David Starr Releases Debut Single“Hole In The Page” Off Forthcoming Album Must Be Blue
Fierce First Offering From Quarto Valley Records
NASHVILLE, TN…Blues/Americana artist David Starr releases the debut track, “Hole In The Page,” off his forthcoming record Must Be Blue set for release via GRAMMY®-winning label, Quarto Valley Records. With gritty electrics, soulful vocals, and expert songwriting from Starr, the fiery lead single is a fresh take for the Blues genre with Americana accents.
While recording the album, Starr stumbled upon the idea for the song as a happy accident when listening to a radio show one day. “I wrote this song in the fall of 2023 as we were finishing up the record,” Starr shares. “I actually ‘misheard’ something on a radio show playing in the background. While I'm not sure what the announcer said, it sounded to me like he said ‘hole in the page’ at the time. The story he was reporting on had nothing to do with such a phrase. I took the line and ran with it. That's how the magic of songwriting sometimes happens.”
Recorded at Addiction Sound Studios in Nashville, the track features an A-list team of musicians, including ACM Drummer of the Year and member of Al Anderson’s World Famous Headliners, Greg Morrow on drums (Don Henley, Joe Bonamassa, Billy Gibbons, Bob Seger), Jeff King on electric guitar (Art Garfunkle, Reba McEntire, Johnny Cash and Dave Matthews), Mark Prentice on bass and keyboards (Elvis Costello, Bruce Springsteen, Lyle Lovett, Desmond Child), Michelle Nicolo Prentice on background vocals (Wyonna Judd, Lari White, Bebe Winans), Starr’s brother Joe Starr on electric guitar, and acoustic guitar and vocals from David Starr. Starr and GRAMMY®-winning producer Mark Prentice produced the project, with David Kalmusky (Journey, Shawn Mendes, Keith Urban, Neal Schon, Motley Crue) engineering and mixing.
Properly introducing Must Be Blue, “Hole In The Page” is the perfect mix of bluesy and moody, with a rocking tempo right out the gate. “The recorded version has some real body to it. Jeff King's guitar work sets the tone, and the band just rocked it from there,” says Starr. “I couldn't be more pleased with how the song came together; it is the perfect introduction to what’s to come with my first release on Quarto Valley Records.”
In addition to the new single, Starr is celebrating a recent induction into the founding class of the Northwest Arkansas Musicians Hall Of Fame, where he performed at the ceremonies in December. His upcoming tour dates include shows in Denver at Swallow Hill’s Tuft Theatre on March 8th and in his hometown of Cedaredge at the Grand Mesa Arts & Events Center on March 21.
To listen to the single please visit: davidstarr.lnk.to/HoleInThePage
To learn more about David Starr please visit DavidStarrMusic.com
ABOUT DAVID STARR
David Starr is a Colorado-based Blues and Americana singer/songwriter with over 11 albums to his credit. The Arkansas native has honed his decades-long career touring internationally, sharing the stage and collaborating with esteemed artists such as John Oates (Hall & Oates), John McEuen, Steve Cropper, Jim Lauderdale, and Wild Ponies as well as opening for acts like America, Karla Bonoff, Jim Messina, Survivor, and more. He has been a showcasing artist at Folk Alliance International, Americana Fest, and Southwest Regional Folk Alliance. In 2024 he melded his blues background of growing up playing electric guitar in Southern Arkansas clubs with his time spent in Nashville exploring Americana and Folk. What he arrived at was his own brand of “Bluesicana” - a melding of the two genres for his highly anticipated project Must Be Blue. After receiving rave reviews and recognition on previous singles from editorial playlists on Spotify such as “Got Blues”, it was clear he was striking a nerve. GRAMMY®-winning label Quarto Valley Records agreed and signed Starr to a record deal for the album, releasing in 2025. He is a member of the Blues Foundation, The Colorado Blues Society, and the Pikes Peak Blues Society. Starr’s prestige extends beyond the stage, having launched Starr’s Guitars in Little Rock, before relocating to Cedaredge, CO in 2001, where it is now a beloved institution. Starr is also a founding member of the board for the Grand Mesa Arts & Events Center in Cedaredge, an intimate event space aimed at attracting musicians and visual artists to Colorado’s Western Slope. In 2024, he produced the sold-out inaugural Grand Mesa Songwriter Festival, which brought 15 songwriters to Cedaredge to perform over 50 shows across five venues. For information on new music and upcoming tour dates, please visit www.DavidStarrMusic.com.
ABOUT QUARTO VALLEY RECORDS
Founded by tech entrepreneur Bruce Quarto, the California-based independent label, Quarto Valley Records, represents Rock, Blues, Jazz and Americana genres with an impressive artist roster featuring legacy musicians Paul Rodgers, GRAMMY® award-winning Edgar Winter, Savoy Brown as well as the legendary talent that comprises The Immediate Family, GRAMMY® award-winning producer and renowned drummer and songwriter Tom Hambridge, GRAMMY® award-winning producer and percussionist Narada Michael Walden, blues-rock artist Sean Chambers, British blues sensation Bonham-Bullick, Wings member Denny Seiwell, acclaimed Americana singer-songwriter Al Staehely, the esteemed and soulful Richard T. Bear, and emerging artist Dominic Quarto. For more information, please visit: www.quartovalleyrecords.com.