Interview with The North Stars: ‘Most of my songs, they’re quite personal, about self-education and stepping out of your comfort zone’

Liverpool-based band The North Stars released their reflective debut single ‘Global Reset’ last month about the political chaos in the UK, with a new single ‘Living In Space And Time’ due out before Christmas.

The North Stars are currently working on their debut album and frontman and singer/songwriter Tony Hoare has a body of work currently being recorded in collaboration with various musician friends. Their name references the fact that Hoare went to university in Teesside and has a lot of friends up north. ‘There’s also King of the North in Game of Thrones,’ he laughed.

‘Our debut single ‘Global Reset’ was written, recorded, and released all in one afternoon as a response to the chaos and disorder of 2020,’ he said. ‘It was written out of frustration around the current situation which is impacting many friends and family and in particular the entertainment industry and the north of England. I decided to vent my feelings one afternoon and then quickly recorded and released it all in the same day so I couldn’t overthink it.’

He laments how Liverpool has changed over lockdown: ‘It’s strange when you go out, there’s no atmosphere.’

‘Living In Space And Time’ has a similar vibe to their debut track: ‘It’s quite deep,’ Hoare said. ‘It’s about people making their own delusions. Most of my songs, they’re quite personal, about self-education and stepping out of your comfort zone. I put as much of me into them as I can.’

Lockdown gave him a chance to write several songs: ‘I had more spare time. A lot of people are focusing on their home music set ups. I got quite a lot laid down using GarageBand and stuff like that. I play the guitar and a bit of keys, so rely on mates for bass and drums.’

He feels that the music scene in Liverpool has shifted considerably in recent years: ‘There’s a great vibe, a movement growing,’ he said. ‘It’s a more comfortable place for people to express themselves, even for kids growing up in rough circumstances.’

Hoare is a big fan of local band Columbia and singer Zuzu: ‘I follow her on Instagram, she’s lovely.’ When he was younger, he listened to a lot of music from the 60’s and 70’s but says of ’90’s indie music, ‘that’s where my style fits’. He cites The Beatles as one of his biggest inspirations: ‘My son (8) is called Lennon! He’s a bit of a drummer, he does me a favour and plays for me sometimes.’ If he could tour with anyone, he picks John Lennon ‘for how much you’d learn from him’.

Understandably, he’s missing gigs: ‘My last gig was Gerry Cinnamon before lockdown, the atmosphere was amazing. Being in the crowd is almost biblical.’