“We’ve poured our hearts into these tracks, turning our grief and personal battles into a celebration of life even in the darkest of times,” says Kyle Tekiela, reflecting on the deeply personal nature of Ciao Bella II. This latest release from STARRY EYES serves as a tribute to the band’s former drummer, Matthew, whose untimely death from drug-related causes profoundly impacted the group. Music has been a healing outlet for Tekiela and guitarist John Shippey, allowing them to turn their profound loss into a moving body of work.
STARRY EYES formed in California with Tekiela joining Shippey and Matthew in 2021, quickly finding a unique synergy between their gritty, emotionally charged sound and introspective lyrics. Their first EP, Ciao Bella, was a response to both personal and collective struggles, especially those involving addiction and loss. Despite the tragedy of Matthew’s passing, Tekiela and Shippey decided to continue, forging ahead with Ciao Bella II, an album that speaks not only to their grief but also to their resilience.
The new EP features tracks like “Aloha,” “Trouble,” and “Frost on the Pane,” which blend grunge-pop with deep, emotive storytelling. Themes of addiction, loss, and personal healing run throughout the record, with Ciao Bella II standing as both a farewell to the past and a hopeful embrace of the future. Life is about trying to hold on to the life-affirming despite all adversity. And the music helps them, and their listeners, find hope in those dark moments.
In our interview, we talk about the impact of addiction on their lives, the healing power of music, and how the band continues to honor Matthew’s legacy while looking ahead.
header photo by Preston Thalindroma
Hey dear John, dear Kyle, I am listening to your new album CIAO BELLA II, and I really like the grunge vibe to it. I hope it’s okay if I dive right in. This album is a tribute to your former drummer Matthew Scoggins, who passed away unexpectedly due to drug-related causes. To start, how difficult is it to remember the beautiful times you shared with him? What are some of your fondest memories with and of Matthew?
JOHN: Thanks! This and the first EP Ciao Bella have been tributes to our late friend. Matthew and I traveled a lot of the world together, we worked together with the band Incubus. He was their monitor engineer and I, their keyboard tech. When we connected over music, we spent countless evenings, weekends in the studio making music, learning from each other about music, gear, and bands but it wasn’t just that. We would have dinner parties, cook together, grill, our lives were intertwined and we became best friends real fast. The funny thing about touring is that you learn a lot about an individual in a short amount of time; and we knew immediately we were friends for life.
What would you like our readers to know about your and Matthew’s story?
JOHN: Sadly, his story is common and there are more people than you would realize who are struggling with addiction. I learned quickly through friends that so many people, who I never would have thought to have had a problem, have struggled with addiction themselves or have close relatives who have. So it’s ok to talk about it and if there’s someone in your life or you yourself need to begin the conversation DO IT!
You talk about the healing power of art, and how this album served that purpose for you, where you found solace, strength, and resilience. Kyle, you mentioned your father’s heroin addiction, which has come more into focus because of this situation. How challenging was the grieving process and dealing with your own history while working on the album?
KYLE: Sadly I have been dealing with my father’s addictions (and so much worse) since High School so I’ve had a long time to process it and mostly avoid its negative impact on my life. While no single song or even album can provide enough blank canvas to paint the myriad emotions and personal turmoil of one’s life, the songs on both Ciao Bella & Ciao Bella II have certainly helped me to find some solace in my tragic past. And seeing a close friend and collaborator like Matthew lose his battle so early in life really puts things into perspective.
Are there moments when your music and art can’t capture all those difficult emotions?
“We knew immediately we were friends for life… touring is funny that way; you learn a lot about someone quickly, and our lives were intertwined.” John
JOHN: Of course, the process is simply trying.
KYLE: Absolutely. Which is why I have spent the last 6 years making a 10 episode true-crime podcast about my father’s dark, criminal history and the impact it left on my family. That will be released in partnership with iHeartRadio and TenderfootTV in early 2025. Many of our STARRY EYES songs were written about these stories so it’s only fitting that they are featured in the show, which kind of brings everything full circle. If you love true-crime and family dramas, this show will blow your mind.
How was the collaboration with producer Mark Rankin?
JOHN: Mark was a great guy to work with. Due to varying schedules all of the work was remote, so lots of phone calls and emails. He made the process very smooth and he was very attentive to our needs and requests.
KYLE: Mark has made some of the best sounding rock records ever (Not to mention engineered the grammy winning Adele anthem “Rolling in the Deep”). It was an honor to work with him and he made our self-produced indie recordings sound fucking great! Love that guy.
Who made the album cover?
JOHN: The album cover as well as the single art for “Frost on the Pane” was painted by my longtime girlfriend and now fiancée Natalia Szaniawski. It’s oil and acrylic on canvas.
KYLE: Natalia is an incredible artist and her work perfectly encapsulates the gritty-yet-pretty aesthetic we love so much.
Since the album is not only a heartfelt goodbye but also a hug for the future, what are your dreams for the future? Musically and personally?
JOHN: Well personally, Natalia and I are looking to have a family of our own sometime in the near future. So that’s exciting! Or Terrifying ha! …Musically, We are looking to do our first full length soon, get on the road with some great bands and bring the music to stage with full production for all our fans to forget their troubles even if it’s just for 90 minutes. We can’t wait to connect with our fanbase out there and continue writing music that inspires us to be better people.
KYLE: We’ve been incubating in the studio for the past few years really just dialing in our sound and our performance so we are really looking forward to playing as many shows as possible and just bringing these “Arena-Grunge-Pop” vibes to the people. Same goes for the upcoming podcast — it’s been such a huge secret for so many years and now that it’s all finally going to be out there for the world to see, it is a huge relief and also terrifying at the same time. It’s something special that sets us apart from a lot of the bands out there, too. There’s a whole STARRY EYES cinematic universe that’s about to be unleashed.
“Trust your instincts and push the boundaries of what you think is possible. You are capable of more than you may know. And don’t forget to have fun!” Kyle
How did you find each other as a band, and were there any other paths you considered besides music?
JOHN: Craigslist! (laughs) I’ll let Kyle tell you his history as an accomplished movie producer! Its a cool story! I have always been involved in music….I’ve worked as a guitar tech, keyboard tech, stagehand, FOH engineer, monitor engineer, and I’m currently a studio manager and keyboard tech, etc. I think the most non-musical job i’ve ever had was working at West LA Music in the guitar sales department when i was 20…
KYLE: I grew up playing in punk bands and was deep in the Chicago scene that spawned Fall Out Boy and other great midwest emo bands. We were all playing the same dives and sharing gear and hanging out. It was the best. Music was all I cared about until the family drama took over and I put down my guitar to go to college to pursue a more “practical” career and I fell into producing and editing movies and documentaries. I’ve been fortunate to have some success in my film career but I always regretted leaving music behind. STARRY EYES has been my redemption and I’m so grateful to have met John. He’s an incredible songwriter and musician and I think we make a great team. Thanks Craigslist!
What advice would you give yourselves if you could go back to the beginning of your careers?
JOHN: Oof! There have been some opportunities I have missed being cautious. I would probably go back and not care what people think of me whether it’s asking for a favor, or feeling embarrassed when approaching someone I wanted to meet. Also I would be more open-minded, less “it has to be like this” and more “sure why not.”
KYLE: Trust your instincts and push the boundaries of what you think is possible. You are capable of more than you may know. And don’t forget to have fun!
Lastly, happiness means… and the most important thing in life is…?
JOHN: Family, Friends, Wine, Laughter, oh and music.
KYLE: Couldn’t agree more!
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