Los Angeles alt-rock outfit Starling are back with a beautifully reflective new single, No Frown, a slow-burning duet that captures the gentle magic of small-town romance. It’s the final taste of their upcoming EP ‘Forgive Me,’ landing June 27 via San Antonio-based label Sunday Drive Records.
The track plays like a love letter to a slower pace of life—acoustic guitars strum softly under elegant string arrangements, while Kasha and Gitai’s vocals float through memories of a tender, place-rooted relationship. The warmth is unmistakable. You can almost hear the late summer sun shining down on front porches and backroad drives.
“‘No Frown’ is the most acoustic song on the record,” the band shares. “It’s about growing up in the city and falling in love with someone from a small town—and with the town itself. It feels complete, like all our usual yearning finally gets a little rest.” Kasha penned the lyrics, performs the song with lead guitarist Gitai, and Erik arranged the strings to round out the track’s nostalgic shimmer.
If you’re new to Starling, now’s the perfect time to jump in.
Their EP ‘Forgive Me’ follows a string of dreamy and dynamic releases that blend grungey grit, shoegaze fog, and singer-songwriter intimacy. Last month’s single I Can Be Convinced turned heads with its crash of soaring guitars, frenetic drums, and Kasha’s signature slow-burn vocals. The music video—directed by David Milan Kelly—features the band performing among a group of ballerinas, a fittingly surreal scene for a song that balances chaos and comfort.
Starling has been on a steady climb since forming in 2023. Their debut EP ‘2324’ arrived last fall via Pleasure Tapes, compiling their earliest singles (including the buzzy Bottlebrush Tree and Falling Down a Mystery Hillside) into one hazy, heartfelt collection. With shows around LA and recent dates alongside Cryogeyser, Flooding, and Devon Ross, the band is making moves—both sonically and geographically.
And this summer, they’re hitting the road again, supporting Phoenix shoegaze crew Glixen on a string of dates across California, the Midwest, and Texas.
Starling x Glixen Summer Tour 2025
JULY
11 – Oxnard, CA @ Mrs. Olson’s
12 – Ojai, CA @ Ojai Women’s Club
13 – Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room
14 – Davenport, IA @ Raccoon Motel
AUGUST
2 – Tolono, IL @ Loose Cobra
4 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
5 – Lubbock, TX @ Jake’s Sports Cafe
About the EP: ‘Forgive Me’
‘Forgive Me’ is a seven-track journey through confusion, love, frustration, and the quiet revelations that come when you take the long way home. It was written over a year and recorded in the most DIY way possible—in garages, bedrooms, and makeshift studios across LA. The band mixed it themselves (drummer Erik handled the technical side), with final mastering by Greg Obis (Duster, MJ Lenderman, Wishy).
The EP kicks off with the intimate Quiet, slowly building into a sonic explosion that mirrors the sweaty summer garage it was born in. Lead single I Can Be Convinced pulses with emotional urgency, while closing track Keep It stretches nearly seven minutes, a brooding crescendo of frustration, distortion, and hope.
Starling’s sound is hard to pin down—but that’s part of the charm. Somewhere between shoegaze haze and soft-grunge warmth, their music carries a distinct sense of yearning: for clarity, for connection, for a place that feels like home.
And with ‘Forgive Me,’ Starling isn’t just offering songs. They’re sharing pieces of themselves—raw, unfiltered, and achingly beautiful.
Forgive Me
Out June 27, 2025 via Sunday Drive Records
Tracklist:
- Quiet
- I Can Be Convinced
- My Love
- 25
- No Frown
- Slow Down
- Keep It
Follow Starling:
Instagram: @starlingband
WEBSITE | SPOTIFY | BANDCAMP | YOUTUBE
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Stay tuned for more from Starling—this is a band just getting started, and the road ahead looks golden.
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