Stars of the Lid is an American ambient music project that formerly consisted of Brian McBride and Adam Wiltzie. The duo formed in Austin, Texas, in 1993. They have been acclaimed for their music incorporating droning, effects-treated guitars along with piano, strings, and horns, described as "divine, classical drone without the tedious intrusion of drums or vocals."[1] After McBride's death in 2023, Wiltzie remains the sole member.
Stars of the Lid toured worldwide throughout 2007 and 2008 in support of the album; throughout their European tour, they were joined live by a string trio featuring Lucinda Chua of Felix on cello, Noura Sanatian on violin, and Ela Baruch on viola. Their North American line-up included Julia Kent on cello. The band would very occasionally play shows around the world from 2009 to 2017, usually as part of a one-off event.
The duo was active pursuing side-projects and solo releases after And Their Refinement of the Decline. A teaser trailer for a possible Stars of the Lid feature film surfaced on the internet in 2008,[5] but the group did not release any new material.
McBride died in August 2023.[6] A subsequent interview by The Guardian with Wiltzie confirmed that he may be interested in finishing up and publishing music the duo had left behind.[7] According to the article, sessions were done throughout the 2010s with a “list of what was supposed to be the next release” apparently recorded. Wiltzie plans on eventually releasing an album's worth of their recordings, stating, “I can’t yet put my arms around the memory of Brian, but someday I am going to try to do this for everyone, so at least the end is documented.”
With Wiltzie completing some of the work that remained unfinished, no official disbandment has yet been confirmed on any social media page or article, as new official releases may surface.
Solo and side-projects
Brian McBride and Adam Wiltzie have both released material outside of Stars of the Lid. McBride released his first solo album When the Detail Lost Its Freedom in November 2005, then released The Effective Disconnect in October 2010, which serves as a soundtrack to the documentary Vanishing of the Bees, a film about colony collapse disorder.[8] McBride teamed up with musician Kenneth James Gibson and began recording and releasing new music under the name Bell Gardens; their debut EP Hangups Need Company was released in May 2010, their first full-length album Full Sundown Assembly followed in November 2012, and their second album Slow Dawns for Lost Conclusions was released in October 2014 via Rocket Girl.[9]
^The spelling "Carte-de-Visite" is the one used at Brainwashed.com.[1] A 59-min collection of mostly new material, 9 tracks from 1997–2007: 6 outtakes from previous albums (1997, 2001, 2007), 2 previously unreleased tracks (1997, 1999), and the track from the split release Kahanek Incident (1997). Originally a 2007 limited release sold during a live tour; reissued in May 2009 as an unlimited release. Considered a 2007 album (the 2009 reissue kept the track list title "Carte-de-Visite, SOTL, 2007"). "Carte de Visite" (lit. "Card of Visit") is French for "Visiting Card"/"Calling Card"/"Business Card".