Starsdontmeananything don’t waste time easing into things. The Albuquerque-born project started by Adam Smith in the lockdown days of 2020 has now grown into a full four-piece, and their first album “Fire is Beautiful” drops September 19 through No Time Records, with an exclusive premiere right here on IDIOTEQ!
Smith first shaped starsdontmeananything as a solo outlet, teaming with drummer Sasha Guleff for a self-titled six-track EP tracked at Fly Honey Warehouse — a hybrid DIY venue and residence. That release was raw, bleak, and already steeped in the love of screamo, post-hardcore, and metal. Over the last five years of touring and performing, the project hardened into a quartet with John Slinkert on guitar and Hans Cruz on bass.
The band describe themselves as “simultaneously introspective and emotionally cathartic, meant to express the powerlessness of modern people and the satisfaction that comes from free expression in the face of it.” That ethos runs through “Fire is Beautiful,” a record built on defiance against hopelessness and depression.
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Touring has always been central. They see it as “one of the only aspects left of music that is still based around artistry and not entertainment,” and it’s the work on the road that carved out their reputation in the underground. Early shows with Deaf Club, Hong Kong Fuck You, and Regional Justice Center helped mark their local rise, and the momentum now points toward nationwide touring.
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Musically, the new record pulls from sonic chaos associated with Pageninetynine, envy, Melt–Banana, and even Florida’s Death.
The singles “National Forest” and “Pulling Teeth” capture the album’s storm — a blend of frustration, discontent, and refusal to sit still in the face of collapse. The lyrics dive into the sensation of being powerless, while imagery of climate change, wildfires, and random freezes grounds that anger in lived reality. “Fire within us and around us is the beginning of change, always providing a chance at a new reality. It’s beautiful,” they put it plainly.
“Fire is Beautiful” was engineered by Michael Stewart at Church of Wax, with mixing and mastering by Austin Minney at All Aces Studio. It will be available on vinyl, cassette, CD, and digital formats via No Time Records.
