Starpainter

Starpainter is a folk rock band from Lethbridge, Alberta. They wear their influences on their sleeves, showcasing old-school songwriting craftsmanship and an affinity for gently psychedelic alt-twang tones. The band’s second full-length, titled Rattlesnake Dream, was released in June 2023 on Neon Moon Records.


Rattlesnake Dream exists in a small-town universe that has become a defining feature of Starpainter’s body of work. Themes of family, aging, and personal loss are explored across the album’s 10 tracks. The record explores new sonic territory, further developing a signature sound built on memorable melodies and imaginative, guitar-heavy arrangements.


Rattlesnake Dream was named one of the best albums of 2023 on CBC's Key of A program, and was #12 on CKUA's top 100 most-played albums of the year. Rattlesnake Dream track "Even in a Car" was named the #1 song of 2023 by AmericanaUK. The album was mixed by Jon Anderson (Andy Shauf, Aiden Knight) and mastered by Philip Shaw Bova (Feist, Father John Misty). The band has been touring in support of the album and has played at festivals across Canada including Canadian Music Week in Toronto and Block Heater in Calgary.

Starpainter is Joel Stretch, Mickey Hayward, Joel Gray, Dylan Wagner, Bailey Kate, and Tyler Stewart.

“. . . what I found in Starpainter was a sound that was new, but felt so familiar and almost intuitive. It’s folk rock, alt-country, whatever you want to call it: it has that very classic sort of prairie Alberta sound.” - Celeigh Cardinal, CBC Radio