Interview with Star Pixel

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?

CH: My dad is a musician and had a lot of vinyl when I was growing up. One my earliest memories of music was 'Bohemian Rhapsody' which got a lot of play. When I was about 8, I saw Back To The Future, and immediately decided I had to learn guitar and skateboarding. If I was not doing music now, I would probably be into art or design, which were my other main interests growing up.

GCB: A combination of things - going to see the Buddy Holly musical in the West End, doing a school project on Sgt Peppers, some of my school friends starting to play guitars and seeing live music. We used to have a family caravan on the Norfolk coast and all the old 60s bands used to come through and play in the club house. I was captivated and there was no turning back! If not for music then I may have followed another childhood dream of becoming a comic book artist!

What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

CH - I go running fairly regularly, and find exercise essential for keeping a clear head and staying positive and energised. I actually came up with quite a few of the lyrics and riffs for the album whilst out on a various runs! Also love a good movie whenever possible.

GCB - running, reading, writing (literature, not music) and growing our own fruit and veg. All experiences feed into my creativity in one way or another. 

How long has your band been around?

CH - About 2.5 years.

Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?

CH - We are based in Cambridgeshire UK, which has a lot of local talent across many genres, if you know where to find it.

How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you?

CH - I got the idea for the name when I was at work and came across a high-resolution image of a galaxy from a space telescope. Seeing all these billions of unimaginably massive stars reduced to single pixels on a computer screen seemed somewhat ludicrous and amusing.

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band and some advice that you would give to your younger self?

CH - Be persistent! And be prepared to work hard and long. Above all, practice, practice, practice!

GCB - Firstly enjoy it, music and art should be fun and a creative exploration. As Charlie says, if you're serious then you need to be persistent and practice. I wish I had practiced my scales and learnt the piano when I was young. I think it's also important to realize fame is not important, only a tiny percentage achieve fame. What is important is playing music and being creative, and what that means to you and your well-being, and what positive impact it can have in the world. 

If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice, what would it be?

CH - make the most of your youth. Get as much music made when you still have plenty of time and energy.

GCB - learn the piano!

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?

GCB - tough question. They all mean a lot in different ways. I Get Lost Inside My Head is important as that was the song that brought us together and launched the project. It's also a song about mental health and I think Charlie and I have both had struggles with tat so it's important also from that perspective.  

What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?

GCB - As this album was written during lockdown, everything was done remotely from one another in our separate studios but it kind of worked with us throwing ideas back and forth. It allowed for more unexpectedness. I also compare it to a game we used to play at school where you'd fold up a piece of paper and draw a person between a group of you folding it over as you went, so someone drew the head and folded it over so the next person couldn't see, they then would draw the neck before someone did the body and on and on. IN the end you'd have some crazy drawing which no one person could have achieved on their own and wouldn't have been achieved through any traditional methods. 

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

Firstly, we want people to enjoy it. Lyrically we cover various topics on the album. Mental health is an important theme, as is the environment and social questions. There are some warnings in there and also some calls to arms, so we hope people can feel empowered.  

Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them?

CH - We never have disagreements.
GCB - Yes we do!

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?

GCB - we'll have a short break after the album and then we've got some more songs already written we want to finish off and get out into the world!