As a kid, Devin Badgett wanted to save the world. “I was brutally optimistic, doing my best to live the sword-wielding-hero archetype,” says the Nashville-based songwriter, musician and producer. “It was all just a battle of light and dark back then.”
More recently, Henry J. Star has found his way into the fray. “I wanted to write a story with characters and themes I would’ve enjoyed as a kid—and Henry is one of those characters,” says Badgett. “We share a middle name: J. for Javon. Stars are important to Henry, as he’s a prophet and uses the stars as a guide.”
Badgett’s superhero alter ego is currently ramping up for the release of his debut LP, The Soft Apocalypse, out October 17 via Acrophase. Star’s primary mode of communication is a wide-eyed, esoteric mashup of Japanese adventure games, Southern literary references and ambient soundscapes.
“I spent a lot of time in my room as a kid—reading, drawing, listening to music, playing Kingdom Hearts and exploring obscure internet rabbit holes,” says Badgett, who grew up in Knoxville, Tenn. “My mom was very supportive of my odd, often obsessive interests, so I’d end up with stacks of worn-out CDs and well-loved books about all kinds of things. Some of these things make it into my creative process via literal avenues like sampling. But most of it simply encourages me to continue the act of creation.”
“Ember,” the latest single from The Soft Apocalypse, is about choosing life over a premature death, says Badgett, noting that perhaps a dozen versions of the song exist.
“I had the chorus for several years, buried in an instrumental on an old hard drive,” he says. “It was a heavy narrative to spend time with and technically challenging to accomplish what I desired sonically. It took ages to get right.”
We’re proud to premiere Henry J. Star’s “Ember.”
—Hobart Rowland
