STRFKR

The synth-pop band STRFKR was formed in Portland, Oregon, in 2007. Influenced by electronic music, pop, and indie-rock, the group coalesced around the talents of frontman Joshua Hodges, who had previously built an audience in the Pacific Northwest as the bandleader of Sexton Blake. Joined by local musicians Ryan Bjornstad and Shawn Glassford, Hodges unveiled his new project's dance-friendly sound with a self-titled debut album, Starfucker, in 2008. The group continued to operate under the "Starfucker" name for several years, releasing Jupiter in 2009 before partnering with the indie label Polyvinyl Records for 2011's Reptilians. Starfucker rechristened itself "STRFKR" in 2012, several months after Ryan Biornstad's departure from the band, and later reached Number 4 on the Top Heatseekers chart with 2013's Miracle Mile. Meanwhile, STRFKR's songs began popping up in commercials, TV shows, and movies. "Rawnald Gregory Erickson the Second" appeared in a Target advertisement, while the group's nostalgic cover of Cyndi Lauper's 1980s pop hit "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" showed up in a Juicy Couture commercial. The band's fifth album, Being No One, Going Nowhere, followed in 2016, climbing to Number 1 on Billboard's Top Heatseakers and Number 9 on the Independent Albums chart. Four years later, 2020's Future Past Life found the group texturing its digital sound with acoustic guitar.