Starcharm Present New Single/Video, "Wake Up," via Angel Tapes / FIre Talk

Starcharm is the Chicago-based recording project of Elena Buenrostro. Formed in the dissolution of Buenrostro’s cult-favorite band Soft and Dumb, Starcharm announced their signing to Fire Talk Records’ emerging artists imprint Angel Tapes (Jawdropped, shower curtain, Retail Drugs) late last summer alongside their debut single, “The Color Clear.” Today, Starcharm return to unveil their new single/video, “Wake Up.”

In the spirit of its predecessor, “Wake Up” captures the real-time highs and lows of a band’s genesis. Where “The Color Clear” honed in on the kinetic rush of a new project’s first thrills, “Wake Up” settles into the discomfort of keeping that Sisyphean ball rolling. “Wake up, wake up, wake up // Girl, don’t lose it,” Buenrostro intones atop her own chugging guitarline, Jasmin Feliciano’s intricate bass, and Amaya Peña’s skeletal percussion. “Pick up the pace // Release some new music.” Probing the internal artistic dialogue through layers of cavernous indie rock, “Wake Up” is as immediate as it is relatable. “Wake up, wake up, wake up // Pay attention // Rockstars — they never make it in heaven.”

“Wake Up” is presented alongside an evocative music video helmed by Peña. Filmed around Starcharm’s home-base of Chicago, Buenrostro adorns angel wings through grocery stores, bungalow apartments, and wintry city streets. It’s a striking accompaniment that gestures toward Starcharm’s singular, DIY vision.

Watch Starcharm's "Wake Up" Music Video

Starcharm emerge from Chicago’s ever-reliable indie community. As profiled in Chicago Reader, Starcharm “have expended the scene significantly,” debuting amidst a particularly ripe chapter of releases. Their peers include Joe Glass, Sharp Pins, TV Buddha and more, with the latter tapping Starcharm for an illustrious New Now session. Helmed by underground ringleader Eli Schmitt, New Now has captured countless performances from the like of Horsegirl, National Photo Committee, and Lifeguard, among others. Simultaneously, Starcharm caught wind by relentlessly playing Chicago’s vast network of independent venues and DIY spaces, and shortly after inked their partnership with Angel Tapes, “the Fire Talk imprint [which] has quickly scaled by supporting smaller projects with independent label infrastructure” (Bandcamp). In the weeks following the release of debut single “The Color Clear,” the band embarked on a brief tour with Fire Talk alumni Dehd, further cementing Starcharm’s spot in Chicago’s lineage of forward-thinking, left-of-center rock.

This Friday, January 30th, Starcharm will perform as part of Tomorrow Never Knows Festival at Schubas Tavern for an Angel Tapes Showcase. Alongside Chicago peers Immaterialize and ira glass, Starcharm will also be joined by their coastal labelmates Jawdropped and Retail Drugs. Tickets are on sale now and available here.