Phebe Starr

Phebe Starr is one of those rare artists whose music not only speaks to the soul, but captures it as well. The Australian songstress’ latest release, “Lavender Scars,” is a personal expression of the grief she felt after learning that the father of a close friend had passed away. The opening is hauntingly empty and atmospheric, and Starr’s solo voice - laden with effects - guides us into this dark and densely textured world. Synths echo in the distance, and slow beats creep in with an uneasy hesitation. The chorus erupts into a shuddering wave, and Starr’s vocals soar with ethereal grace. “Lavender Scars” is a bittersweet ballad akin to a swell of overwhelming emotion – one that begins deep in your chest, before steadily enveloping your world. It takes over your senses until you find yourself lost in a swirling world of confusing raw emotion, and then, finally, freedom. “I was working alone in the studio when I received a text from a close friend of mine,” Starr explains. “Her father, who had had a long struggle with illness, had finally passed. I didn’t know what to say … So, I cried. Which is strange and may seem overly emotional, weeping for someone you don’t really know. But I wasn’t just crying for this situation, I was crying for the fact there has been and there will be many times in life that I cannot make sense of sorrow and the grief that this world seems to be riddled with. I think the greatest comfort we can give a friend when they suffer is the understanding that they have lost, and there is nothing we can do but sit in the darkness beside them.”