Star-Jock is an alternative rock powerhouse from Naarm (Melbourne) with a sound rooted in blues and bursting with raw emotion and creativity. In this exclusive interview, the band opens up about their debut single “Reflector,” a cathartic anthem born from front-person Mac’s personal struggles and a turning point for the group. They reflect on playing iconic venues like Fed Square and their dreams of performing at legendary festivals like Glastonbury. With influences ranging from Muddy Waters to modern experimental rock, Star-Jock is on a mission to bring grit and authenticity back to the genre.
From the dark, swampy blues that inspire lead guitarist Kai to the perfectionist tendencies of Mac clashing with Billie’s free-spirited approach, this is a band that thrives on creative tension. Their answers dive into everything from the meaning behind their songs to their dream of distorting instruments into medieval folk metal. Buckle up for an intimate look at Star-Jock’s journey, philosophies, and the ambition that drives them forward.This is a paid collaboration with 'Star Jock'
TRACK REVIEW
“Reflector” delivers riff-laden goodness from start to finish, with vocal effects that perfectly complement the raw emotion of the track. It’s clear that each member of Star-Jock feels right at home in every section, bringing a sense of cohesion and confidence to the song. The production adds layers of intrigue, keeping listeners hooked throughout. The standout moment comes with the lyric “take it anymore,” launching into a wicked riff that demands attention. By 2:40, the breakdown riff hits like a hammer, leaving you with euphoric visions of witnessing this track live in an arena. Star-Jock has truly crafted an anthem with “Reflector.” LINKTREE LINK
Tell us about “Reflector,” your debut single. What does the song say about Star-Jock as a band, and what reflections do you hope listeners take away from it?
MAC: ‘Reflector’ was written by me after the first iteration of Star-Jock* had failed. I was so angry at myself for a long time for the kind of person I was, and the person i was growing to become. ‘Reflector’ became my way of telling the world what I thought of myself at the time and it was incredibly therapeutic for me to do that. Above all else, ‘Reflector’ was our way of finally being able to say “after all this shit, fuck you im still here”.
Fed Square is such an iconic space in Melbourne. What was it like performing there, and did it feel different from any other show you’ve played?
OLLIE: It was a really unique experience and we’re glad to have taken part in that, sharing our music with so many others alike to us is awesome. It’s also one of the biggest and most iconic venues we’ve played and i’m excited to see what performing there could mean for us in the future, who knows!
Your sound draws from the roots of blues but pushes into experimental and contemporary rock. What do you think the ‘perfect’ Star-Jock song would sound like?
KAI: Well I grew up listening to a lot of Muddy Waters and T-Bone Walker and I grew a lot of inspiration from them. That swampy delta-blues is what I love and I think anything dark and gritty IS a perfect star-jock* song.
You mention not wanting boundaries. If you could invent a new genre that defines Star-Jock, what would you call it, and what would it sound like?
KAI: I think alternative rock is an incredibly broad genre that now is a bit washed with how over-used it is by bands. I think a lot of bands miss the mark of that Rock music is originally rooted from blues music, and without those roots it becomes quite ‘thrashy’ and unclear. It’s sad to see some great bands not get that.
Every band has a defining moment where they feel like things are “clicking.” Did that happen for you during the recording of “Reflector” or somewhere else?
MAC: When I took ‘Reflector’s lyrics to the band for rehearsal it was just like “wow we actually have a song here now”. It was great to just finally have a win, finally have something get put together and work in every way.
If your band had to play a gig with no guitars allowed, what would the Star-Jock lineup look like, and how would you reinvent your songs?
BILLIE: I think we’d resort to being a medieval folk metal band. Just distort the shit out of all the instruments, synth, violin and drum machine, just make it as far fetched as possible.
Blues and rock have such a rich history of storytelling. What’s a story or moment in your lives that feels like it needs to become a Star-Jock song?
MAC: It’s hard to say, I have so much I want to say, but I also don’t think it’s for me to tell people what i’m writing about sometimes. Some of our music is easy to deduct the meaning, other times it’s not as simple. So with that said i’d rather die on the hill of that anything important to me will eventually end up as a song.
If Star-Jock could perform anywhere in the world, whether it’s a famous venue, an unexpected location, or something wild, where would you set up, and why?
MAC: I would say Slane Castle, it’s a fucking castle. OLLIE: Headlining events like RockAM Ring and Download Festival would just be nuts. BILLIE: Outside of the politics, Russia has a bunch of grit and grunge to it, so there would work. KAI: A dream of mine is to play glastonbury, I don’t have any interest in stadiums, but glastonbury would be cool.
Let’s talk band dynamics. Who’s the biggest perfectionist, who’s most likely to wing it, and how do these personalities collide or blend when you’re creating?
KAI: Mac is easily the biggest perfectionist, Billie is the most likely to wing it. It can all collide very easily, but when it works it works well.
Imagine you’re writing a letter to Star-Jock 10 years in the future. What would you hope to say, and what legacy do you want your music to leave behind?
KAI: Continue to write music for your own creative betterment, not because people want you to, or writing things in a certain way for other people. MAC: I think I’d tell myself to just be kind to myself, I can get so self critical even when I’m doing great things, so yeah, be easy on yourself.
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