Jade Starling / Pretty Poison

Platinum selling artist, Jade Starling, to release
debut solo album, ‘Captive’
By: Allen Foster|AXS Contributor|Jul 17, 2014
ack before there was autotune, photoshop, and “going viral,” an artist became a star with little more than their own talent, charisma and hard work to propel them upwards. Individuals who rose to the top in those days were a different breed of entertainer, altogether. Jade Starling, one half of the platinum selling duo called Pretty Poison (“Catch Me I’m Falling”), is one of those particular types of stellar talent. Starling writes addicting songs that grab you and refuse to let go. There is also a soul at the core of her music that forges a deep and lasting bond with her audience. On August 12, this dance music superstar is stepping out on her own to release her debut solo album entitled Captive.
Though much of today’s music is single-driven, Jade’s debut is an album worthy of start-to-finish listens. Every song on Captive is a kinetic, hyper-charged expression of euphoria, but the real and lasting impact of Starling’s masterpiece is its ability to take the listener on a journey. The album has a beginning, middle, and an end, so listening straight through is a thoroughly satisfying experience.
AXS.com recently spent an afternoon with this chart-topping diva discussing everything from how collaborating has changed due to technology to the real reason why Starling writes and performs.
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Jade is an impressive woman who, despite her iconic status in certain communities, remains a pure, down-to-earth delight. In fact, even though her singing voice is solid gold, she maintains her endearing regional accent while speaking, thoroughly embracing her Philly/Jersey girl roots. Starling possesses a refreshingly upbeat perspective, a healthy sense of humor, and a wonderfully melodic laugh.
“We’ve been very fortunate,” Jade opened. “I mean, who knew that ‘Catch Me’ would have the longevity that it’s had, and the success that it continues to have. It continues to reinvent itself! The song has been used on Breaking Bad and MTV’s Ridiculousness besides the dozens of films it’s been in and all the compilations it’s been on. It’s just a miracle!”
Although Jade continued collaborating with her longtime partner Whey Cooler for her solo debut, she also worked with top DJs, producers, and remixers from around the world. “We started writing songs for the album, and it was going one way, but then we had a remix done by UK-based Bimbo Jones (Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Kylie Minogue, Katy Perry, etc.) and from there it just started to expand into a whole other direction. Lee Dagger (part of Bimbo Jones) was really interested in what we were doing, so he sent us about a dozen tracks and we just started writing.”
“Because Lee lives in the UK,” Jade informed. “we collaborated via Skype. He would send the tracks to us, we would write the songs and record them — I recorded all the vocals here in our studio in Cherry Hill, New Jersey — and then we would send it back to him and he would mix it down. So there was production going on here and there was production going on there, as well!”
Jade and Whey also worked with Laszlo (Selena Gomez, Kelly Clarkson, Justin Bieber, Nicki Minaj) and French DJ/remixer Franck Dona (Universal France).
Captive is a dance album comprised of great songs. Jade doesn’t take a hook, loop it, and parade it through your ear-space with different filters for fifteen minutes just to keep you on the dance floor, she delivers substance. Though each track easily stands on its own, the album is a cohesive whole with an overall theme. This debut is purpose-driven, more Kylie Minogue than extended DJ remix.
Regarding the title, Starling remarked, “I felt captive of my own ambition throughout the process of writing and recording this record, but captive also means me wanting to captivate the audience.”
“This album is very deep and very spiritual,” she continued. “It’s also very personal and very positive. There’s just so much going awry in the world today ... I feel that music is a touchstone to happiness and joy.”
The second single from Captive, “Think About U,” is an exhilarating beatopia! The track mesmerizes with an abundance of swirls, waves, and fuzzy pulses while Starlings pristine vocals electrify your soul making you feel truly alive!
“I just wanted to create something that would make people happy and want to dance,” Jade expressed. “Something to make you open your heart again and feel happiness and
love. I wanted to take you back to a more pure time when you first fell in love and get you to remember those feelings that you had. Also, the falling in love is about how I fall in love with the audience every time at every show!”
“People relate to lyrics, people relate to melodies,” Starling pointed out. “And that’s what we do. We are award winning songwriters, so we are not going to disappoint — the songs are all really good songs. And I’m not just saying that because it’s my record, I honestly feel that it’s a very solid record. It came from my heart and soul and there’s not one thing on there that I’m not proud of!”
“I don’t know if people are aware of this, but we’ve had 7 number 1 dance hits on Billboard over the years, and we’ve had 2 top 10 pop songs,” she concluded. “But that’s not the reason why we do what we do. The creative process is my passion in life and I’ll continue to make music no matter what because this is what I’m meant to do.”
Jade Starling’s next single, “Think About U” featuring Lee Dagger, comes out July 18. Captive will be available August 12. To stay in touch with Jade, visit her website, like her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter.
Following are Jade’s current upcoming dates (more TBA):
7/18 – Resorts World Casino NYC – Jamaica, Long Island, NY 8/9 – The Cutting Room – New York, NY 8/11 – Scores Atlantic City, DJ Times Expo – CD release event - Atlantic City, NJ 9/12 – Freestyle Explosion, Amway Center – Orlando, FL 9/13 – Freestyle Explosion, Tampa Bay Times Forum – Tampa, FL - Allen Foster

Pretty Poison's Jade Starling Releasing First Solo Album
Philly's own pioneering dance pop icon, Jade Starling, lead singer of Pretty Poison, who were all over '80s pop radio with the smash "Catch Me I'm Falling," will release her debut solo album Captive on August 12. Yay! That is such good news, since her voice is amaze. Catch me I'm falling... falling in love. Ooh, ooh, I'm falling. Sorry, the sixth grader in me HAD to! The lovely and talented Starling has maintained a rabid fan base over the years through the support of the dance club scene with a huge gay following, even though she's straight. The first single from Captive is the smash "Insomniak." Watch the video below. Track Listing:
1. Everything in the World 2. Only Love 3. Insomniak 4. Love of a Lifetime 5. Better and Better 6. Think About U 7. Spontaneous 8. Runaway Hearts 9. Step By Step 10. Place in the Sun 11. Dance Revolution 12. Every Lil Beat 13. Subliminal
Are you going to be held "Captive" by Jade Starling? —Maggie Pannacione 07.28.14 - Maggie Pannacione

Aug. 20, 2014
Jade Starling Continues To Dominate Dance Floors
With the rapidly changing landscape of the music industry, artists are faced with two choices -- evolve, or fade away. Jade Starling, of the ‘80s group Pretty Poison, chose the former, and it’s put her right in the middle of today’s vibrant EDM scene.
For Starling, the evolution can be viewed as a natural one, as Pretty Poison’s era defining hit, “Catch Me I’m Falling,” packed dance floors in the late 80s. Now, nearly thirty years later, Starling is packing dance floors again with her just released album, Captive.
Arena caught up with Starling to find out more about her musical evolution, and how being a queen of the 90s rave scene helped make it an easy transition. Starling also discussed the drug aspect of that scene, and how close she recently was to the spirit of a legendary gangster.
Arena: You just released a new album, which is your first solo effort. Do you consider this a comeback, or, in the immortal words of LL Cool J, “Don’t call it a comeback, I've been here for years?”
Jade Starling: It’s not a comeback, it’s just a reintroduction for me as a solo artist, but it was still written and produced by Whey Cooler of Pretty Poison, plus Lee Dagger from Bimbo Jones, Laszlo, and Franck Dona.
Lee Dagger from Bimbo Jones reached out to us, and he was a big fan of our music, and we asked if he could send some tracks, and if we could possibly do some collaborating. We ended up writing about a dozen songs with him, mostly through Skype, and a lot of back and forth, because he’s in the UK. Then there were four songs where we collaborated with Laszlo, who’s actually from Hungary, and then Franck Dona, who’s from France, so it’s a very Euro sounding record. It’s very contemporary, very relative to what’s going on now, but I truly believe that we’ve been doing electronic dance music since day one, now it just has a genre, and it’s called EDM.
Arena: Other than the collaborations with producers, what was going on in your life that inspired ? The title, and the leather outfit you’re wearing on the cover, are a bit dominatrix-y.
Jade Starling: (Laughs) Well, I felt a captive of my own ambition throughout the whole writing process of this album, and we decided to go into Eastern State Penitentiary here in Philadelphia with a local photographer, Gretchen Johnson Photography, and we shot this whole concept ... these very beautiful, but very haunting photos, and it’s really what I felt.
Arena: Tell me more about this prison.
Jade Starling: It’s not actually an operating prison, but it was the house to Al Capone back in the day, so there’s a lot of spirits in there. For me, I felt a connection to the place, and it just felt perfect as a back-scape, or a landscape for the album cover and the book inside.
Arena: The music industry has been changing at a ridiculously rapid rate since “Catch Me I’m Falling” was a Top 10 hit for you back in 1987. Is there anything you learned from your time in the industry in the 80s that you’ve found still applies today?
Jade Starling: Absolutely. One thing that really stands out to me is a hit song is a hit song. A good song can be performed bare bones with a piano, or a guitar. That's how these songs [on Captive] were written, and I really wanted to make sure that every song on the record was honed as a good song. Great hooks, lyrics, melodies, no filler.
I’ve also learned that when you have a big hit it’s really hard to live up to it. “Catch Me I’m Falling,” of course, it’s a blessing, really. It has continued to reinvent itself over the years. It was recently used in the last season of Breaking Bad, and also on Ridiculousness a couple months ago. I think, too, in that way, we wanted to make Captive my solo record so people wouldn't have this preconceived notion about a Pretty Poison record and what it should be, and what it should sound like.
Arena: The 80s were a time of extreme excess. Every artist I’ve spoken with, and every autobiography I’ve read, has featured a number of incredible stories involving partying harder than most can imagine. You, however, still look great, so I have to ask, did you not have ANY fun in the 80s, or have you just hidden it really well?
Jade Starling: (Laughs) I had a lot of fun in the 80s, and in the 90s. I’m still having fun, but for me, honestly, alcohol is not an issue with me. I’m not a drinker. Yes, I partied hard, and I did my share of drugs. I was the queen of the rave scene throughout the 90s, and I did quite a bit of ecstasy, and I did experiment a lot, and I still enjoy smoking weed, it helps me in my writing process, but it’s not an everyday thing for me, and it’s not something that I need as a crutch.
I’m on a natural high because I love what I do. I have a passion for what I do, as a singer-songwriter and a performer. I love my fans, they keep me energized and alive, and honestly, on a daily basis I go to the gym, I work out, I do kickboxing, yoga, I try to eat right, I drink tons of water while everyone else is drinking martinis. I mean, I like martinis, too, don’t get me wrong, but I’m like a one drink maximum, if I do that at all, and I really prefer good champagne if I’m going to drink.
Arena: If you’re only having one drink you might as well have something really, really good.
Jade Starling: Yeah, so I’ll drink a cosmo, or I’ll drink a good champagne, but like I said, alcohol is not really my poison, so to speak, but I do enjoy the other things, and I’ve had my share, I’ve gone through my drug phases, so I don’t feel like I’ve missed out on anything. The thing I do try to do is rest when I need rest. Although I am an insomniac, if I stay up all night I’m going to sleep during the day like a vampire.
Arena: You mentioned being part of the rave scene in the 90s, and you’re part of the EDM scene now. Am I crazy for thinking the drugs are worse today even though they go by the same names, or is it just that responsibility is not what it used to be in terms of usage?
Jade Starling: I’m not sure if the drugs today, like Molly, and things like that, I’m not sure what they contain as far as ecstasy, or heroin. I’m not sure what the mixture is, but I do believe that it is the responsibility of the individual.
I’ll tell you the truth, I’ve been to many raves across the country, and drugs are a big part of it, ecstasy was a big part of it, and I was definitely a part of it, too, but you have to drink water, because if you become dehydrated that’s when you start passing out, and that’s when you’re going to the hospital. The problem is you’re doing E, or you’re doing a Molly, you’re dancing all night, you’re sweating, and you’re not replenishing your fluids, and that’s why these kids are passing out and dying.
The key is, and I’m not recommending kids do drugs, [but if you’re going to] make sure you drink water, or orange juice. You have to keep your electrolytes replenished if you’re going to be dancing and doing drugs all night, and make sure you’re getting your [drugs] from somebody you trust, because if you’re buying them off a stranger you never know what you’re gonna get.
Unfortunately, you gotta live and learn. We’ve all been young and foolish, I’ve been young and stupid, but you know what, I wouldn't trade it for the world. I have those experiences, and I’ve lived to tell, to be able to talk to you about it today.
Arena: Give me one story from that time that you look back on and think, “I was young, I was dumb, and I’m glad I didn’t know any better, because if I did I wouldn’t have THIS memory.”
Jade Starling: Oooh. (Laughs) I was at a rave early on and someone was passing around something called GHP. I didn’t know. It was mixed with orange juice, and that’s what the kids were drinking. I got so wasted I was passed out in the corner of this club, and I could hear everything that was going on around me, yet I was incapacitated. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t speak. I had all these people walking by me yelling, “Oh hi Jade!” I could hear them saying hello to me.
Usually they don’t let people lay on a sofa, but I laid on the sofa, and everyone let me just lay there, and everyone just helped me out, and supported me on this, and when I came to, I came to to the DJ playing my record at the time, which was called “Let Freedom Ring.” It kind of brought me to life. I heard it like in fuzz, and then all of a sudden it was on.
I have to tell you I did puke my guts out [that night], and I learned never to trust somebody just handing you something in a bottle, or a cup, even if they’re your good friend.
Arena: You woke up to your own song? That’s amazing.
Jade Starling: It’s interesting. It’s almost like my own song brought me out of a coma.
Arena: Staying on the topic of being young and foolish, is there anything from your musical past, be it a song, a video, or a look, that makes you cringe?
Jade Starling: Well, I mean anything during the 80s, any of my videos in the 80s. I look back and I’m like, “What was I thinking?” but I had a glam squad back then who were creating those looks for me. Back then it was the higher the hair the closer to Jesus. It was totally on trend, but of course I look back now and I cringe.
I look at things from back then, videos, photos, etc., and I think I look better now. I think I look younger now. Maybe it’s because I’m a Capricorn, and we kind of get younger as we get older. I feel very blessed I share a birthday with Janis Joplin, Edgar Allen Poe, Dolly Parton, and Federico Fellini. January 19th, it’s a very blessed day.
Arena: If you had to choose one look to go with again, would it be the higher the hair the closer to Jesus, or the 90s raver pants with the 75 inch cuffs?
Jade Starling: (Laughs) I don’t know. You know what, during the 90s I had my own brand of club wear clothing I designed called Jade Wear.
Arena: So you didn’t have to go with JNCOs?
Jade Starling: No, I actually had really cool outfits that were designed with holograms; tight fitting crop tops with bellbottom pants that laced up the front. I have my own style, and I always try to remain, as the gays call me, “iconic.” I always like to create my own style. I like to set the trend, not follow it.
Arena: Finally, it seems like you’ve always had an idea of where you want to go with your career. Was there any aspect of fame you weren’t prepared for?
Jade Starling: I don't know if anyone ever is prepared, but “Catch Me I’m Falling,” as it started to really cross over from the club chart to the pop chart, we were on Virgin Records at the time, and they had us flying around doing a lot of promotional shows for radio stations. I remember flying to Michigan, and I was sick as a dog, and I remember the label saying, “If you don’t go and do this appearance they’re gonna drop your record (from rotation),” so I did go, sick as a dog, and it paid off because we ended up going to number one on that station.
There are trials and tribulations, and sometimes things that you have to do, and yes, it was very overwhelming, but at the same time, looking back on it, very rewarding, and I’m so glad that I did everything then. It prepared me. -

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT
“Starling can boast the most supple set of disco-diva pipes since - the comparison was inevitable, wasn't it? - Madonna.”
PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER
“Starling writes addicting songs that grab you and refuse to let go. … [Captive is] Starling’s masterpiece.”
AEG Live’s AXS.com
“Jade Starling is an assertive presence.”
BILLBOARD
“Her voice is amazing.”
ARTISTdirect
“’Captive’ is an explosive ride from start to finish. Jade Starling snatches the wigs off of all the other dance floor divas!”
G PHILLY/ PHILADELPHIA MAGAZINE
“[With] radio-friendly, pop-oriented tracks dominating [the album,] Starling’s naturalistic vocals give a touch of humanity to the explosive ‘Insomniak,’ and the driving oomph of ‘Better and Better’ would be lost without her. … All of the songs [on ‘Captive’] have serviceable-to-significant appeal. 3 ½ STARS.”
KNOXVILLE NEWS-SENTINEL
“Now a new generation of club kids can fall in love with singer Jade Starling.”
DOWNLOAD.COM (CNET/CBS INTERACTIVE)
“With the rapidly changing landscape of the music industry, artists are faced with two choices -- evolve, or fade away. Jade Starling, of the 80s group Pretty Poison, chose the former, and it’s put her right in the middle of today’s vibrant EDM scene.”
ARENA.com
“The Perfect Album. … Best Dance Album of 2014”
JOELGAUSTEN.com
“A certified smash.”
TIMES SQUARE GOSSIP
“One of the superior releases of 2014.”
THE IMPROPER
“‘Captive’ has a … poppy backbone — big beats and a strong groove that lends itself to the dance floor.”
TRENTON TIMES
“Dancetastic. … The 13 tracks [on ‘Captive’] figure to get your feet moving. … a thoroughly enjoyable dance album.”
PITTSBURGH IN TUNE
“While other artists who gained fame in the ’80s are slowly creeping into Starbucks territory, Jade Starling has her sights firmly focused on the dance floor.”
JAREDBRADEN.com
“’Think About U’ is an exhilarating beatopia! The track mesmerizes with an abundance of swirls, waves, and fuzzy pulses while Starling’s pristine vocals electrify your soul making you feel truly alive!”
AEG Live’s AXS.com -

The Pretty Poison singer holds fans "Captive" with her new solo album.

Josh Rotter

by Josh Rotter
| August 15, 2014 11:25 AM PDT































.

If you were old enough to fall in love in 1987, then you remember Pretty Poison's No. 1 dance hit, "Catch Me (I'm Falling)." Now a new generation of club kids can fall in love with singer Jade Starling, who has just released her solo debut, "Captive." The EDM-inspired album reflects not only her dance-pop obsession, but also her interest in the struggles we all face. "There has to be love and heartbreak, because you can't have one without the other," she says. I chatted with Starling about her comeback record, the highs and lows of Pretty Poison, being propositioned by Jon Cryer, and her favorite apps.

Jade Starling
Jade Starling will hold you Captive.
(Credit: Gretchen Johnson Photography)
I read that many of the collaborations on your new album took place over Skype.
That was very interesting. The whole writing and producing process of this album started with producer Lee Dagger reaching out, because he was a huge fan of our music. He asked if he could send my writing partner Whey Cooler and I some tracks and ended up sending a dozen tracks that we collaborated on. With him in England and us in the US, it was a lot of back and forth. We decided it would cut the time in half if we just did it by Skype. I would be singing a top note, and we'd be working on it, or he would play something for us, and we would say yes or no. It was such a great process, being across the pond, but still being in the same room together.

You have a lot of social media accounts. Which is your favorite for communicating with your fans?
Facebook is my favorite, because it keeps me in close contact with so many people. I have four Facebook pages: two personal pages, a fan page, and a Like page. It's great that now you can be in close contact with anyone at any time and not feel isolated. I am active on my social media. I go on personally and answer people myself. It really helps independent artists without a label grow their fan bases.

The video for "Insomniak" begins with a video game being delivered to your door. What's the last game you played?
I'm not really a gamer, so I can't say I play them. But I know people who are addicted to World of Warcraft. There's just not enough hours a day for me to play, because I just have way too much going on. It would just be another thing I have to do.

Jade Starling's "Insomniak" video is worth staying up for:


So, if not video games, then what keeps you up at night?
My mind is always churning with ideas, and my creativity really flows at night. Really, I'm a nocturnal creature. The reason the album is called "Captive" is because I felt captive of my own ambitions through the whole writing process. It was an emotional journey, and that's what it's intended to take you on. It's a very emotional album, but it's also fun. It has the dark, and it has the light. There has to be love and heartbreak, because you can't have one without the other. Now that it's released, the whole idea is to captivate the listening audience.

That duality makes me think of your Pretty Poison band name.
Yeah, it's an oxymoron. There is a dark side to me, for sure, but my heart is in the right place. And I come from a place of love and the passion that I feel for creating music, and having people enjoy it is the cherry on top.


Jade Starling (Credit: Gretchen Johnson Photography)


Why is "Captive" a Jade Starling and not a Pretty Poison record?
That was a conscious decision, because it started out as a Pretty Poison album, but Whey decided that because of the nature of this record and the collaborations and the more current and relevant sound, that he wanted it to be my solo record. It's like a reintroduction. It doesn't mean I'm not doing Pretty Poison. I can only compare it to how Fergie branched off and did her solo record but still tours with Black Eyed Peas. There's a whole new audience that's going to tap into this record. I am very proud of my past, but I feel the future holds so much more.

When you look back on Pretty Poison's explosion in popularity in 1987, what comes to mind?
It was a whirlwind. We thought "Catch Me" was a good song, but who knew that it was going to blow up the way it did? I just remember doing a lot of tour and promo dates, making videos, and shooting "Catch Me" at Hollywood High. It was directed by Bob Giraldi, who also directed "Beat It" for Michael Jackson. It was a very, very exciting time.

I remember going to the premiere in Hollywood for "Hiding Out," and I met Jon Cryer. The funny story was, he said, "It is such a pleasure to meet you," and he spit in my eye, accidentally. And I said, "Oh my God, you spit in my eye." And he said, "Now that we exchanged bodily fluids, why don't we get to know each other better?" I'm thinking to myself, "No, Ducky, I don't think so." But look what happened to him with "Two and a Half Men." When you're going through this, you don't get to relish the splendor. But looking back, how lucky were we? It was the right song at the right time, and it really touched people's hearts. It was so ginormous and very hard to follow up.

Relive 1987 with Pretty Poison's "Catch Me (I'm Falling)" video:


For fans wondering what you've been doing in the ensuing years, what can you tell us?
It's been a work in progress. There have been ups and downs, times of great success and songs placed in films and TV, and there have been lulls, where we weren't as visible. But it didn't mean that the creativity wasn't flowing. I had "Let Freedom Ring," which was a gay pride anthem of 1997. I did branch out in other areas. I've modeled and been a makeup artist. Sometimes you do what you have to do, to do what you want to do. You just have to keep on keeping on.

What are your top five mobile apps?
Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, because it's easy to jump on the phone and post on Twitter or send a pic on Instagram. I think sometimes that I need help, because I can't stop posting and tweeting. People are like, "Earth to Jade." iHeart Radio is great, because I just love a lot of the concerts and am actually going to be included in some upcoming events. I love how they support independent artists. SoundCloud, Mixcloud, and ReverbNation, because for sharing files with other DJs, and actually finding DJs and producers and remixers, and listening to mixes and networking in that community, those are great places.






Topics:Entertainment, Mac software, Mobile software, Windows software, Social networking, Android software, iOS software, Windows Phone software, Music and audio, Freeware Tags:Pretty Poison, Jade Starling, Star Apps


About Josh Rotter
Josh Rotter is a staff writer for Download.com. Outside of fine-tuning copy, Josh enjoys viewing classic films, attending live music events, taking marathon walks, and preparing Cordon Bleu-caliber cuisine. - Josh Rotter