Chasing Stars: Reaching For New Heights

There is a new South Florida rock band that you should take notice of, but the members are definitely not new to the scene.  Chasing Stars was the brainchild of Desi Pena and Miguel Angel, two members of the well-known band AMoV (A Moment Of Violence).  They started the project in January 2025 and it became clear from the start that they had something special.

Chasing Stars is:  Miguel Angel (lead vocals, chief songwriter, producer); Desi Pena (guitars, songwriter, executive producer, backing vocals); Tony Cardillo (drums, songwriter, producer); and Tyler Williams (bass guitar, backing vocals, live sound). Desi and Miguel were amazing and answered my questions for this story.

Chasing Stars got started when Miguel and Desi decided to sit and write their first single, “FALLING”. They had been wanting to write something together since they both produce. They were aiming to come up with something new, and fresh. Their hunt for members began when “FALLING” was released in January. The song was starting to have a great amount of success on radio, and they realized quickly that they needed to fill out a full lineup. Miguel asked Tony to join as the drummer. He then met Tyler and offered the position as the bass guitarist. 

I asked Desi and Miguel about the band name, Chasing Stars.  Miguel explained that it symbolizes “reaching for the stars on a path to self-healing.  Originally we wanted the name to be Chasing Stars Healing Scars, and we might turn that into an EP title someday.” 

Miguel continued, “It means to reach further than you thought possible and leave everyone who doubted you behind.”

How does the songwriting process work for Chasing Stars? Miguel will originate the song idea and send it to the guys for their input. Desi will make the needed production changes, then send it off to Tony for the drum production. Miguel and Tyler come up with the coordination of the vocal parts. Then they will all meet at Desi’s studio to track their respective parts. Desi will mix it down, and make the final fine tune adjustments to complete the track.

The first song released by Chasing Stars back in January, “FALLING”, is wonderful. The instrumental was written by Desi out of an idea that Miguel had for a chorus. The lyrics were written by Miguel while he was hearing Desi track the guitars. They spent a weekend working on pre-production based on Miguel’s initial idea. This first song they made together is a prime example of the amazing team these two are. They each feed off the other’s creativity. Desi brought the track to the finish line, and it was mastered by Acle Kahney of 4D Sounds in the UK who is also the guitarist of TesseracT. The band says they are always very happy with his work.

Miguel had this to say about “FALLING”:

“This is the kind of song you go into the studio to work on and it just flows out. As we were writing this track and the parts had to be looped the feeling of this song came together. ‘Dragging me under and Tearing Apart’. How many times have we been there?

This track really led me down a loop of self-realization and self-awareness. I'm not one to really speak of my feelings and it only really comes out through music, so I hope as you listen to this track you realize those low points in your life and overcome those brief but dark times.”

I think “FALLING” was a great first song by this band.  It starts with a killer guitar riff that’s incorporated in the chorus throughout the track.  Miguel is a wonderful singer!  His vocals are expressive and emotional.  The breakdown in the bridge will appeal to those who like their music on the heavier side, and the song goes out on a heavy note, too. 

Most recently, Chasing Stars released their version of “Ghost” by Justin Bieber in May. They did a fantastic job with it!  I asked Desi and Miguel why they chose that song, and it’s actually an interesting story.  They were in the car one day and Desi mentioned doing a cover of that song in “their style”. What Desi didn't know was that Miguel had previously been working on a cover of the song at his studio but was kind of stuck on how to execute it properly. Desi took over the revision of the track. He rewrote it, recorded, produced, and mixed it. This song was also mastered by Acle Kahney.   

The band members of Chasing Stars decided to remake “Ghost” because it felt like a song they would write.  It fits their style, from the lyrics to the powerful chorus.  One of my favorite parts of the song, the piano at the end, was written and produced by Desi. I think the band did a fantastic job with “Ghost”. They definitely put their own twist on the song, while doing justice to the original.  Desi’s guitar solo is amazing.  Miguel pours his heart and soul into the vocals. Justin Bieber said his inspiration behind “Ghost” was “to make people feel like there is hope and that the trauma and the hurt that you feel isn't gonna last forever.”  He acknowledged that a lot of this came from 2020 when we lost loved ones and relationships during the COVID pandemic. I think the Chasing Stars remake of his song is lovely and brings out all of those emotions that Justin talked about.

The Chasing Stars video for “Ghost” is both haunting and beautiful. It was done by Roberto Badillo. Desi and Miguel said Roberto is a master behind a camera lens. The   concept for the video was put together by the band, and they gave Roberto the freedom to do as he pleased creatively. He is a published photographer and has shot many bands in their area. 

Brooke Raquel is the model in the video and Desi and Miguel said she was a pleasure to work with. They told me she represents the ghost of the person portrayed in the lyrics and the sword is symbolic of the pain felt by the singer. 

Roberto IG: @spinstyle

Brooke IG: @Brookeraquelmodels

There is a plethora of new Chasing Stars music already demoed for the next EP. Since they are all music producers, there is no shortage of ideas and they can always build off of each other's creativity. I personally can’t wait to hear more music from this talented group!

The music videos are a must for Chasing Stars. They really enjoy doing them! They are currently planning on shooting one for the next single, “Heartless Machine”.

The band also really wants to get out and play more live shows. They just performed at Rawk The River in Oklahoma the second weekend of June and had a blast. I'm including two behind-the-scenes videos from that weekend at the bottom of this story because they're awesome and show how much fun this band is and how well they get along. Check them out!  They are working on booking shows and mini tours in the coming months in Florida and outside of the state. They are hoping to include some of the other local bands from their area. They are fortunate to have friends in many of these bands and look forward to having a great time with them!

You can follow Chasing Stars on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and the band’s website.

Written by: Annie Schlottman