STARS: Happy Robots

“We’re not that cool,” claims Pat McGee, drummer of Canadian outfit Stars, when asked to elaborate on why he believes other bands seldom admit to liking them. Whether or not there is any truth to his theory, thousands of fans around the world would beg to differ. The charming sounds of the indie-pop group have endeared them to audiences in every corner -this country being no exception- and the result is almost constant touring. When I speak to McGee, he is enjoying his last evening at home before embarking on yet another adventure, including a slot at Victoria’s Pyramid Rock Festival and three dates on the east coast of our island before skipping over to Asia. It’s a crazy end to a crazy year for the band.

Earlier in 2008, Sad Robots EP was added to the increasingly brilliant Stars’ discography, for the twin purposes of giving their fans some new songs to enjoy until a moment is discovered in which to record the band’s next full length record and also to give the band some new songs to play night after night. To illustrate the hectic nature of their year, only ten days was allotted to the writing and recording of the six track EP. “We just went in there and banged it all out. It was a refreshing way to do it.” The process, according to McGee’s account, was truly organic, the resulting songs raw and heart-felt. To record under such time constraints was a very Stars decision to have made; the group’s music is driven by real, warts-and-all feelings and experiences, and what better way to give those feelings and experiences the authenticity they demand than to get them all out in a matter of a few short days, rather than labouring over them for weeks. “You can think about things forever if you want to,” states McGee reflectively,

“This recording came out kind of raw, with a few mistakes, if you want to call them that, but it’s really nice to have those mistakes.” In this way, the process of conceiving and creating Sad Robots was a distinct departure from the process which bore 2007’s In Our Bedroom After the War. “We spent a lot of time trying to make that record perfect, and we got kind of burnt out by it.” McGee is convinced that the new process suits the band better than its predecessor, “and it’s way cheaper.”

So, having bolstered their repertoire with the material from Sad Robots, the Stars gang hit the road once again. In October this year they were asked at the last minute to support Coldplay in Ottawa and even though the band had set aside some time for rest, McGee explains earnestly that “you just don’t say no to Coldplay.” What then is the effect of this relentless movement? “We’ve spent a year away from home now, and only this week I realised that I can’t live a double life. I come home, pay my bills and leave again. I miss having the relationships that I had with people at home, but duty calls you know? And nine-to-five didn’t work out for me,” states McGee with a wry tone.

Even with their at times gruelling schedule, it would be a mistake to think McGee and co. aren’t loving every minute of the ride. “When I was a kid I wanted to be one of three things: a hockey player, a drummer or a truck driver,” says McGee. “I sucked at hockey, so that was thrown out the window, the drums seem to be working out pretty good for me, but I think I could still get into driving a dump-truck some day,” he jokes. The inference intended by the drummer to be gained from this anecdote is that things are just roses for him and his band at present. Still, he continues by stating “this can’t last forever; we can’t all be The Rolling Stones you know? But we are working on our own ‘Satisfaction’.” McGee chuckles.

Maybe it won’t last forever, but right now Stars are a happy bunch, and to their scores of fans across the globe, they just happen to be one of the coolest bands going around.

STARS play the Pyramid Rock Festival on December 31 in Victoria. They are also playing the following headlining shows:

January 2- Corner Hotel, Melbourne
January 3- Factory, Sydney
January 4- The Zoo, Brisbane

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