On Repeat: Alex Starling Shares ‘We Lie To Ourselves’ & We Just Can’t Stop Listening To It

London-based singer-songwriter, Alex Starling – aka frontman of ethereal synth-pop band The Ghosts – has just dropped his debut solo single, and we can’t stop listening to it.

Produced and mixed by Tim Bran (Aurora, London Grammar), ‘We Lie To Ourselves’ tells the emotive story of a couple struggling to speak up, but Starling’s voice has you hanging on to every last word. “The song is about superstitions and looking for signs to help convince yourself a relationship is going well,” he says of the narrative, which rings with such honesty that you can’t help thinking it’s been dug out from some dark corner of the heart.

“The song is about superstitions and looking for signs to help convince yourself a relationship is going well.”

Alex Starling was integral to the early successes of Ou Est Le Swimming Pool before the untimely death of their lead singer, Charlie Haddon in 2010. With his course altered immeasurably, he undertook solo shows in Germany and the U.S., before forming The Ghosts, who then signed deals in the US, Canada and Russia before touring extensively over the next few years. Starling began writing for other artists, during a break from touring, and his music has featured heavily on Sky Sports, MTV and on US TV shows such as the ABC NETWORK drama Red Widow.

In parts, a departure from the synth-led sounds of The Ghosts, Alex Starling’s solo debut, which featured on the current season of Made In Chelsea before its release, performs like an overture for his new direction, with a subtle nod to his past in the pulsing synth bassline. Whatever comes next, we can’t wait to hear it.

‘We Lie To Ourselves’ is out now via Bonnethead Records.

Photo: Laura Clacher

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