Song Premiere: Ellen Starski "Honey I'm Not Him"

Nashville-based singer-songwriter Ellen Starski is set to release her solo debut album, The Days When Peonies Prayed for the Ants, on May 11, 2018.  Written over the course of 12 years, the autobiographical collection explores Starski's homeland and herself, traveling from the coal country of rural Pennsylvania to the roots-music hotbed of Nashville, Tennessee, creating a soundtrack to a period of self-discovery. 

Today TDC is excited to share "Honey I'm Not Him" a foreboding, banjo-led track which finds a determined, protective Starski issuing chilling words of caution to another to steer clear of her man. 

"Hey I’ve heard you've been hangin’ round my home
Girl you better find another man to adore
The stars shine brightly on my pistol and this whiskey sure tastes fine
Time passes slowly in the middle of the night
Shadows dancin’ slowly playin’ tricks with my mind
I'm not sure what he told you, but honey I got some news for you"

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Credit: Amelia Booth

​Despite the tune's overall tone, Starski says she felt relaxed during the recording process,
"While we were recording this particular track in the studio I can remember feeling very at ease. Anne McCue was truly behind the helm. There was a window in my vocal booth that looked out of the engineering room of Joe McMahan's Wow and Flutter Studio. It's there, through that window, I still see Anne dancing freely to this song as we laid down the track. Anne brought a lightness and beauty to the creation of this album filling the air with a rare serenity."

Starski further relays the story behind the song,
"This song was written driving around the country roads that are easily found on the outskirts of Nashville. I had the radio down low as my infant lie sleeping in her car seat... one of the rare moments in her baby years I could even imagine writing lyrics let alone a melody to a song. The lyrics were inspired by missteps and revelations I've encountered throughout my life. There were times I witnessed other women tempting men, men tempting other women, and myself standing victim on both sides. The lyrics stand on a platform that represent both of the feminine characters in the song, but ultimately side with the steadfast protector of the home. Being the Mama bear of a family will do crazy things to a lady when threatened!"

The autobiographical album is filled with songs about loss, heartbreak, and family, all of them with details from Starksi’s own life. “Miss You Mary” pays tribute to her mother, who helped steer her daughter out of a dark hole as a teenager, “Ode to Nanny and Cookie” salutes Starksi’s two grandmothers, while her own daughter inspired the lovely “Daughter of the Sea." So what does Starski hope listeners take away from having heard this song and the album overall? She says,

"My wishes for what listeners take away from this track are that they think twice about their decisions as they pave the road to their future. We have to stand together and try not rip apart the foundations other loves have laid so carefully. My wishes for the album in its entirety are that it becomes a solace for others. I hope listeners find comfort in knowing there's someone who empathizes with the roads they have visited and the roads they will travel."

​Website: www.ellenstarski.com
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/ellenstarski
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/starskiellen
Instagram:  www.instagram.com/ellenstarski

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