Starling is Ian LeFeuvre (lead vocals, guitar), Peter Von Althen (drums, vocals), Danny Michel (guitar/bass, vocals), and Maury LaFoy (bass, vocals).

"We are like the MacGyver's of the recording world. Give us a damp basement with a couple of mics, three feet of rope and a banana peel and we'll make a great record," says singer/songwriter/guitarist Ian LeFeuvre.

Starling is a band made up of accomplished players who are also excellent studio technicians; a band who prefers MIX magazine as night-time reading over Playboy or Sports Illustrated and a band who has a refreshingly tongue-in-cheek world view with a charmingly self-deprecating sense of themselves. But behind the studio-geek aesthetic, there is catchy pop songwriting and crafty lyricism.

The band's debut album, Sustainer, explores the musical possibilities of the timeless lyrical theme, "I want her. I can't have her. I'm depressed." Blending the crunch and punch of modern rock with the warmth and feel of classic rock recordings, Starling's sound is as aggressive as it is atmospheric.

Their story begins in a basement studio below a Lebanese restaurant in Ottawa, Ontario...Starling formed in the summer of 1997 with Ian LeFeuvre and Pete Von Althen. LeFeuvre, a self-taught player who could pluck one-note versions of songs on the guitar the day he picked it up, and Von Althen, a solid timekeeper, had played together for six years. During that time the two had perfected the chemistry between Von Althen's expansive drum style and LeFeuvre's aggressive and airy playing. Eventually, LeFeuvre felt confident enough to step out as a front-man and songwriter. The two started working in Ian's basement studio, pounding out sketches of songs that would later become the building blocks for Sustainer.

In October of 1997, Starling played it's first gig and were soon opening for bands like Silverchair, Guided By Voices and Treble Charger, becoming favorites on the Canadian music scene. The following year, Danny Michel entered the evolving Starling picture. An accomplished songwriter and musician, he was also a home studio fanatic, having recorded and produced a solo album by himself in his apartment. Michel's musical and technical influence instantly figured into the band's blossoming pop landscape. By the end of 1998, the band had recorded and produced an entire album in their basement studio that would soon gain them the interest and attention of the music industry. Admittedly infatuated with the recording process, Starling are as proficient with a mixing board as with their instruments.

Not surprisingly, for Sustainer the trio decided to do the production themselves. "By this point, we'd figured out how most sounds were made whether we were giving a nod to old records we love or translating stuff we heard in our heads," says LeFeuvre. Particularly remarkable, they not only made the album without an outside producer, but also without an engineer - each member took a turn behind the board, watching meters and running tape, while the others were playing. "It's hard to be objective when producing you're own work. One minute you're being too self-indulgent and the next you're just second guessing yourself. It's about finding that delicate balance," says LeFeuvre. "But the great thing is you don't have to ask permission to try out an idea." This hands-on approach allowed the band the time to experiment and perfect their sound.

With the band's continually evolving musical influences, Sustainer traverses from edgy pop tunes to stunning ballads, looking forward but with a respectful nod to the past. The sonic terrain is gritty and driving on Everything In The World; poignant and visceral on Die Hard Crush; and delivers a trashy groove on Earnest.

The Superfrayed melody line creeps straight into your head with the vengeance of a jilted lover. And Don't Deflate grabs the listener with an infectiousness that is apparent in both the catchy hooks of the chorus and in the resolve of the lyrics. Vocally, LeFeuvre's range is expansive; his style introspective and straightforward, the sound of the words as important as their meaning. Following the album release, Starling will tour as a four-piece, with the addition of bassist Maury LaFoy. They'll be taking Sustainer out on the road, injecting high levels of musicianship and enthusiasm into a classic idiom. Says LeFeuvre, "We may not be reinventing the wheel, but hopefully we've designed one hell of an all-season radial."

Starling's Official Website