Hello Mercury readers, Starly Lou Riggs here! I just moved back to Portland after traipsing around Brazil for the past few years (yes, I do speak Portuguese!) and I’m thrilled to announce that I’ll be joining the team as the new music editor.
You might see me around town at shows or screaming with my band, Starly Kind. If I’m not out and about, I’m generally reading about queercore or jazz, listening to a new find on vinyl, or producing something strange and mysterious. Back in the day, I helped run Portland’s own music publication Eleven PDX as managing editor and editor-in-chief. I’m also currently a music writer at The Line of Best Fit over in London and operate Noise Made By in collaboration with The Fruitslice: A Queer Quarterly out of LA. As a queer nonbinary musician, the queer community is often at the crux of my artistic expression and journalistic lens. That said, my life is basically all-music-all-the-time, and I’m eager to dig into anything from the hottest pop sound to the most niche experimental outfit. You’d think hopping continents, attending nightly gigs, and playing multiple instruments would keep me busy enough, but my passionate little heart keeps me busy as a bee!
Music aside, I have two cute little weirdos named Spoon and Scoby (pictured) who now live with my parents and my mom is hoping to write a children’s book about their sibling-rivaled antics. I’m a Sagittarius to a T, traversing this great big world with my heart on my sleeve. I’m a big horror buff (from Eraserhead to I Saw the TV Glow, or whatever’s recommended at Movie Madness), I read a lot of poetry (current fav poet is Gabi Abrão), and I believe in the power of collective growth through honesty and community efforts. We’re all on this wild ride together, so let’s help each other out.
Be kind, rewind. You can find me on Instagram at @starly.kind or email me at starly@portlandmercury.com.