On their Tumblr page, up-and-coming rockers StarBenders describe their sound as akin to “Iggy Pop playing 7 minutes in heaven with Katy Perry.” It’s a bold and playful declaration, one that’s befitting of the group’s youthful presence. However, the Iggy Pop comparison also hints at the punk edge that rears its head throughout the otherwise thoroughly poppy songs StarBenders play. “Touch”, a tune from their forthcoming self-titled EP, is an ideal representation of the band’s style.
Singer and guitarist Kimi Shelter tells PopMatters about the song, “Me and my producer Nico Constantine have an inside joke—if something strikes me as material for a song, I say, ‘I’ll have it on your desk by tomorrow morning.’ We always have a good laugh about it. The day I came up with “Touch,” I asked him what I should write about. He said, ‘You need a song about sex.’
“I’m like, ‘No problem—I know a little bit about that.’ ‘Touch’ was born out of the initial riff you hear at the beginning of the song, and the rest of the music is built around that. It was one of those songs I didn’t have to force—I was just along for the ride. LISTEN HERE…