Brenden Starr Releasing "My Intentions" Single and Video

Written by: Annie Schlottman

Brenden Starr is a very talented and driven alternative/pop rock singer/songwriter from Hanover, Pennsylvania.  He's slowly and steadily building his career and making a name for himself through hard work and determination, consistently releasing awesome songs and videos and hitting the road to perform his music in front of his growing fan base.

This Friday, February 13th, Brenden will be releasing his single "My Intentions", along with a music video to go along with it. This is a track off his 2024 EP Reimagined. 

As always, Brenden worked with producer Hayden Calhoun of Darkside Audio on "My Intentions". These two have been working together for a while and they have a great relationship.  Hayden literally does it all -- co-writing, producing, mixing, mastering.

Brenden speaks very highly of Hayden.  "Hayden is my boy. He's especially been my go-to guy through all my songwriting process. We just mesh so well together in the studio. It's almost always just him and myself, unless I bring in other session musicians or collaborators."

There is a very interesting story about this emotional song and how it came to be Brenden's.  It's kind of amazing, really. It's almost like it was fate -- something that was meant to be.  Jonathan Williams was the original writer of the song.  He had a small emo pop punk band in the early 2000s called Normal LIke You that Brenden discovered on MySpace. Brenden loved their music. This particular song always stood out to him.  He related to it so much that he decided he wanted to make it his own, and let the rest of the world hear his version of it.

So Brenden reached out to Jonathan and they spoke over the phone, Brenden asked for permission to rewrite Jonathan's song, and he loved it, and said Brenden could do whatever he wanted with it.

This is what Jonathan says about the song:  "I wrote this song when I was 18 years old. On my 18th birthday our band signed a management contract with a firm in Southern California. The day after we graduated high school we moved to North Hollywood. I was young, far away from home, and pushed into a new, exciting world. 

I was in a serious relationship (as serious as it gets at 18 years old) and the song is about the battle it was trying to make things work long distance. I made mistakes. I was really trying to combine two worlds which were at odds. 

The song for me was about trying to keep the plane up during the turbulence, trying to blend the two worlds. I think, if I'm being honest, I knew things couldn’t work, but I couldn’t accept that at the time."

Brenden shared his thoughts on "My Intentions":  "Through so many relationships and meeting people over the years, I’ve been let down and lost friends because of wrongful use of my personal life and business. This is how I relate to this song when I perform it."

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"My Intentions" is a very special song that tugs at your heartstrings.  It is characterized by Brenden's beautiful vocals, which always bring out the emotions of every song he sings.  "My Intentions" has an ethereal quality at times, especially at the beginning of the song and during the verses, but the chorus is heavier. There is even a little breakdown in the bridge, which is a bit of a surprise and shows a different side of Brenden's music.

The music video for "My Intentions" was directed by Jayden Hughes and Emma Osborne.  It was edited by Jayden and Brenden.  Brenden actually had the whole story and concept for the video, and he said Jayden and Emma helped put it together very well.  It basically was like a short film.

The video was shot in multiple locations, including Aldus Brewing Company in Hanover, and the rehearsal space that the band Heads Or Tails Experience owns.

Luna Nicole was the main actress in the video. Brenden said she flew in from Milwaukee, and was great to work with.  The band members performing in the video with Brenden were Jimy Grime on bass, Nic Stevens on guitar, and special guest Jordan Baker on drums, from the band Atlas at Hold.

I think the video is wonderful and portrays the theme of the song very well.  Luna's character in the video reminds me of a ghost or someone in a dream.  The video has a sense of melancholy and longing for things that could have been but are not just out of reach.

Brenden had a good year in 2025, making memories with lots of shows both locally and on the road.  One of the highlights was Rock On The Hill Music Festival, which included headliners The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and Until I Wake.  Brenden and his band also got to play some cool shows down South, in places such as Florida and Biloxi, Mississippi, during his September "Summer Dreams Tour".

For local shows as well as tours, Brenden has put together a band of very talented musicians.  His current band members include:   Jimy Grime (bass), Jordan Baker (drums for local shows) and AJ Cremins (drums on tour), Bradley Bixel (guitar/bass); and Michael Nelson (lead/rhythm guitar).  The nice things about this lineup is the members are interchangeable and most can fill in on other instruments depending on scheduling conflicts.

What can we look forward to from Brenden in 2026?  There are a few mini tours on the east coast already lined up.  There will also be some fun shows yet to be announced.  Brenden is, of course, looking forward to Rock On The Hill Music Festival, which is scheduled for Saturday, June 6th at Pleasant Hill Fairgrounds in Hanover, Pennsylvania.  It will be the fifth anniversary of this festival that Brenden founded and is very proud of.  The festival benefits non-profit organization Hanover Jaycees. This year's headliners include 12 Stones, Wind Walkers, and Dead Eyes. 

In addition, Brenden has been in the studio working on a new record with Hayden Calhoun.  Brenden is super excited about the new material that’s coming together, and he can't wait to show everyone a different side of him and his music.

You can keep up with Brenden Starr on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Also make sure to check out the Brenden Starr YouTube channel and stream Brenden Starr's music on whatever platform you choose to listen to music.\