The first thing you’ll notice about Hamilton locals Superstar Crush is their chemistry with each other. Throughout our 45 minute interview, there were inside jokes, plenty of impromptu singing, and a general air of closeness that made chatting with them a complete joy. Best known for their power-pop infused punchy riffs and dynamic vocals, the powerhouse has amassed followings in Toronto, Montreal and London. Their triple single (or tringle) has been living in my head and in my playlists since it was released in spring of last year. Recently, the band have been teasing the release of their debut record Way Too Much, which can first be heard live at Mill’s Hardware on June 27th and 28th. Though the record won’t be out digitally until August 5th, it will be available for purchase on vinyl at those shows. If you want extra cool points (and to help the band get out of debt), I really recommend picking up a copy.

Their aforementioned rapport didn’t form overnight. Superstar Crush morphed into the band fans recognize today through several small connections, with each of the members meeting each other at different times and in different places. Their genesis stemmed from another project called The Coffeehouse, founded by vocalist Marzieh Darling-Donnelly, her brother, and vocalist/guitarist Sam Hansell. Darling says, “I wanted there to be super energetic music after [the other performances]… and [I thought] we should bring together musicians who maybe wouldn’t usually play together.” From there, she assembled bassist Chloe Butler-Stubbs and drummer/vocalist Trüaxe Fox. They became a sort of house band featuring a steady rotation of singers that Darling would occasionally sub into. After the band started to form originals during their time playing with her, Darling says that “we got to a point where we thought ‘Oh, this feels kind of real, and we could maybe play a gig.’” Though the members have since stayed the same, they didn’t adopt the tag of  Superstar Crush until much later. The first iteration of their name was much less cool. Fox chimes in, laughing, “when we were the house band, we were The Turtleneck Kids, which is just terrible. We knew it was bad because my dad said ‘What is that, is it like a penis thing?’” Though you think it’d be easy to say goodbye to a name like that, the process was more complicated than one would anticipate, eventually drawing inspiration from an unnamed local microcelebrity after much debate between Butler-Stubbs and Fox. After all, the name is the most important part. Once they eventually landed on Superstar Crush (“the least phallic name possible,” according to Fox), Hansell was delighted to see that the new name piqued the interest of a varied crowd, bringing everyone from international relations students to clarinet players. “This clicks with the public,” he says. With the name and lineup in place, all there was left to do was find a sound that worked.

Drawing inspiration from bands like Pulp, Blondie and Cheap Trick, as well as “Pillowtalk” by Zayn Malik (oft mentioned in this interview), their sound is built on short, catchy hooks and relentless attitude. Hansell says they were originally drawn to power pop because “we liked the way the songs were written and what was prioritized,” though the band started with a punkier sound because of its quick hooks and minimal filler.  Fox adds on, “We like how economic it is, it’s just about *snap* getting you the product.” Superstar Crush also aren’t fixated on rewriting the textbook on music. Hansell explains that “we’re not particularly music nerdy, we’re pedestrian.”

“We really like 4/4” says Fox.

“They pride themselves on being pedestrian” chimes in Darling, grinning.

“I don’t know about these guys, but my favourite chord progression is the I–vi–VI–V. It’s the 50s doo-wop,” Hansell continues. 

“We’re not bonding over the 7/4 that was matriculated into the vehicular manslaughter,” says Fox, which makes everyone laugh. The rest of the band are quick to add that that’s good too, hesitant to make enemies out of the music aficionados. Though three of four band members sing, it’s important to note that there’s never any animosity over who takes the lead. Superstar Crush just have fun making music, and their songwriting process is group-centred so that egos don’t get in the way. They focus on the track as a whole, rather than the individual parts or the person who brought it in originally. The fact that most of their lyrics are inspired by people and relationships doesn’t hurt, either. “Almost all [of the songs on the album] are about the kind of characters that come in and out of our lives,” says Hansell. In some songs, this goes as far as embodying those personalities. Darling explains, “Something I love about Trüaxe’s songwriting process is that [he’ll write from other people’s perspectives]. He can kind of get into those minds.” The first single and most recent release “Fire Escape” is one such example. The tracks on the album also seek to express emotions that might not come out easily. Darling mentions that this had an impact on her song “Silk N’ Sleaze”: “I’m not great at expressing [anger], I don’t really know how to do it. But [the song] was my way of doing that. The way [the songs] evolve, they sound like some kind of love song.” 

“Hate and love can be quite close emotions,” says Fox.

“You know what they say, the opposite of love is indifference, not hate,” adds Butler-Stubbs, promoting a series of “oohs” and snaps from the band. In this sense, the album serves as a kind of sonic time capsule of the feelings and people that populate the band’s lives. While we may never know who exactly these people are, I think this personal touch is part of what makes the record so special.

I’m fortunate enough to have gotten the inside scoop on the record, and I’m excited to share that the tringle tracks will be featured on the album. However, fans shouldn’t expect the same versions they’ve grown used to. “When we [originally] recorded the tringle, we sounded so different. Even for me vocally, it was a very simple, kind of nervous, classical vocal line. Now, that’s evolved a lot,” says Darling. The remastered versions have some different lyrics, added instrumentals, and plenty of intrigue. Hansell says that “it’s kind of what Tears of the Kingdom is to Breath of the Wild.” The updated tracks are a tangible marker of their sound’s progression, shifting from pure power pop to something more unique. “It’s a bit more experimental, a bit more baroque pop-y. We’re adding a lot more arrangements,” explains Fox. In terms of instruments, Superstar Crush is shooting for the stars on this album. The tracks feature everything from synths and saxophone to a tap dance solo, glass harmonica, and a hidden tiger roar. Listeners can also expect some spoken word poetry, a healthy amount of glockenspiel, and tambourine. While recording some overdubs at their middle school, Darling recalls coming back into the room in the morning to “a meticulously arranged circle of wine glasses in the A major scale.” You can hear the fruits of that clearly laborious task on their next single, “They Keep Calling,” which is set to release on June 24th. Despite the fact that their sound has undergone a pretty major shift, Superstar Crush aren’t worried about alienating the tringle lovers. “I’m sure there are going to be fans who maybe prefer the [simpler sound], but the core structure of the songs is still the same. We [just wanted] a more diverse sonic palette,” reasons Hansell. For those who have had the pleasure of seeing the band play live, the record more closely imitates the energy of their live sound. Fox adds: “[The additions] are just to try and capture the feeling of how huge it feels when we’re playing live and there’s that synergy in the room. I think we kept the spirit of the tringle.” While there might be some initial surprise, the band are confident that fans will grow to love the changes.

The album was produced by Dwayne Gretzky’s Tyler Kyte, who noticed them at a show, Fox explains. “[Kyte] saw us play at the Casbah the first time and was like, ‘These guys aren’t ready.’ Then he saw us again a couple months later, pulled out a tape recorder and was like, ‘They’re ready. Houston, we have a band.’” The recording process was strenuous, with the band pulling 8–10 hour long days at a Toronto studio. Though these gruelling sessions only happened once or twice a month, it was still much different to the relatively relaxed vibe of recording the tringle. Superstar Crush says that they “lost their humanity” while making this album, and “traded their souls for the record.” Some smaller pieces of the songs were even done on the fly. “We’d take our portable recording setup, just little mics and stuff with our own laptops and go around. We recorded at Chloe’s house, Sam and Marzieh’s basement, my apartment in Montreal, Western University. We were doing guerrilla recording, we’d record whenever we were inspired to do a certain sound,” explains Fox. Though it wasn’t easy, the band still emerged with a funny story about their producer/manager. “He’d just be playing with a ball in the studio while we were recording. One day we were working on some stuff, and then we heard this big clang behind us. We turned around and there’s Tyler. He’d fallen off a bench and just managed to land like a feline, so gracefully, on the carpet. He’s looking at us all morose and disappointed, and it turns out that his ball got stuck up in the ceiling. I had to get it for him.” The whole band chuckle at Fox’s retelling. Despite their clear dedication, Superstar Crush couldn’t hold back on making a few self-deprecating jokes. Butler-Stubbs explains that they’d finish a perfectly good take and then quip: “Let’s do that again, but actually good this time,” or: “That was a good take, but unfortunately this song is bad,” much to the chagrin of their producer. With the masters finished and the vinyl pressed, the anticipation from both fans and the band is rapidly building.

With the Mill’s Hardware shows on the horizon, the band also mentioned that they’ll be heading on tour with their record. This will include dates in both Canada and the United States. It’s exciting to see the band take the leap of crossing the border. “I think it’ll be a cool opportunity right now to make connections and communities, and increase safe spaces,” says Darling. In the States, the venues will be club venues with a 150 person cap. Even though they’ve got dates in Canada planned, they strongly recommend that people come to the shows on June 27th and 28th in Hamilton. “That’ll be our best show because we have all these beautiful external musicians, whether it’s piano or saxophone or violin,” says Hansell. “That live set is gonna be the one that best reflects the recorded [album].” It’s set to be a great two-night run. Beyond the band, the members are all wrapping up their respective schooling, then planning to commit to being musicians full time. There’s lots to look forward to in the world of Superstar Crush, and I’m so glad I was able to talk with them. Their debut record, Way Too Much is set to be one for the books. 

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