THOSE PALE STARS
ORIGINAL ACOUSTIC MUSIC
Formed in March 2023 in Astoria, Oregon, Those Pale Stars play a unique blend of acoustic-based pop-rock with the focus firmly on the original songs of songwriters Simon Levene and Loren Depping.
SIMON LEVENE
Simon (from Manchester, England) has been creating his unique brand of folk-tinged pop-rock since the late 80s. He draws on a diverse range of British musical influences from The Kinks to Kula Shaker, The Alarm to the Specials.
He began playing low-key pub gigs in Macclesfield and Doncaster in the UK during the 90s, but it wasn't until moving Stateside in 1996 that he began to make live performance an integral part of his life.
He fronted a couple of bands (Calcutta and Dominion Road) in Little Rock, Arkansas before relocating to Denver, Colorado where he formed King for a Day (KFAD), a Mod-revival four piece. The band recorded five albums and built up a loyal following on the Denver club circuit before splitting up in 2010.
After KFAD came the short-lived but promising power pop trio, Tin Star Armada, who went their separate ways when Simon moved further westward to Astoria, Oregon in 2014. Since then, Simon has maintained his prolific song writing and recording practice and has performed regularly in and around Astoria.
He started collaborating with Loren in March 2023 and they performed their first show as Those Pale Stars for International Make Music Day, June 21st 2023.
singer songwriter guitarist
LOREN DEPPING
Songwriter Loren Depping sings and plays acoustic and lap steel guitars. With roots on the Oregon Coast and the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i, he has performed both his original songs and country-influenced cover material since the early 2000s.
In addition to his solo material, Loren has written for bands of varied genres: folk-rock, alt-country, Western swing and swing jazz. Following a ten-year tenure as pedal steel guitarist, singer and songwriter with the Salem, Oregon-based Western swing band Oregon Valley Boys, he relocated to Kaua’i. There he performed with and composed for an island-based swing trio, Backyard Swingset, playing lap steel guitar.
Loren has several solo albums to his credit and has contributed songs, guitar and vocals to multiple others. He is currently at work on his fifth compilation of original solo material, assisted by a number of good friends from his musical projects over the years.
singer songwriter guitarist
GEORGE ARNALL
George has been playing bass since the age of seventeen.
Having played a variety of genres, including jazz, blues, rock and reggae, among others, he now brings his varied musical palette to Simon and Loren's original songs to provide the vital rhythmic backbone and help create a prescient and poignant music that is also accessible.
bass player