{"id":91728,"date":"2025-07-09T11:02:56","date_gmt":"2025-07-09T10:02:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/?p=91728"},"modified":"2025-07-09T11:28:47","modified_gmt":"2025-07-09T10:28:47","slug":"interview-stars-go-dim-talks-new-retro-pop-album-roses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2025\/07\/interview-stars-go-dim-talks-new-retro-pop-album-roses\/","title":{"rendered":"INTERVIEW: Stars Go Dim Talks New Retro-Pop Album ‘Roses’"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Mainstream pop band Stars Go Dim – AKA acclaimed artist and songwriter Chris Cleveland – has enchanted audiences with his uplifting songwriting. Over the past 15 years, he has carved out a distinctive presence in the music world – achieving multiple international Top 5 hits, a U.S. radio No.1, millions of streams, and collaborating with legends like Elton John and John Mayer.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Now, he embraces a new chapter with his new retro-inspired album, ‘Roses’, featuring the soulful funk of lead single ‘Mama Don’t Lie (Alright)’, to the wistful, classic balladry of ‘A Little Light’.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this open conversation, we chatted about his love for 60’s and 70’s music, vintage instrumentation, co-producing the entire album, the inspiration behind his intimate lyricism, and the real-life moments he is most proud of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Congratulations on the release of your brand-new album, \u2018Roses\u2019. How does it feel to be releasing your next full-length body of work?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you so much! It really feels great to finally get this project out into the world.  It’s been a project that I’m extremely proud of and I’m so excited to be able to share it with the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The album evokes a new retro-pop sound. What arrangements and techniques did you use to craft this fresh style?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, it does! This is the first album of mine that I’ve produced completely from top to bottom, along with the help of some great collaborators.  I’ve always been moved by soulful music from the 60’s and 70’s and so this record pays respect to so many of those greats that have come before it.  One of the biggest things I did to achieve this, other than intentionally writing songs with more complex chord structures and melodies, was to have some really incredible musicians play on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Every instrument on this album is a real person playing a real instrument, getting recorded in a real studio – and I think that makes a huge difference when you create from that point of view. It brings humanity, emotion, and feel into every note.  So from all of the vintage keyboards, guitars, drums, horns, and strings, we did our best to have some incredible musicians bring their best to the songs.  Vocally we approached it in a more modern way, as my voice lends itself to modern pop in such a specific way, but we still let the songs breathe much more than we would in a typical pop song arrangement.  We approached the vocal effects in a slightly different way as well.  Much credit to my co-producer, John Strandell for helping me hone in on that sound.  He’s really incredible at what he does.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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