comments. Well, I do from time to time, able to keep and retain this kind of career, it's
Ttrue for the singer. She tells us, "I've but I find it very scary. When I'm reading a re- going to be a one and done type of thing.’ All
wanted to do this my whole life. I've wanted to view, I am always, ‘They're gonna hate it, they're these things which come into my brain after all
be a musician my whole life. I think, since the gonna hate it, they're gonna say something these insecurities were brought forward be-
album has escaped my hands and become part mean.’ And then, I'm like, ‘Oh, this really nice, cause these were things that I was packing
of the world, the new dream is now to do live so what is the catch?’” down by not releasing any music ever!"
shows, but the ultimate goal for me is, I want to So, if things were not quite so nerve-racking
see people singing the lyrics back at me. That when the album was released, what about when ne of the standout tracks on the album
is when I will know that I have made it! the first single was? Perhaps unsurprisingly, it Ois 'Read Your Mind'. We ask her if she
"I'm primarily a lyricist. My main instrument wasn't the same story. "So, when 'I Am The had the ability read someone's mind, whose
is the pen. So, I really want and hope someone Enemy' [the single] was released on July 16, would she like to read?
will latch on to something in the lyrics, whether 2025, I still remember the date because it was She replies, "Taylor Swift. She is an amaz-
it's, ‘I like the line, ‘I'm sorry your day can't be that big of a deal! When it was released, I didn't ing business woman and she really knows how
saved’ or ‘Hard to see heroes lose their faith’, know what to expect. I didn't know if anyone was to market herself, and if I could learn her tricks
please sing that back to me!’ I would love to see going to like it, I didn't know if anyone was going by reading her mind and seeing what she is
people connecting to the lyrics and jamming to to watch the video or listen to the song. I was re- doing, I would be on top of the world."
them." ally anxious thinking people were going to hate Having asked about the minds she would
my voice and then say all these mean things in like to read, it's only polite to ask what might
ith the album's title happen if someone could
Wtrack in mind, we “That is actually one of the best pieces of ad- read her mind and, if they
ask Austen if she ever be- could, what would they dis-
lieves herself to be an enemy vice Joel ever gave me. He said, ‘Just do it.’ Be- cover. "They would scream,"
of herself. Her answer is im- cause you don't know if you'll have this she tells us, without a second
mediate. "100% I am! I am my of thought.
own worst enemy." opportunity again.” - Austen Starr "If someone could read
When asked why, she lets my mind, they would discover
out a laugh. "You know, I am there are a lot of thoughts
not entirely sure why! I think it is my own brain the YouTube comments but, overall, the reaction happening all at once, most of them self-depre-
against itself. I mean, it is one organ, so it should was really positive. cating and almost all of them are self-focused.
be a cohesive being, like, this is me and I am "Sure, there were a few mean comments And, by that, I don't mean in a narcissistic, self-
going to do my thing. But, instead, it fights here and there but, overall, it was a really posi- absorbed kind of self-focused. I mean inwardly
against me, every step of the way. tive reaction and that surprised me so much. So, targeted.
"I have really bad anxiety and I tend to over- when the single came out, I was a nervous "It's all the mean things that I imagine peo-
think everything. The vocals that I track or the wreck for a week and a half leading to the re- ple thinking about me, but it's all coming from
lyrics I write. On that song, I showed those lyrics lease day, especially because I was having to my own brain."
to Joel and asked ‘Should I rewrite this whole post on Facebook and Instagram to tease it, so, Our interpretation of ‘Read Your Mind’ is that
thing? I think it's stupid,’ and he was like, ‘Ab- every time I posted something, I was like, ‘Oh it is about potentially changing yourself to make
solutely not!’ So, those are the lyrics, whether I god, this is actually happening!’ But, having a relationship which isn't working, work, or, at
thought they were stupid or not. showed people the first four tracks off the album, least, work better. Austen kindly clarifies this for
"And the way to overcome it…" her voice as they were the singles we released, so show- us.
trails off slightly as she pauses for consideration. ing people what to expect at the beginning of the "I think, because, in a relationship, it's more
"I don't think I have overcome it and I don't think album at least and the different styles you would of a negotiation, so it's less of a change yourself
I ever will… but, just do it. Just doing it. Just put- see on the album, I didn't think people would be to be acceptable to this person and more moni-
ting out the album. Just recording the vocals. completely surprised when they listened to the tor what you are saying so that you are not, like,
Just putting those words on paper. That is actu- whole thing. outwardly insulting them, or, you know, just, like,
ally one of the best pieces of advice Joel ever "But people didn't know what to think when negotiating things, like, sometimes, you know,
gave me. He said, ‘Just do it.’ Because you don't the single, 'I Am The Enemy', came out. I think it people will engage in hobbies that they really
know if you'll have this opportunity again. sounds like it's going to be a much darker, heav- don't like, but their partner is super into, just be-
"He said, ‘I don't care what you think of your- ier kinda track, but it's actually a more sarcastic cause they love their partner.
self, just do it,’ so, I was like, ‘OK, just do it!’" way of looking at things. The music video has "So, you know, like, if my boyfriend wanted
This advice has helped the self-described the two sides of myself. There is the side who is to watch anime, I would watch anime. I'm not an
‘anxiety monster’ with the things she finds to be really excited, singing into a hairbrush in her anime fan really, but, if my boyfriend was like,
difficult. "Having an attitude of, ‘screw it! We're bedroom, who really wants to be a singer, and, ‘Hey, I totally want to watch this show with you,’
gonna do it!’ That has served me so well. With- then, there is the side who is completely tortured ‘OK, sure.’
out it, I wouldn't have made this album, it would- by it and in a mental institution, and she can't get "But, I think, in the song, the way I kind of
n't have happened. over her own demons, and, in the end, they turn meant it was like, I would if I could read your
"I started writing it in 2022, and it wasn't fin- into the singer version and what I present as the mind. I would understand how better to treat you
ished until 2025, and that is mostly my fault. For front-facing Austen Starr." and how better to act towards you, in how do
not tracking the vocals over the course of a year you want to be loved. The whole thing about five
where I didn't finish because I was so anxious he title track includes the lyric, ‘You'll see wealth languages and all that stuff.
about it. I remember Joel being like, ‘Are you Tyour fears will come to life, your mon- "So, it's like, you know, say you're really
doing this or not?’ And I was like, ‘I have to do sters crawl into the light’. She says it was in re- doing a lot of acts of service, but they like words
this.’ So getting into that mindset of ‘Screw it, lation to the two sides that she possesses. of affirmations. That kind of thing. It's more like,
we're doing it anyway,’ helped a lot." "When I was writing the song, it was kind of I was unable to communicate with this person
AUSTEN STARR