Interview with Signal 13 Vocalist Vicky Starr

May 11, 2020

Interview with Signal 13 Vocalist Vicky Starr

By Mick Michaels

COSMICK VIEW: Hello, Vicky! Welcome to The Cosmick View. Thank you for taking some time out of your day to chat with me, it's greatly appreciated.

CV: So much has changed in the world. With all that's going on, people's time, interest and focus are heavily divided. Do you think music is still relevant in today's society? Does music even matter to the masses?

Vicky Starr: I believe music fills in the gaps – if you’re working out, driving, playing a game, cleaning your house, at a movie, or just sitting in the sun. You can always catch people singing, tapping their foot, running to a beat or smiling to that sound. I believe music will always have a place in this world.It is primal, innate in the human spirit.

CV: Has Rock ‘n Roll, as a genre...as an attitude, lost some of its punch?

VS: Most people would have to agree that ‘80s music is fun. It makes people feel good. With various movies and documentaries, showing the music of the ‘80s recently, it has revitalized that type of music. I think people don’t in general want to be sad or angry. They want to feel good and this type of music picks you up and helps you get through the day.

CV: In the world's current state, do you feel music can have an impact on how people are handling the pandemic...and if so how?

VS: Music motivates people. Not only is the virus a pandemic, but the isolation away from other humans is causing mass depression. Music can elevate people’s spirits and energy. This is why music will always be a cure to what ails us.

CV: What do you feel today's younger generation of music fans are missing out on compared to fans of Rock's earlier years?

VS: Music is music. The tools that are used to make it are what have changed. Technology is changing how music is created. The excitement about going to concerts is different today than yesterday. If computers control the stage, it is hard to see how you are creating the sound or groove. When musicians control the stage, you can watch them play every note, see the bends in the guitars, twirling the drumsticks or the thump of the bass. The singer interacts with the audience. Each show is unique to that night and can’t be replicated. Computer musical shows are consistent and replicated. Those shows will always be the same until they reprogram it.

I think seeing a unique show drives people to go see a band again because you never know what is going to happen. The excitement drives demand.

CV: Signal 13 is all about hearing the call and rising to action.How would you define "High Energy Rock n Roll" as the band calls it?

VS: Every show is unique. We want to motivate people to dance, sing-a-long and have fun. We interact with the fans and try to get them involved. We play music that is upbeat and hopefully makes them happy. We give the fans a few hours of “fun”.

CV: With the band's members having such a deep and diverse history being in the military, law enforcement and public safety sectors, do you feel Signal 13 has a unique catalog of experience to work from with regards to songwriting?

VS: We draw from real life experiences when writing music. We want people to be able to identify with the music and have some fun with it. Our goal is to modernize the sound of Rock music and create an identity for some of the subject matters. Let me give you an example, how many times has anyone ever said, ‘Karma is going to get you.’ Chris, our rhythm guitarist, was driving our truck, going to a gig, and looked at me and said, ‘What would happen if you were Karma?’ The lyrics flowed out of me for that that song. When I got to the gig, I started singing this to our bass player, Pat Jenkins, and he started grooving too it. The next day, we wrote the song in the studio and recorded it.

CV: How would you describe the art of songwriting as it pertains to Signal 13 and its musical style? What makes it unique for the listener?

VS: The principle song writers are Jon Lassister, lead guitar, Pat Jenkins, bass and myself. All of us write everyday to improve on that skill. We write alot of stuff that never makes it to a listener but it is an exercise that you need to do daily to improve. We all agree, that we must be brutally honest about everything. In addition, no ideas are wrong, and everyone has different listening skills, so we must listen to each other. No one stays in their own lanes in this band. Jon will come up with a riff, ‘The Lassister’, as we call him, and I will go this sounds like this and it goes from there. When we wrote, “Stay With Me,” I did not like anything we came up with. So, we decided to just record some stuff and see if anything worked…17 minutes, 28 seconds into the jam, we had 20 seconds of this amazing music came out and that was the basis for that song.

What makes it unique to a listener is we don’t just play one type of sound. The song becomes the song based on how it feels to us. We agree as a band, we do not want to be boring…we want people to want to hear the next song. The depth of musicianship in this band is realized as you listen to the 5-song EP. We can play multiple instruments, vocal range and keep people entertained throughout the musical experience with us.

CV: Do you see Signal 13 as a cumulative modern representation of the finer aspects of what makes Rock great given each member’s experience in the music business?

VS: Everyone in this band has different influences from Punk, Country, Jazz, Funk, Rap and Rock. I think those influences with a modern sound approach, helps make this music sustainable. We will never be locked into one exact sound, the song will tell us where it wants to be and that is the unique sound to that song. We love music and we love certain musicians, so that will always influence what our sound will be now and in the future.

CV: What is Signal 13 doing as a band and for its fans to counter the negative effects of the COVID-19 situation?

VS: We launched our first single, “Dirty” and our video during the peak of this pandemic. We are putting out daily updates on the various musical media outlets to keep them informed. We only released one song on digital media so if people want to hear all of the songs, they can go to our website to get the full EP. We’ve sent food to some of our fans that reached out to us because they are having hardship. It’s confidential and we’re glad we can help in some little way.

CV: What's next for the band…what can fans expect to see coming from Signal 13?

VS: We had some dates with Tesla, Slaughter and LA Guns schedule for this Spring but due to the pandemic, all dates have been postponed until the Fall. Fans can expect to see some of the other songs released digitally soon and hopefully some new videos…if it will be permitted to record them. While we are staying home, we’re using technology to write new material. We have 5 new tracks finished and 12 are in progress. If this pandemic continues and we can’t get within 6 feet of each other, you may see some live streams in the summer. The key is, we want people to stay safe and we are observing this as well to make sure all of us are safe as well.

CV: Thank you again Vicky for spending some time talking and sharing with
our readers. I wish you all the best and continued success.

VS: Mick, thank you for talking with us. Signal 13 would like to also thank all of the first responders, healthcare workers, grocery/pharmacy workers, military and police for their continued dedication to getting us through the pandemic. To our fans, stay safe so we can see your bright and shiny faces in the near future. Music makes the World go ‘round! Stay safe!!

Check out Signal 13 at:
Official: www.signal13band.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/signal13band/

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My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, dreamer and guitarist for the traditional Heavy Metal band Corners of Sanctuary. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me; what I couldn't say in speech, I was able to do with the written word. Writing has given me a voice and a way for me to create on a multitude of platforms including music and song, articles, independent screenplays, books and now, artist interviews. The Cosmick View is an opportunity to raise the bar and showcase artists in a positive and inspirational light. For me, it's another out-of-this-world adventure.