Conceived by Torquil Campbell and childhood pal Chris Seligman, Stars is a pop band that strives to create a musical dream world based on one simple manifesto: "Luxe, Calme Et Volupte" (Light, Calm, and Voluptuous). The manifesto is inspired by artists of the sensual realm: the Auters, Black Box Recorder, Matisse, Al Green, New Order, Massive Attack, Saint Etienne, Sargent, the Smiths, EBTG, and Bj├╢rk.
Torquil sings and writes the lyrics--tales about his life, a world inspired by "the night, color, daydreams, cheap thrills, sleeping pills, regret, tragedy, sex, the scent of lime, Johnny Marr..." Many songs are vivid recollections of his past. Torquil is used to conjuring images, as he is also an actor. He began as a child actor, once starring in The Golden Seal, a tale of friendship between a boy and a sea mammal, featuring a soundtrack by the legendary John Barry and a song by Glen Campbell. Although he is still a respected working actor, having appeared in numerous plays (most recently Shopping And F--king with Philip Seymour Hoffman) and television shows (Law & Order, Sex And The City), being in Stars is what he much prefers.
Chris was groomed to be a French horn player (although he did enjoy a childhood stint as a star little league baseball player). He has a degree in music, has performed with many respected orchestras, and also in the orchestra pit of the Broadway musical The Scarlet Pimpernel, which he says "couldn't be considered real music." Five years ago he wanted a change in his musical life and decided to play his own material. He began writing and recording songs with Torquil and then enlisted old friends James Shaw and Emily Haines of Metric, which is recording its debut album with producer Stephen Hague (New Order, Pet Shop Boys) to record with them.
The current lineup of Stars is Torquil and Chris along with their friends Evan Cranley (sometimes of Big Rude Jake) and Amy Millan (who sings an amazing song during the closing credits of the Bette Midler/Danny Devito film Drowning Mona).
We hope you enjoy listening to Stars as much as they enjoy being stars.
