by Dan Skiba
— Columnist —
HARD ROCK HAVEN (HRH) caught up with VICKY STARR (VS), founder and vocalist for the up-and-coming band SIGNAL 13 to discuss their debut EP and recently released video. Here’s what VS had to say …
HRH: Signal 13 is an odd name for a Hard Rock band … is there a story behind it?
VS: We have family and friends in the military and in law enforcement, and “Signal 13” is a code call meaning “Officer In Trouble” … so we wanted to dedicate the band towards supporting all of them.
HRH: Your Website (Signal13Band.com) makes an interesting statement … “Rock & Roll with all the attitude, swagger, and energy surrounding it”.
VS: We’ve been seeing a resurgence for ‘80s style Hard Rock and Metal. When we put the band together, we wanted to keep it fun … like it was in the ‘80s … but with an underlying rhythm that would make especially women want to dance. We feel our playing style has grit and an unpolished sound and that our attitude towards how to entertain comes across exactly as we feel with high energy.
HRH: Where is Signal 13 from and when did the band form?
VS: We are from the greater Baltimore, Maryland area … a blue collar area of the state. We formed the band originally in 2017, then changed the line-up in 2019. I really wanted to focus on writing original music, and the line-up change was necessary to get everyone on the same page and to ensure that all members would be dedicated to contributing ideas.
HRH: In April 2020 you released Destination Unknown, which is a 5-song EP. Was writing and recording what you expected?
VS: I was responsible for the lyrics, but everyone made contributions and it was a team effort. The middle-class industrial environment we were raised in and live in was largely responsible for the ideas behind song topics and the messages I was trying to convey.
HRH: What is behind the album title, Destination Unknown?
VS: We’ve had success and enthusiastic crowds whenever we play – mostly along the Atlantic Seaboard States – so we wanted to get something together that we could market, advertise, and sell to see if what we do has a greater appeal. We’ll see what happens now. But Destination Unknown is just that … we really don’t know what will happen to us as a band. With the Covid-19 Pandemic, everything has changed. We haven’t been able to play a gig since March 2020, so basically we’re going with the flow, hoping for the best, and we’ll take advantage of opportunities that come our way. You’ll notice the angel on the front and back cover … on one side she’s alert and robust … on the other side she looks spent. That’s how we view ourselves … plenty of energy and excitement, and we’re willing to give Signal 13 and success our full effort.
HRH: Signal 13 came out with it’s first video for the song “Dirty”. Why did you choose this song?
VS: “Dirty” is about working hard … getting your hands dirty … blue collar work. So we shot the video in an old factory warehouse in the Baltimore area that had originally been erected in the 1800’s. It’s still in use, which was important to us, and we felt the rough and rusty look fit right in line with the theme of the song “Dirty”. We included some pyrotechnics and special camera effects that we think are pretty cool and help capture our energy in a live setting. We’re very happy with how it turned out and hope music fans will check it out on our Signal13Band.com Website.
HRH: What ended up motivating the other 4 tracks on the EP?
VS: Lyrical writing is something I really enjoy … and I was surprised how ideas from everyday life motivated me to write lyrics once I was in the mode to do so. One track, “Make It Rain”, was motivated by a local strip club … another called “Stay With Me” was about losing a son or daughter to a drug overdose. Both of these songs are based on real experiences that I’ve encountered and that have been encountered by people close to me.
HRH: Destination Unknown ends with a track entitled “All Fired Up”. The musical approach is different than the others on this EP … why the switch?
VS: I’ve always loved Blues-Based Hard Rock, so we wrote “All Fired Up” as a bit of a change-up to end the EP. I love Blues grooves, and the message in this song is that you have to have passion one way or another … you can’t stand or get lost in the middle.
HRH: Is there a final message you’d like to convey to HRH readers?
VS: We hope you’ll check us out at Signal13Band.com and watch the video. If you like what you hear, pick up a copy of our CD and spend some time with it. Get to know it. Enjoy it! We’d love to hear from people from throughout the country to know what they think of Destination Unknown.
Visit the band’s official website: https://signal13band.com/
