Starbright (group)

Starbright are a Jetanie boy band, formed in 1995 by Morris Sands in Koolia, Jetania. They were signed by DJ Kubin in Kuboia, in the UK and  in the US. The group currently consists of Joe Prawda, Alexis Kerr, Adrian Eichel, Flynn Meldon, and Kevin Feinberg. The original sextet lineup of Prawda, Stevie Bason, Kerr, Meldon, Eichel, and Alex Ivan is the most famous of the band's incarnations. Bason died in 2007, after which the band became a quintet until Ivan left in 2010 after he was diagnosed with Ménière's disease (an inner ear disorder), reducing the band to a quartet. Feinberg joined in 2018, returning the band to quintet status.

Background and formation: 1995
Group founder Morris Sands (b. 1940) was born in the Welsh village of to English parents who were Anglican missionaries, and came to Jetania as a child. He became a priest in 1970. In 1980, he became vicar of St. James' Anglican Church, Koolia. In 1993, Sands publicly voiced his disappointment with the contemporary Christian music scene, believing that they were "rubbish at spreading Christ's word" and were not appealing to liberal Christians "who may follow a different set of beliefs." In 1994, he employed a fellow Welshman residing in Jetania, former punk rock musician Lance Huws, with intentions of forming a musical group that would spread Christian values "subtly, not overtly."

In 1995, the pop music scene of the time was flourishing. One day, Morris heard his daughter listening to TLC's hit single "Waterfalls" on. Morris was impressed by the high standard of music craftsmanship, but felt the song was "too on the nose about touchy subjects." He realised that a market existed for a vocal group that would convey to teenagers the standards and morals he advocated, as well as a message of "love for one another, regardless of sexual orientation, religion or race." Huws was assigned to form an all-male vocal group.

After auditioning 200 hopefuls, the lineup of Jetanie citizens Joe Prawda, Alexis Kerr, Flynn Meldon, Stevie Bason and Alex Ivan was set to be finalised. However, Morris was impressed by the audition of German national Adrian Eichel, and persuaded Huws to change his mind on dismissing his audition. Eichel was added to the lineup of Prawda, Kerr, Meldon, Bason and Ivan, and the lineup was "firmly finalised."

A self-titled EP was quietly released in November 1995, recorded at a studio in Wautrom. All the songs were written by hired writers (including Christian praise and worship music songwriters that Sands knew), since Sands and Huws knew nothing about pop music songwriting. The EP's performance was initially lukewarm, however, the group rigorously toured discos, clubs and even church fetes to earn a reputation for themselves. The group's big break came in mid-April 1996 when Kuboian producer DJ Kubin discovered the group performing in the Kuboian Borders. Sands gave DJ Kubin US$83,717 to record a debut album for the group. Kubin produced half the album at his studio in Hausekeep, the rest was recorded in with producer Tim Bucher. The album, All Together Now, was a major hit in Jetania and Kuboia, as well as several other countries.

Studio albums

 * All Together Now (1997)
 * Let's Do It (1999)
 * Attack (2000)
 * One of Us (2002)
 * Break Free (2004)
 * Still Here (2006)
 * Starbright (2013)
 * Once and Forever (2019)

Extended plays

 * Starbright (1995)

Singles

 * "Be Mine" (1995)
 * "Everything I Need" (1995)
 * "City Lights" (1997)
 * "Trouble" (1997)
 * "We Can Get It On" (1998)
 * "All Together" (1998)
 * "Why" (1998)
 * "The Melody Maker" (2000)
 * "Talking to the Night" (2003)