The Hollywood Stars Rebuild After Fire 

The Hollywood Stars are back with their second album of new material since returning to the studio in 2024 with their incredible comeback album Starstruck.

But Hey! LA! is more than just a follow-up to an LP that brought this band back into the public eye after a 47-year absence from the studio. It’s a collection of songs that come in the wake of the devastating Los Angeles Wildfires that destroyed lead singer Scott Phares’s house.

“My Malibu house burned down on Jan. 7, 2025,” said Phares, who wrote the new album’s title track in response to the loss. “I was in Connecticut at the time and got a call from ADT that the smoke detectors were going off. I told them to send the fire department, but immediately realized that was a dumb thing to say. Because I could still see the status of the alarms in the house, I thought it hadn’t burned down. I was in denial.

“I watched the FireAid Benefit Concert with Billy Crystal and Lady Gaga, and it got me thinking that I needed to write a song about it. I knew I didn’t want it to be maudlin. Instead, I thought why not write a high-energy song, one that told the story of the fire and the flood, but also relayed the message that we didn’t lose everything — we still have so much left. Things were going to be all right. I believe that, and while many people had to give up, I’m rebuilding.”

The lineup of the band on Hey! LA! remains the same as on Starstruck: vocalist Scott Phares and drummer Terry Rae (founding members in 1973), bassist Michael Rummans (joined in 1976), and guitarists Jeff Jourard and George Keller (recruited in 2023). Jourard was an early member of The Motels and co-wrote their second single, “Total Control” (which was covered on Starstruck) with Martha Davis. He also played guitar on the first Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers record.

For Hey! LA!, the band reconvened at Kitten Robot Studios in Los Angeles, which is owned by former Screamers keyboardist Paul Roessler, who also produced the album alongside the band and Loren Molinare. Each member of the Stars contributed to the songwriting, while the group’s main scribe throughout their first run in the 1970s, the late Mark Anthony, is remembered with a pair of posthumous contributions, including a reworking of the band’s most well-known song — “King of the Night Time World” — famously covered by Kiss on their 1976 Destroyer LP.

Rock & Roll Globe caught up with Scott Phares to speak about Hey! LA! and building back from a devastating loss.

Hey! LA! is out now on Rum Bar Records.

 

First, I want to express my thoughts and condolences over the loss of your home in the fires. How are you doing?

OK, all things considered. It has been a long and tortuous process, especially because the house was on the water. Even though we were told the processes were supposed to be expedited — so long as you built a house that was no more than 10% taller and no more than 10% larger — it was supposed to be easy. But FEMA made some new regulations in 2015, and they didn’t allow for any “grandfathering” in. So, it took us until November to get the rebuild plan approved, which then allowed us to START going through the actual departmental approvals. We are just about to submit the application for permits. I am grateful that I had good insurance and the wherewithal to rebuild. About half of my neighbors are not so fortunate.

 

In what ways did creating the song “Hey! LA!” help you through all the emotions? Was it therapeutic for you? How does the image on the cover come into play?

I’m glad you asked the question that way. It was very therapeutic. I was born and raised in LA and lived most of my life there. I didn’t want to be sad and depressed, so I went the other direction. I wrote the most raucous song I could, which emphasized many of the great things that remained. I wanted to write an anthem for the whole city.

That’s my actual stairway bannister on the cover of the album. It was pretty much all that was left standing after my house burned. For the cover art, we later added the flames in Photoshop. I also created a video for “Hey! LA!” that I’m excited for people to see. It’s a rallying cry of love and support for the city.

 

VIDEO: The Hollywood Stars “Hey! LA!”

How much of this material was written before the fires vs. after?

If I remember correctly, “Hey! LA!” was the last song for the album. But the sentiment and the topical nature of the song led us to make it the centerpiece of the album. To answer your question, “Hey! LA!” was the only song that wasn’t already in progress before the fires.

 

You certainly didn’t wait 47 years to follow up Starstruck this time around. Are you all writing and practicing together a lot more these days?

Songwriting kind of happens in spurts for us. We have a couple of new tracks on the back burner, but we are focusing on supporting and promoting the new LP. We’re certainly not getting any younger, so we’ll see how it goes.

 

The new songs have been compared to Blondie and The Cars. How much does the New Wave sound factor into Hollywood Stars?

Of course, New Wave was right after us (1973-1977), so there is an inherent natural influence. But I still think the roots of the band are more from artists like Mott the Hoople and The Sweet.

 

This year marks the 50th anniversary of bassist Michael Rummans joining the band. How did he find his way into the Stars?

Funny enough, before I was old enough to drive, Michael was in The Yellow Payges, and my band at the time played at the Hullabaloo on the same bill! He even helped us with the Super Beatle amps. Our drummer, Terry Rae, was playing in the Palace Guard at the same club then, too, so they knew each other. But, right before The Hollywood Stars, our main songwriter, Mark Anthony, was in a band with Michael and second drummer Bobby Drier. So, when the band reformed, Mark brought Michael and Bobby into The Hollywood Stars.

 

AUDIO: Kiss “King of the Night Time World”

Great rendition of “King of the Night Time World” on here! Kiss’s version turned 50 this year as well. How did this song get in the hands of Kiss? What did you think of their version when you heard it on Destroyer? 

Thank you for that. Mark Anthony and our manager Kim Fowley wrote the original version of the song, which we recorded in early 1974. Kim was friends with everyone, including producer Bob Ezrin. We had done a demo of “Escape” with Ezrin at A&M Studios. He didn’t like our band, but he did like our songs. He told Kim that he’d make more money with our songs than with our actual band. He was right, sadly. I did like Kiss’s arrangement of the song. Their version keeps pushing all the way through; ours wasn’t as driving. As for the performance, and the recording itself, I, of course, liked ours better!

 

What was it like recording Hey! LA! at Kitten Robot Studios? How was that space?

We’ve recorded there several times. The space is small, but cool. We love working with its in-house producer, Paul Roessler (Screamers, 45 Grave). We recorded all of Starstruck there, too.

What are your touring plans behind this album? Do you plan to come to the East Coast?

We don’t have a tour planned, but we did play Boston on July 30 and a private show in Manhattan on Aug. 1. If there are any promoters out there who’d like to put us on with some bigger acts, or finance a tour, give us a call!

 

How does the Hollywood of the early ‘70s— when the band used to headline at the Whisky a Go Go and the Starwood — differ from the Hollywood of today? Was there more excitement, and dare I say, innocence, during that bygone era?

Hollywood back then was completely different. There were a lot more clubs, more kids on the street. People went to nightclubs just to go. The size of the crowd was bigger for some bands more than others, but EVERY club had a lot of people EVERY night. Post-gigs, bands would hang out at The Rainbow and The Riot on Sunset (actually, the Hyatt). There was a lot more prestige associated with playing those clubs than there is now. As for innocence, that’s not the word I would use. Excitement, though, there was a lot of that and a lot of energy. All the kids knew each other, too. I don’t think it’s like that now.

 

What is your current favorite spot to hang out in LA?

My kids live in LA now, so I hang out with them when I can, but I suppose you mean places. If I had to pick a couple nightclubs/bars, I’d say The Redwood in Downtown LA, and the Maui Sugar Mill in the Valley. West Hollywood is full of great restaurants that I like. And, of course, Malibu, where we’re rebuilding my house. I can’t wait to get back there.