Photos: Caitlin Starr Shares Defiant Rock Single "CAGE" from Upcoming SPEED SAVES EP

Melodic punk rocker Caitlin Starr has shared her latest single, 'Cage,' a defiant breakout anthem about being trapped by the circumstances of life and the cages of late-stage capitalism. It's one of the five tracks off her upcoming sophomore EP Speed Saves, out October 9 via G-Foil Records.

Photo Credit: Lauren Davis| Download hi-res image

Cathartic, urgent, and empowering, the new single begins with an aggressive, metallic guitar grinding against Starr's melodic vocals. Then, pounding drums kick in, giving the song a harder rock edge with an instrumental section intentionally modeled after a panic attack. 'If you want violence, try it; it gets me off,' Starr grits through her teeth in the chorus; 'You've been lying, hiding your pain from the boss.'

'The song asks who benefits from societal expectations, beauty standards, and systems of control, questioning whether anyone wins, even those who profit from subjugation,' notes the artist. Channeling all the frustration against an oppressive system, an industry that feeds off struggles with mental health and body dysmorphia, she transforms her poetry into a song of resilience. She adds, 'It's a call to fight back and reclaim agency by owning your story and who you are. It's perfect for the moment you decide to break out.'

The 'Cage' music video was directed by Villacortabuer (@villacortabuer), and it underscores the fast-paced, sleek, and playful world of Speed Saves. 'It's a typical night in Caitlin Starr's life,' says the rock star, who begins the video bathed under neon lights and literally put in a cage. 'She's being held hostage by mysterious, sexy kidnappers, hatching a 'Looney Tunes'-worthy escape plan, and busting ass through rain, sleet, and snow to get to the gig and play to an audience of goth baddies. It's basically a documentary.'

'Cage' comes just a month after Starr shared the wistful yet irreverent, high-energy anthem 'Pass Me By,' which watches life barrel by. Sonically, it's melodic and upbeat with heavy riffs and a pop-rock punch: driving drums, crunchy guitars, and a singable chorus that turns feeling left behind into a confident banger. With nothing but her headphones and the comfort of familiar spots in the sprawling urban, Manhattan maze, she captures both stillness and dynamism, sharply contrasting the almost-empty streets with constant movement.

Earlier this year, the singer-songwriter released the EP's opening track, 'Will U b My Girlfriend,' a chaotic, confessional single with a guitar section that outpaces the singer's beating heart, spiraling from an intense lesbian crush. With its hooky lyrics crusted in grunge instrumentation, the single finds the artist at her most anxious, romantic, energetic, impulsive, and wild.

Speed Saves riffs on the phrase 'Jesus saves' and 'speed kills,' repurposing it as a commentary on how speed — long hours, multiple jobs, constant motion, racing through the city at full speed, mania, excessive stimulants, chasing validation — can feel like the only way to keep up with the world. The songs trace both the ways that speed has temporarily rescued Caitlin and the emotional and physical crashes that come after, blending piano-rooted songwriting with raw punk immediacy.

The forthcoming EP was shaped in collaboration: Chris Cubeta produced, Meredith Okomoto served as assistant engineer, Carmen Castillo played bass, and Zack Jones played drums, with Lucy Coykendall performing drums on the track 'Will u b My Girlfriend.' Caitlin, a classically trained jazz pianist and multi-instrumentalist, brought these deeply personal songs to the sessions, which were then arranged, tracked, and refined with the band and production team to preserve the songs' intimate urgency while adding rhythmic propulsion.

The result is a concise, honest snapshot of an era defined by speed, tenacity, and the cost of racing to keep up. Speed Saves until you crash.

Speed Saves (EP) Tracklisting

01 Will U b My Girlfriend

02 Pass Me By

03 Cage

04 Piece of Clay

05 The Dark

About Caitlin Starr

The 25-year-old NYC native, songwriter and lead guitarist Caitlin Starr returned from northern California in 2022 to chase her musical dreams in Brooklyn's indie scene. She's spent the last 3 years making her name performing in just about every NYC rock club imaginable and touring the country as bassist for Suzy Clue and the punk band Shred Flintstone. As an artist, Caitlin is a freewheeler who defies pigeonholing. Her music is both thoughtful and fierce: she writes with emotional depth and shreds like a rockstar. Her sound channels Belly, the Breeders, Nirvana and other 90s grunge era influences with directly fresh perspective.

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