In an effort to break the 90’s flashback theme going on in the past few posts, our Fresh from the Post artist swings us back to the present….an 80’s themed present that is.
The Venus Stare are Anthoni "Toni" Lone, Edward Clipse, Angela Maze and Linda Ipgloss – four friends admittedly obsessed with 1980s powerballads and outrageous 80’s fashion. The video above is their freshly released music video for their time-warp generating single Close To You – which the band debuts today on The Indie Music Database.
We had a quick chat with the group about their new release and how one little eighties movie started it all –
First up, we’d like to know more about the band. How did the band form? Is it true that you guys met at a screening of Mannequin (like your MySpace says)?
Yes! A local cinema was playing it on a special 80s night and you had to go dressed up. Three of us went as the same character and when we saw each other, we knew we had to be friends. We hung out at the roller disco in Kings Cross and started thinking about forming a band, but we didn’t have a drummer. Luckily, Angela’s boyfriend came to pick her up [Edward], and mentioned his brother was storing a drumkit in his flat, and the rest is history.
Why did you choose the name ‘The Venus Stare’?
A venus stare is when a lady has ever so faintly crossed eyes. this is meant to be the ultimate in beauty as apparently Venus herself was boss eyed. Because real beauty is imperfection, especially in the 80s where, for example, it is possible to fall deeply in love with a Mannequin, and that is ok.
I love the 80’s, which is why I adore your new single ‘Close To You’. You really captured the essence of 80’s music there. I love that it reminds me of Johnny Hates Jazz and Jem and the Holograms at the same time. What was your inspiration when making this single?
We’re totally stuck on the songwriting of Dianne Warren (Starship’s ‘Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now’) and all the big anthems from our favourite 80s films so we wanted to write something as big that had as much melodrama and sounded as epic.
Close To You (Fear of Tigers Remix)
Since we’re on the topic of the 1980’s here, can I get a poll of 80’s related stuff from you guys?
Favorite 80’s band: Heart
Favorite 80’s movie: Mannequin / Big Trouble In Little China
Favorite 80’s Saturday morning cartoon: The Mysterious Cities Of Gold
I admire your choice of medium in releasing your album – I don’t think anybody uses cassette tapes anymore (well, I guess they still have that in some old cars). Do you think the cassette will mark a comeback like vinyl did?
We saw some other band put an album out on cassette last year, and there is a love of analogue, so there could well be a resurgence, but we’re not sure if it will make a huge comeback. We chose it because of connotations of the 80s, making mixtapes for friends which everyone loved doing.
For my last question, I always ask this to all the bands that I feature (as our site is about indie music). What is your definition of indie music?
I guess we see indie music as music created without a machine behind it. Made for the love of music, not for the love of money.
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I do really give my age away when I gush about the eighties – which The Venus Stare makes me do. Just to answer my own eighties poll, Heart might be grand but my favorite 80’s band would have been A-ha (live action + cartoons in a music video, what’s not to like?). And to note, Big Trouble in Little China was the first movie I stayed up late for, to watch on TV when I was a kid. As far as 80’s Saturday morning cartoons go, I don’t know why, but the Pole Position theme got stuck in my head just now.
For The Venus Stare, there’s no denying that they’ve got the eighties sound down pat – which actually makes me really excited for the next couple of songs that they have under their sleeve. For now, we’ve got their cool new single and video to satiate our hungry 80’s music appetites with.
The Venus Stare will be releasing their first single Close To You on March 22 as a digital download as well as a limited edition signed cassette tape available through their online shop at https://thevenusstare.bigcartel.com/
