Stars

Formed in Toronto in the late 1990s, the Canadian band Stars developed an indie-pop sound with elements of chamber pop and synth-pop, driven by the alternating vocals of Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan. Later based in Montreal, Stars became part of the scene associated with the Arts & Crafts label and has ties to Broken Social Scene, with several members moving in the same circle. After their debut album, Nightsongs (2001), the band honed its melodic and narrative approach on Heart (2003) and Set Yourself on Fire (2004), combining string arrangements, keyboards and guitars in songs focused on relationships and the tensions of urban everyday life. Stars continued this approach on In Our Bedroom After the War (2007) and The Five Ghosts (2010), emphasizing the balance between electronic textures and more orchestral instrumentation. With The North (2012) and No One Is Lost (2014), a dance-pop dimension became more pronounced without abandoning the melancholic songwriting that characterizes Stars. The band has since kept recording and touring, notably with There Is No Love in Fluorescent Light (2017) and From Capelton Hill (2022), maintaining a long-term engagement with the song form within the Canadian and international indie scene.