Arrow de Wilde certainly has the pedigree for the occupation she chose quite early on. The daughter of photographer/filmmaker Autumn de Wilde (Emma.) and drummer Aaron Sperske (Beachwood Sparks, Lilys, Father John Misty), she formed Starcrawler with fellow students at Los Angeles’ Grand Arts High School and never looked back. There have been plenty of ups and downs for the band over the past decade—a much-hyped self-titled 2018 debut, celebrity endorsements from the likes of Dave Grohl and Elton John, the departure of founding drummer Austin Smith and de Wilde’s alleged sexual assault while on tour in Australia.
After stints with the Rough Trade and Big Machine labels, Starcrawler is releasing “Learn To Say Goodbye” independently, with no tease for a full-length LP. The single could be seen as a belated response to all that past tumult. Two years removed from the group’s most recent album, She Said, “Learn To Say Goodbye” was recorded at the Foo Fighters’ Studio 606. It’s anthemic feel and refined aggression certainly owe a debt to the Foos—and it sure sounds like a fresh start for a band looking to shed the persistent ’70s punk and metal comparisons.
According to de Wilde, “Learn To Say Goodbye” is about letting go of past hurts and dysfunction. As for the song’s video, she says, “We wanted to capture that raw emotion as best we could but also do something super simple and dreamy. There was a heatwave when we shot the video, so it was almost 100 degrees at the beach that night. We had so much fun.”
We’re proud to premiere Starcrawler’s “Learn To Say Goodbye” video.
—Hobart Rowland
See Starcrawler live.
