The Unlimited Stars – ‘Behind the Sun’ & ‘Galileo’

Comprised of Bre MacKenzie (Vocals, Rhythm Guitar), Wayne Duncan (Drums), Rob Lee (Lead Guitar) and Nick Richter (Bass), Austin-based Indie-Rock band, The Unlimited Stars have been creating their own lane as a unit since 2021. Individually the members have longstanding experiences in other bands and projects, and Bre MacKenzie herself has fronted diverse bands as far afield as Sao Paulo, Brazil and Frankfurt, Germany.

The Unlimited Stars is Bre’s first project stateside, and has already seen the band release the EP ‘Your Sun’ in 2021, being featured on KOOP radio, having their music videos selected for film festivals, and play a host of live shows at venues such as Carousel Lounge, Hole In The Wall, Spiderhouse, Meanwhile Brewing, Sahara Lounge and more.

Currently The Unlimited Stars are working towards releasing a full album in February 2023, and just recently dropped their latest single, ‘Behind the Sun’. It’s quite impressive how unassumingly this band has been paving their way into the echelons of the modern underground rock world.

They are doing it with steady consistency, growth and solid rock and roll songwriting. This latest single, is in fact tangible proof of their upward artistic trajectory. ‘Behind the Sun’ certainly rocks, but even more effective are the dynamics and the dramatic rise and fall that make the track a more compelling listen.

The infectious echoing vocals and melodramatically building instrumental arrangement make it memorable even before the song turns in its jangly and blisteringly dirty guitar motifs, courtesy of Rob Lee. From its quietest moments to the loudest, Bre MacKenzie’s voice carries the song brilliantly from start to finish.

There can be no doubt that Bre MacKenzie and her bandmates in The Unlimited Stars have ensured that this is their most beguiling and confident recorded outing yet. Full of persuasive rhythm propelled by the engine room of Wayne Duncan (Drums) and Nick Richter (Bass). Through it all, Bre MacKenzie’s voice is forcefully prominent in the mix, thematically holding court on “the catharsis of embracing who you are, and what to do with the shame that comes with that process.”

Bre MacKenzie is certainly a domineering presence within The Unlimited Stars, which could be attributed to the fact that she obviously fronts the band. Then again, there is definitely the factor of her voice and the rather unique timbre that it has. She can be a powerhouse belter or a nuanced singer. In ‘Behind the Sun’ she is both of those things.

The Unlimited Stars are doing something with ‘Behind the Sun’ that feels authentic and lived-in, more than ever before, and it pays dividends when everything comes together as well as it does here. On top of that, the playing is solid, as is the sound, and aims for something much more compelling than just comfortable indie-rock aesthetics. The Unlimited Stars have crystalized a rare recipe most bands spend years searching for.

Whilst we often cling to the classic clichés of rock n’ roll and its derivatives in the modern era, The Unlimited Stars are pushing that classic sound forward without losing any of its intrinsic core ingredients.