Starbenders' huge new single The Game is really quite something

Starbenders group shot
(Image credit: Nico Constantine)

Atlanta rock'n'rollers Starbenders continue their inexorable path towards to stars with a new single, The Game

Since second album Love Potions was released in 2020, the four-piece have released a steady stream of singles – No One Listened, Seven White Horses, If You Need it and Blood Moonand The Game continues the impressive trajectory. 

It's another huge song, with a thumping riff and a vast chorus, while lead Starbender Kimi Shelter comes on like a combination of Pat Benatar, Stevie Nicks and Cyndi Lauper. Throw in touches of Queen and Ghost, give it a subtle dusting of gothic darkness, add bits where you can shout "hey!", and you're left with something that's really quite something.  

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"We wrote The Game to inspire those who are feeling low on luck and overlooked by a world that's often unforgiving," say the band. "A battle cry for the downtrodden underdogs. We cooked up a sound to summon the feeling of self-generated power guided by Gods, angels, and ghosts. You can torch all obstacles and silence the doubters once and for all with a little bit of faith. It's all in the way you play The Game."

Starbenders are currently on tour in Europe with Palaye Royale.

Palaye Royale/Starbenders European Tour 2023

Feb 10: London Eventim Apollo, UK
Feb 12: Wolverhampton Steel Mill, UK
Feb 13: Paris Cabaret Sauvage, France
Feb 15: Barcelona Sala Apolo, Spain
Feb 17: Lisbon Lisboa ao Vivo, Portugal
Feb 19: Stuggart LKA Longhorn, Germany
Feb 20: Zurich Komplex, Switzerland
Feb 22: Milan Magazzini Generali, Italy
Feb 24: Budapest Barba Negra, Hungary
Feb 25: Munich Muffathalle, Germany
Feb 27: Vienna Gasometer, Austria
Mar 01: Vilnius Loftas Lithuania
Mar 02: Riga Palladium, Latvia
Mar 03: Tallinn Helitehas, Estonia
Mar 04: Helsinki Tavastia, Finland
Mar 05: Helsinki Tavastia, Finland
Mar 07: Sofia Joy Station, Bulgaria
Mar 08: Bucharest Arenele Romanes, Romania
Mar 10: Istanbul Zorlu PSM, Turkey
Mar 11: Istanbul Zorlu PSM, Turkey
Mar 13: Athens Gargarin, Greece

Tickets are on sale now

Fraser Lewry
Online Editor, Classic Rock

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 39 years in music industry, online for 26. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.

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