Artist Profile
StargirlStargirl is a band formed in 2021 in Nagano, a mountain city in central Japan. All three members were born and raised there.
Vocalist and guitarist Maiko grew up playing piano and composing music, but stepped away from music for a time after experiencing a profound loss in her family. Eventually, she found her way back to music, which led to the formation of Stargirl. Having never played guitar or sung before, she developed her own tuning and playing style from scratch. Today, that tuning is shared between two guitars, whose sounds intertwine to create a psychedelic soundscape with a deep sense of space and a languid, shifting pulse. Stargirl sings entirely in Japanese, and their live performances embrace noise, instability, and even accidents as they happen, making every performance different.
Soon after forming, Stargirl released music through small independent labels in Slovakia and Germany. Their song Doubutsuen was released by Z Tapes in Slovakia and selected by shmu FM in Scotland as one of the Best Psychedelic Songs of 2021. The band later joined Brain Productions Booking in Brazil.
In July 2026, Stargirl released new music. But in an era dominated by digital releases, they chose a distinctly Stargirl way of putting it into the world.
A longtime DIY enthusiast, Maiko designed and built a custom metal music player containing the new recordings. Guided only by trust and love, the player was sent from person to person as an experimental physical release. The recordings can only be heard by those who come into contact with the player, but it was designed so that everyone present can experience the music together.
The iron box has already begun its journey out into the world, one step ahead of them.
Stargirl is next.
Genre: Rock, Alternative
MEMBER
Maiko KitazawaRole: Lyricist, Composer, Recording Engineer, Mixing Engineer, Mastering Engineer, Graphic Design, Guitar, Vocals