Mourning Star

Who are Mourning Star?

What an interesting band. Mourning star, self proclaimed indie “shoegaze” band blew minds at Rot Spot on Friday April 26, 2024. Part of an impressive lineup, their music stood out due to its smooth and dreamy qualities mixed with intense vocals.

Starting off the night strong, Mourning Star began with a speech advocating against the mistreatment of Indiana University students who protested earlier today in support of Palestine. These students were arrested for setting up a peaceful encampment in Dunn Meadow. Mourning Star urged students to stand up for Palestine however they can.

Who are Mourning Star? They’re a promising local band with a heart for good causes and a sound that I’ve never heard before. It was truly a pleasure to photograph them.

How did they get involved in music?

Here are a few quotes from some of the band members about their path towards music:

“Before coming to Bloomington, I had pretty much given up music after playing piano in my school’s jazz band. It wasn’t until I went to my first few house shows that I got the desire to start playing music again. After seeing the musicians on stage having so much fun, I wanted to experience that same joy. I decided to go back to playing the drums for the first time in 8 years. After a few months of re-learning how to play, I performed my very first show. Now, I hope that the energy that I give out on stage can inspire more people like me to play music and start bands.” - Cameron (drums)

“I was about 13 or 14 when I decided I wanted to play music. The trigger could’ve been anything, but the true spark was watching The Who play “A Quick One, While He’s Away” at the Rock N’ Roll Circus. After watching that, I realized that guitar was the coolest thing ever, and I had to play it. I spent about a year playing guitar alone (I wanted to start a band sooner but the pandemic ruined that). Due to all of the extra time I had, I focused on being a better player, which paid off when I, eventually, joined my first band in May of 2022. I was in that band till about July of 2023, and I learned a lot about live shows, recording, and the business of music. Mourning Star was kind of a fresh start for me. I’d always wanted to make more ambient and shoegazey music, and I’m just glad people like us.” - Tom (guitar)

Stories like these always fill me with joy. I don’t think there is any better reason to start a band than that “I just want to play” feeling. I can’t wait to see what becomes of Mourning Star.

Here is a link to their Instagram!

Mourning Star Instagram