Becca Starr: The Sound of Renfrewshire

An artist and newfound record label owner, Becca Starr discusses her career journey and forthcoming album, Defixio

What was your entryway into the music industry? 

I’ve been doing music forever, I showed an affinity for it even before I could talk. I’d be singing jingles off the telly and my parents got me so many toys that were music themed.

Then, when I was in primary school, we got a new headteacher who was really into choirs and Burns festivals, things like that. She actually yoinked me out of the choir because she could hear my voice and that led me to doing solo performances. That was my first taste of that wee reward from playing live. 

I then got an opera teacher during the off-season of competitive singing called Derek Rangecroft and he was just amazing. He died during the pandemic and it broke my heart as he was an incredible person, who gave me this skillset and pride in my craft. He really drove me beyond what I thought I was capable of and I still hear his voice in my head. 

I left school at the end of fifth year, so I started gigging at like 15 with loads of old men (laughs). I worked with a label as a session vocalist and there was major label interest from Universal Records at one point. Obviously, that blew up in my face as that has to happen in every good music industry story (laughs). It’s just been my whole life, man.” 

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Over the years, you’ve continued to grow and diversify as an artist. What do you credit this to? 

I just like to build my skill set all the time. Ever since learning the guitar in school, that led to piano and then wanting to get familiar with production and live sound. I’m a bit of a nerd for these kind of things. Most of the things I do are self-taught, but I’m lucky that I’ve got so many talented friends who can come at a point and be like ‘is this sh*t?’ (laughs). 

I always had a right penchant for the dramatic in my music, even with an acoustic guitar. I think that’s the Rangecroft effect. I think a lot of the influences I started out with are still the ones I cite. People like Portishead, Alanis Morissette, Gotye and a lot more. They still colour what I do.

I don’t think I’ll ever put out a record where someone says there isn’t a track that sounds like Portishead or Morcheeba. There’s always that alternative edge, you know? I was listening to Limp Bizkit on my walk down here today and that left me with a craving to do some nu metal (laughs). Because why not? I’m basically two albums ahead of myself now. 

How has the rollout for the new album, Defixio, been? 

“It’s been amazing. With the previous album, Speak No Evil, I kinda took a lot of time gathering what the sound was. This time around, I made the bulk of it right after winning the SAMA [Scottish Alternative Music Award for Best Hip-Hop], as I felt like we really had to capitalise on it. I thought it was going to be an EP. But now, that’s grown to Defixio as it is today. So, this record and the next are both two parts of the same project. 

There was a lot of music I’d made and collaborations which felt like it was part of this Defixio zone. I added three tracks within the past six months and I was like ‘yes, this is it!’ It’s been a weirder process and more segmented, but it’s been amazing and my band are so on-board with it all. I’m really, really pleased with it. 

In mythology, a defixio is a cursed tablet and this album is about casting off and confronting all the negative things that have been said about me, either to myself or by others, in a witty way. A lot of my writing has been more metaphorical, but a lot of it is very direct now. 

You’ve just made Erin Hepzibah your inaugural signing to Family Starr Records. How did this come out and what are the hopes for the label? 

From the moment that I thought of setting up a record label, she was my first choice. I’ve basically been functioning as a label for a while by doing things for pals, but I just didn’t realise that’s what I was doing. My long term goal has been a behind-the-scenes role in terms of recording and engineering. It’s a way to use all my skills and Erin is someone that I just believe in so much. She’s just amazing.

Defixio is slated for release via Family Starr Records on Friday 13th December and will be available via all streaming services. Follow Becca Starr on Instagram.