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 Moon – and 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.

"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.

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 40 years in music industry, online for 27. 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.