David Starr Releases Beauty and Ruin
New record produced by John Oates, featuring Jim Lauderdale, Wood Newton, Irene Kelley, and more
NASHVILLE, TN (February 21, 2020) … David Starr is proud to announce the release of his new record, Beauty and Ruin. Recorded at Addiction Sound Studio in Nashville, Beauty and Ruin was produced by John Oates and co-produced by David Starr and David Kalmusky. Co-writers on the record include Oates, Jim Lauderdale, Wood Newton, Dana Cooper, Doug and Telisha Williams (Wild Ponies), Irene Kelley, and Shelley Rae Korntved.
“These are storytelling songs at their best, rendered by some of the best writers and musicians in the genre.”
Jim Hynes, Country Standard Time
“The entire project is an “aha!” moment: the concept of writing songs to tell the tales of a haunting book’s characters. And more than that, Beauty and Ruin pinpoints the essence of the human experience.”
Melissa Clarke, Americana Highways
Beauty and Ruin is inspired by Of What Was, Nothing Is Left, a novel written by David's grandfather, in 1972. The final book Fred Starr published before his death, the story is one of tragedy, family dysfunction, and denial set in rural southwest Arkansas. Along with the album release, David has republished an updated version of the novel, with an additional forward and afterword.
After working with Oates on his 2017 The Head & Heart EP, David approached him with the following idea: what if we gave several of our favorite songwriters a copy of the book and asked them to write for a concept album based on the story? The idea was not so much for them to retell the story, but to write songs inspired by the places, characters and situations found in the book.
A true Americana story, exploring human nature and all its flaws, the novel inspired these artists to mine their own history and life experience. The project hammers home the importance of storytelling, our country’s oral traditions, by pushing Fred Starr’s words forward and giving them new life.
“Beauty and Ruin is the most deeply-personal project I’ve ever done,” says Starr. “Having John Oates and so many talented writers and players involved has truly been a rewarding journey. The fact that the album is based on my grandfather’s book is icing on the cake!”
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ABOUT DAVID STARR:
David Starr possesses “a compelling voice, something truly special, both accessible and passionate” (Elmore), that has been honed releasing nine albums, touring internationally, and opening shows for esteemed artists such as John Oates (Hall & Oates), The Steel Wheels, Survivor, and more. Starr’s prestige extends beyond the stage as well, having launched Starr’s Guitars in Little Rock in 1998, then relocating to Cedaredge in 2001. Today, the store is such an institution that Cedaredge proclaimed the musician’s birthday as David Starr Day in 2016. He was also instrumental in the 2018 opening of the Grand Mesa Arts Center, an intimate event space brought to fruition through strong community support in Cedaredge, CO. Starr helped design the space in order to attract musicians and visual artists to Southwestern Colorado.
Find David Starr on Spotify, Apple Music, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and at https://www.davidstarrmusic.com/.
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Press Contact:
Olivia Baker - Richlynn Group
615.970.7474