Jade Starling: We are at the end of February 2020 so as of the last couple months, things just have really exploded. It’s just crazy. We ended last year on a high note because Nighttime was in the FX show Pose. They played the whole song, it was amazing.
Cate Meighan: Oh my gosh, when I saw that I was so excited and I don’t know if I texted you but it’s like everything that they play comes back.
JS: It’s just, it was crazy. Because I normally expect to hear Catch Me, I’m Falling in a show or a movie. So it was nice that my first number one club song. Definitely has given it new life. And then as the year turned to 2020, Catch Me, I’m Falling is in two Netflix shows. One is Cheer about the Nevarro cheer team. It’s in episode one. They play it in the episode and they play it again in the closing credits, so it’s played twice. And then, it’s in AJ and the Queen with Ru Paul actually doing a performance to it. It’s insane. Talk about a gift, a gift from God!
CM: Can you believe it? Can you believe they brought it back?
JS: I couldn’t! Listen, I knew that there was a chance that they were going to use the song. They had inquired about the song. We have a company that licenses our music, they’re called Spirit, Spirit Music. They’re international, they’re the ones who get us in television, movies, commercials, you know, whatever. They have to go through them. They had notified us that a couple of these shows were interested but they hadn’t committed. So next thing you know, we found out that both shows had used Catch Me, I’m Falling within the same week. My phone was blowing up and my social media was blowing up and it’s like OMG. I mean, you couldn’t ask for anything better than that. Ru Paul is so iconic. I actually had met him back in the day, he’s so nice, so awesome. It was just a dream really to have him do a lipsync to Catch Me. I knew he liked the song, he actually tweeted it out years and years ago. But yeah, this was a dream come true and a gift and I feel very blessed. So, we end up hiring a publicist out of New York, his name is Len Evans, someone also we had known for many years and we had worked on projects back in the early 2000s. He’s right up there in the mecca of everything. He used to work with Ru Paul back in the day so he’s just been running with this whole thing, my story and what is going on and we ended up getting on The Morning Show on Fox 5 last Wednesday. I also had a show that night in Long Island and the show was packed. Just from watching The Morning Show these people came out on an off night. Even the club owner said that it’s never packed like that on a Wednesday, they definitely came out for you.
CM: Where was it in Long Island?
JS: It’s called Rare650. They came out and it was an amazing show. I’ve done a bunch of interviews, I’d guess I’d done about a dozen interviews in the last two weeks that were set up by Len. We have some other stuff. We’re on a waiting list to get onto Andy Cohen, I’ll keep you posted about that but I know we are on a list. It’s gonna happen. Watch what happens live. Some other irons in the fire and this year we have so many tour dates. I mean, already and we’re only in the end of February, early March and we already have twice as many shows as we did last year. We’re booked on Freestyle Explosion shows, we just did one in El Paso last week and I’ll be doing Anaheim. We got some really big shows from that. I think there are more dates coming on that one as well. Coming up in a couple weeks, April 3rd, we’re playing at The Queen in Wilmington, Friday April 3rd. It’s us and Rob Base. The next night we’re in Westbury at the Theater at Westbury for Louder than Love. I believe this is the fourth year for that one, fourth or fifth. I’m doing a variety of gay clubs, straight clubs, pride events, and then I’m doing these arenas so it kind of balances everything out.
CM: Do you like it better that way where you are balanced? Are you happier that way, like the variety of that?
JS: I am! It’s nice to be in an intimate theater or club setting because you can do meet and greets, which I enjoy. I also love being on these multi-act arena shows because last week we were seen by 15,000 people and, I mean where else are you going to get that kind of exposure? It’s just insane and so surreal. I feel honored to be a part of it and so blessed, honestly.
CM: Are you sticking more with the Freestyle Explosions or are you doing any of the I Love the 80s type stuff?
JS: I did want to tell you about this amazing show that I’m doing at the end of the year. Last year I did 80s in the Sand in Punta Cana. This year, it’s in Cancun. The lineup is totally sick. We’re the only group they are bringing back from last year. He loved us, we did a really great job of talking to people and being accessible to the fans and stuff and that’s what you want. You want the artists to mingle with the guests. That’s what you’re paying for, for going to see these amazing shows but also getting to hang out with these artists. I have to pinch myself sometimes.
CM: I know I saw one that was like a mashup of rock and everything else, I can’t believe they nailed it down and I’m blanking, but as soon as you tell me, I’m gonna be like, “that’s the one.”
JS: I can name some off of the top of my head, Billy Idol, who we played with back in the day. Billy Idol, Cheap Trick, Brenda Carlisle, Little River Band, Wang Chung, The Jets, Pretty Poison, and more. Is that not the sickest? I mean, Billy Idol, wow. And Cheap Trick, I had such a crush on Robin Zander when I was like 13. He was gorgeous. I had his pictures all over my room, all over my walls. So, so crushed out. Now, he has a son that looks just like him back in the day, and they do gigs together, him and his son. It’s very interesting back then and then now. I just feel, I get teary eyed just thinking about it.
CM: Do you realize that nobody else on these Freestyle shows then gets to go and share a stage with Cheap Trick and Billy Idol? Nobody else gets to do that. Everybody gets put in their little hole, in their genre, and this is who they are and this is what they do and you get to cross all over and that is insane.
JS: I know! Well, I’m actually lucky that I’m not a freestyle artist. You know, Pretty Poison, our roots were more like rock and dance. We did kind of rhythmic stuff but we are more rock. We are rockers at heart. So, I mean freestyle audiences love us but we aren’t freestyle.
CM: I love how you can float between the genres because you aren’t freestyle at all but you fit right in with them. It’s really cool that you are having that opportunity. People are usually stuck in their genre and not stuck because that’s where they really want to be. But to have that movability to get acceptance into different genres and all those different artists is amazing.
JS: That’s why I do feel so blessed. I truly mean that from my heart. I cry and I have to pinch myself because I’m just glad that we have the acceptance to be able to play with those artists that are on such a large scale and have this for so many years. These artists have done major, you know, full blown tours for like ever. So, having this type of intimate setting, where we are all going to be together is just mind blowing for me. I think this is really going to be a great year.
CM: Amazing. That’s just amazing. There’s no way that it can’t be. You’re totally set up to have a fantastic year. How about new music? I know that you put some stuff out last year. I remember you had a song that charted on Billboard, which is just insane.
JS: Yeah, Fired Up, it was actually, it went #3 on the club chart. It could have gone number one but I think Ariana Grande kept us out of #1. You know, what are you gonna do, it’s Ariana Grande? I feel honored to be in the top three with her. But the song actually went #1 all across America on club charts. Again, I had a number one song with Fired Up and we are gearing up for a new album at the end of this year and a new single that’s gonna drop in April called Got a Love For You. And actually Got a Love For You, we did so well with Fired Up, we kicked another cover that we feel very confident that we can get to #1 on that Billboard club chart. I’m very proud of it and I can’t wait for people to hear it. It’s so good.
CM: I have to tell you too because you just reminded me, I was just going through YouTube because we have an intern working with us now named, Cassidy. So no matter who it is, I’m sending her clips and making her prep like she is doing the interview so she gets used to how you have to prepare and follow through with the details and stuff. But, so I was pulling clips of you for her to see and I found one that is one of your most recent full sets and I have to tell you, every single cover that you have thrown in there is one of my favorites. Every cover that you have decided to crack out, I’ve been thrilled to hear it again. Your taste and what you choose just totally excites me.
JS: Oh, I’m so glad. You probably saw something more of what we are doing on like the Freestyle show. I think it’s almost psychology. You’ve got to do stuff to stay recognized. They sing along and then you sneak your hits in there and it keeps the energy level at full throttle the full time.
CM: And you pick so well because you pick things that are familiar but nobody else is really doing them. So you get this, “Ahh I love that song” reaction out of it, which is perfect.
JS: Yeah, I mean, I prefer to do more originals but I understand the audience that we are playing for. All they want to do is sing along and dance all night. Give them what they want and everybody’s happy. You’re very observant.
CM: Do you have anything else going on or anything else you want out there?
JS: Definitely the shows coming up. If you want to know my concert schedule, you can go to my website JadeStarling.com and check out upcoming shows. Please follow me on social media at Jade Starling on all platforms, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter.
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