The band's sound has varied considerably over the years. Loud and lush shoegaze, heavy guitar rock, dream pop, chamber pop, new wave, synth pop, post-punk, garage rock, pop rock, soft rock, lounge music and blues rock all play significant roles in SF59's ultimate sonic palette.
While Martin has written all of Starflyer 59's music and is the principal musician, the band has included numerous contributors over its life. For the better part of 15 years, beginning in the mid-00s, SF59's lineup stabilized with Steven Dail on bass and Trey Many on drums. In recent years, drumming duties have been handled by Charlie Martin, Jason's son, who was 16 when he recorded on SF59's 2019 album, Young In My Head. Other notable contributors over the years have included Jeff Cloud, Richard Swift, Frank Lenz, Josh Dooley, Wayne Everett, and others.
Starflyer 59 was signed to Tooth & Nail Records, their original and current label, after Jason Martin gave a demo to Brandon Ebel when the two met at a music festival in 1993. Shortly afterwards, Ebel contacted Martin and offered him a record contract. By the end of the year, Starflyer 59's debut album, Silver, was recorded and released. In 1995, Starflyer 59 released their sophomore album, Gold. Both of these albums are actually eponymous releases, but are colloquially known by the colors of the plain, monochromatic album art.
Starflyer 59's next album, Americana (1997), continued with the minimalist cover art, but marked the first of many significant sonic shifts for the band. While Americana is still loud, heavy and guitar-forward like the previous releases, layered ambient shoegazing is replaced by crunchy, catchy blues rock-inspired riffs and more traditional song structures. Several changes to the band lineup were also made for this album. Bass player Andrew Larson departed, replaced by Eric Campuzano (The Prayer Chain). In addition, Wayne Everett (The Prayer Chain) became the band's studio drummer, a role previously held by Martin. High tensions in the studio during the recoding of the album led Campuzano to leave the band before it began touring to support the new album. Replacing him was Jeff Cloud, who had been Starflyer's touring manager.
The release of The Fashion Focus in 1998 signaled a major change in the direction of the band's sound, largely due to the influence of Gene Eugene. Where previous albums had emphasized guitars and loud, shoegazing rock and roll, The Fashion Focus was a significantly softer album, drawing its main influences from pop rock, loung music, arty indie rock and synthesizer music. Everybody Makes Mistakes, released the next year, continued in the same direction as The Fashion Focus.
On Nov. 21st, 2000, Starflyer 59 released Easy Come Easy Go, a two disc set that contained songs from throughout their career up to that point. 2001 saw the release of Leave Here A Stranger, Starflyer's next full length album. It saw the band's sound continue to soften. After the untimely death of Gene Eugene, Martin called on long-time musical hero Terry Scott Taylor to take over production of the new album. In an effort to be different, Leave Here a Stranger was recorded in mono. In addition to Martin and Cloud, Leave Here a Stranger featured Josh Dooley on keyboards and Joey Esquibel on drums.
Beginning in 2003, Starflyer 59 would release one full length album every year for three years, all of them self-produced. The first of these albums was Old. Old features heavier guitars than Leave Here A Stranger; however, the music was still significantly softer than the band's early work. In 2004, I Am the Portuguese Blues was released. With this album, Starflyer 59 returned to the heavy guitar format that was so prominent on their early albums, as well as the monochromatic album covers that had characterized these albums. I Am the Portuguese Blues was not a true follow-up to Old, but instead was a set of older songs that Jason Martin had written for a follow-up album to Americana. The material was originally shelved when the band shifted gears and instead recorded The Fashion Focus. This was a treat for fans of Starflyer 59's older material, but confused many newer fans and critics who were familiar with Starflyer 59's more recent pop-friendly work.
2005's Talking Voice vs. Singing Voice saw the band change their sound yet again, to a style that seemed a more natural follow-up to Old than I Am the Portuguese Blues had been. For this album, Starflyer 59 was cut down to two members: Jason Martin and drummer Frank Lenz. It would be the first studio album since Americana to be recorded without bassist Jeff Cloud. Despite having only two band members, the songs on Talking Voice vs. Singing Voice have a full sound. This is largely due to the inclusion of guest string players on many of the albums tracks.
Also in 2005, Starflyer 59 re-issued digitally re-mastered versions of Silver and Gold with bonus tracks. The re-issue of Silver came with the tracks of the band's follow-up EP, She's The Queen. Gold was reissued with the "Goodbyes Are Sad" 7 inch single and three of the four tracks from the Le Vainqueur EP.
In September 2006, Starflyer 59 released their latest album My Island. My Island is yet another evolution in the Starflyer sound. While Talking Voice vs. Singing Voice relied on the warmth of synthesized bass and live strings, My Island's"strength comes from its catchy guitar hooks and live bass.
Jason Martin's side projects have included Bon Voyage with his wife, Julie, Enemy Ships (formerly known as The Emergency), Pony Express, The Brothers Martin with his brother Ronnie Martin of Joy Electric fame, Neon Horse, Low & Behold, Lo Tom[/artist), and others. The Martin brothers also worked together in Morella's Forest (1998 band, not to be confused with the 90s band of the same name) and Dance House Children, which predate their famous solo projects. Jason has also produced albums for Fine China, MAP, and Upside Down Room and performed work as a studio musician and guest musician on several albums.
Their official website is located at www.sf59.com. Their official myspace is located at www.myspace.com/starflyer59.
M23
Starflyer 59 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's not tired, my melody
I've been writing since I was twenty-three
My memorial
Hey man, you tired? Ya, that's me
You look worried, well ya, that's me
Is it over? Well, we'll see
Hey man, did you write that for me?
It seems like it, that really spoke to me
But you made it up, you made it up
You just make it up
Can I rely, can I?
In the twinkling of an eye...
Of an eye, we'll rise
So I'll rely on Christ
In the twinkling of an eye
We'll rise
The lyrics to Starflyer 59's song M23 are open to interpretation, but they seem to reflect a sense of weariness and introspection in the singer. The first verse is directed at someone, perhaps a fellow musician or listener, asking that they write their music in a way that will make an impact and be seen. The singer asserts that his own melody is not tired, meaning that his music still holds relevance and importance. He notes that he has been writing since he was twenty-three, suggesting that he has been working at his craft for a long time and has gained experience along the way. The singer also refers to his work as his memorial, which could indicate that his music is something he is leaving behind for others to remember him by.
In the second verse, the singer turns the focus back on himself, acknowledging that he is tired and worried. The question, "is it over?" suggests a sense of finality or closure. However, the singer concludes, "we'll see," leaving the future open-ended. The third verse seems to address the question of authenticity in music. The singer asks if the listener thinks the song was written specifically for them, then acknowledges that it was made up. The repetition of "you just make it up" suggests a sense of artifice or inauthenticity.
Overall, the song seems to touch on themes of legacy, authenticity, and the passage of time. The singer is wrestling with questions of how his music will be remembered and whether it truly reflects who he is. The repeated phrases "my melody" and "my memorial" suggest that his music is the most important thing he can leave behind.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey man, write it so they'll see
Requesting for someone to write a melody that will catch people's attention and be acknowledged.
It's not tired, my melody
The melody is not old or unoriginal.
I've been writing since I was twenty-three
The artist has been writing music since they were 23 years old.
My memorial
The song will serve as a lasting memory of the artist's work.
Hey man, you tired? Ya, that's me
Admitting to feeling fatigued and overwhelmed.
You look worried, well ya, that's me
Acknowledging that they seem anxious or stressed.
Is it over? Well, we'll see
Expressing uncertainty about what the future holds.
Hey man, did you write that for me?
Inquiring if a specific song was written for one individual.
It seems like it, that really spoke to me
The song appears to be very relatable to the listener and speaks to them.
But you made it up, you made it up
Acknowledging that the song was created by the artist's imagination.
Can I rely, can I?
Expressing a need for assurance in a higher power or force.
In the twinkling of an eye...
Refers to the rapid, sudden occurrence of an event.
Of an eye, we'll rise
Symbolic of the Christian belief in the second coming of Christ and the resurrection of the dead.
So I'll rely on Christ
Placing trust in Christianity and its teachings.
In the twinkling of an eye
Again, referring to the unexpectedness and unpredictability of important events.
We'll rise
Reiterating the Christian belief in the resurrection and salvation of the faithful.
Contributed by Hannah G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.