‘Masquerade‘ is the first Star Circus track that features bassist Sophie stepping up to lead vocal duties, and also her first solo writing effort.
“The masquerade is a metaphor for feeling like you have to hide a part of yourself in order to be accepted. The lyric ideas came from my own experience of spending my youth feeling like I should try to fit in, and never really finding a place where I felt accepted.
The song ends on a more positive note as I did eventually find ‘my people’; my partner Dave and friends on the London rock scene who are unapologetically themselves and encourage me to be the same. I wanted the outro to keep a melancholy and slightly ominous feel as a reminder that life will always inevitably consist of both highs and lows.” – Sophie Aurelia Young
Buy the album here: https://starcircus.hearnow.com/from-the-wreckage
‘From The Wreckage’ sees the band take a huge step forward, pushing boundries and themselves, and the end result is an absolutely storming rocker of an album that’s guaranteed to delight fans and gain many more!
Dave comments on the new album: “Feeling invigorated following the positive response to our first album and many national tours, we set aside the first half of 2024 to write and record our second album as a band. However, most of last year proved to be a challenging time for us. Cancellations, lineup and management issues plagued us, along with fear and disbelief at the state of the world in general.
As a consequence, ‘From The Wreckage’ is definitely a heavier, darker and more aggressive beast both lyrically and musically than it’s predecessor. On the other hand there’s definitely both light and shade, and a positive outlook depicted in the title; that we’re coming back stronger than ever. First and foremost, we’re really proud of all the songs, but it’s also a landmark in our evolution from our little project into a fully-fledged rock n’ roll animal!”
Star Circus are a London-based rock band led by Dave Winkler and Sophie Aurelia Young, influenced by classic rock artists including Queen, Thin Lizzy, Cheap Trick, Def Leppard and Alice Cooper.
The band was formed in 2019 by frontman Dave, who’s songwriting caught the attention of radio legend Tony Wilson. The pair worked together on creating the debut album ‘Separate Sides’ which Tony produced, and was released in December 2022 to an overwhelmingly positive critical response.
Following the album release and several UK tours supporting a host of international acts, the Star Circus lineup has now become a collaborative band-project, with other musicians contributing to the songwriting. As well as the added influences of other songwriters, the new album also features various accomplished guest guitarists including Tom Draper (ex Carcass, Spirit Adrift) and Ritchie Mohicano (Dobermann), and the notable addition of Sophie’s vocals (including lead vocals on Masquerade). The band also landed a global distribution deal with the Arizona-based record label Renaissance Records. Their sophomore album “From The Wreckage” was released in June 2025 to much critical acclaim. The album will also be available on vinyl in the very near future.
Live shows:
19.07.25 – BLACKPOOL, The Waterloo (Supporting Brave Rival)
20.07.25 – SHEFFIELD, The Greystones (Supporting Brave Rival)
03.10.25 – Cornwall Rocks Festival, Tencreek Holiday Park
11.10.25 – GODALMING, Borough Hall (Supporting Brave Rival)
16.10.25 – NORWICH, The Brickmakers (Supporting Brave Rival)
18.10.25 – ALDERSHOT, The West End Centre (Supporting Brave Rival)
06.11.25 – DERBY, The Flowerpot (Supporting Brave Rival)
14.11.25 – Rockmantic Weekender, Yardbirds Grimsby
07.12.25 – STAINES, Thameside Tap House and Brewery (Supporting Brave Rival)
18.12.25 – LEIGHTON BUZZARD, The Library Theatre (Supporting Brave Rival)
21.12.25 – HASTINGS, The Carlisle (Supporting Brave Rival)
