Kyle adds to the band’s alt-rock ambitions a passion for Radiohead, and punk/emo influences from the aughts.
John describes his guitar approach as “salty air rock” and his riffs exude a sweet melancholy. However, unlike the furrowed brow angst of grunge, STARRY EYES songs waft a California balminess with grimy low-slung riffs and searing guitar leads being offset by dreamy chiming passages and sharp pop-rock hooks. These themes only became amplified by Matt’s sudden death. Kyle’s father has been a heroin addict for decades, and the reverberations of his actions still create difficulties for him and his family today. Many of its lyrical themes address the anguish and pain of watching loved ones burn down their lives with substance abuse and other self-destructive behaviors. STARRY EYES are spiritually aligned with the dark catharsis inherent in the 1990’s Seattle scene. It wasn’t until Kyle joined the band that the vocals were written and recorded. They formed the band while on the road and over the course of several years wrote and recorded 12 instrumentals. John has been Chris Kilmore’s DJ/Keyboard Tech since 2017, and Matt joined the Incubus crew in 2018 as monitor engineer. John and Matt met in 2018 while working as touring personnel with Incubus, and had immediate personal and musical connections. Many of the songs on Ciao Bella wrestle with the issues of addiction and loss, but we always try to balance the negative with the positive and keep looking toward the future." John adds: “These songs are for people who’ve been through some shit - music is our catharsis. “As the title of the EP suggests, Ciao Bella is a somber goodbye to the beautiful things in our lives that have passed, and a jubilant hello to the beautiful things to come,” Kyle says. Today, nearly two years after Matt’s death, John and Kyle have soldiered on and the band’s story is a powerful rebirth narrative. Then Matt died suddenly of drug-related causes, and the band’s ambitions came to a tragic halt. John and Matt eventually struck gold in early 2021 with singer and lyricist Kyle Tekiela, and for three weeks it looked like the LA-based group was complete. The pair worked together tirelessly for two years on the music for its uplifting debut EP, Ciao Bella, while on an arduous quest to find the right singer to complement their unique sound. The band evolved from the deep friendship between founding duo guitarist John Shippey and drummer Matthew Scoggins. The story of California grunge-pop band STARRY EYES is both tragic and triumphant.
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