NYC native melodic punk rocker Caitlin Starr announces her fiery sophomore EP Speed Saves, out October 9 via G-Foil Records. In just five songs, the guitarist and singer-songwriter captures a conflicted, high-velocity chapter in her life, the rush that feels like salvation and the inevitable collisions that follow. Her new single “Pass Me By”, which watches life barrel by with its crunchy guitars and anthemic pop punk hooks, is also out today with a grungy yet wistful new music video.
“Pass Me By” and its accompanying music video are “a satirical, high-energy take on the feeling that life is barreling past you, scrolling through moments while everything speeds on without you,” according to Starr. “Inspired by moments of paralysis and FOMO, the lyrics pair darkly humorous, irreverent lines with anthemic hooks. Sonically it’s melodic and upbeat with heavy riffs and a pop-rock punch: driving drums, crunchy guitars, and a singable chorus that turns feeling left behind into a confident banger.”
The “Pass Me By” music video takes Starr and the listener on aimless rollerblade ride through New York City. With nothing but her headphones and the comfort of familiar spots in the sprawling urban, Manhattan maze, she captures both stillness and dynamism, sharply contrasting the almost-empty streets with constant movement.
WATCH: “PASS ME BY” (OFFICIAL VIDEO)
Written by Caitlin Starr and produced by Chris Cubeta, the title Speed Saves riffs on the phrase “Jesus saves” and “speed kills,” repurposing it as a commentary on how speed — long hours, multiple jobs, constant motion, racing through the city at full speed, mania, excessive stimulants, chasing validation — can feel like the only way to keep up with the world. The songs trace both the ways that speed has temporarily rescued Caitlin and the emotional and physical crashes that come after, blending piano-rooted songwriting with raw punk immediacy.
Last month, Starr shared “Will U b My Girlfriend”, a chaotic, confessional single with a guitar section that outpaces the singer’s beating heart, spiraling from an intense lesbian crush. With its hooky lyrics crusted in grunge instrumentation, the single finds the artist at her most anxious, romantic, energetic, impulsive, and wild.
WATCH: “WILL U B MY GIRLFRIEND” (OFFICIAL VIDEO)
Caitlin Starr cut her teeth in the NYC punk scene, using her talents as a multi-instrumentalist to support different punk and metal bands around the city for years. Though she rose to local prominence as the bassist for Suzy Clue and Shred Flintsone, as well as Skorts, and Truman Flyer, she’s been crafting her signature melodic punk sound as a solo artist at the same time. The singer-songwriter made her solo debut in 2025 with the EP Hold On Tight. Now, with Speed Saves, the DIY singer-songwriter is ready to turn the dial up on her amp, dyeing a 90s-flavored alternative rock in her melodic pop rock songwriting.
“Melodic punk is similar to grunge pop,” she says. “Kurt Cobain was such a great pop writer, even though Nirvana was grunge and alternative. I see it as the blending the raw power and angst of hardcore music with infectious pop melodies that make you wanna listen over and over. I’ve always been drawn to melodies and am a songwriter at heart, but it wasn’t until I started playing heavier music live that I felt I could fully express how I was feeling.”
The forthcoming EP was shaped in collaboration: Chris Cubeta produced, Meredith Okomoto served as assistant engineer, Carmen Castillo played bass, and Zack Jones played drums, with Lucy Coykendall performing drums on the track “Will u b My Girlfriend.” Caitlin, a classically trained jazz pianist and multi-intrusmentalist, brought these deeply personal songs to the sessions, which were then arranged, tracked, and refined with the band and production team to preserve the songs’ intimate urgency while adding rhythmic propulsion.
The result is a concise, honest snapshot of an era defined by speed, tenacity, and the cost of racing to keep up. Speed Saves until you crash.
Speed Saves (EP)
Tracklisting
01 Will U b My Girlfriend
02 Pass Me By
03 Cage
04 Piece of Clay
05 The Dark
ABOUT CAITLIN STARR
The 25-year-old NYC native, songwriter and lead guitarist Caitlin Starr returned from northern California in 2022 to chase her musical dreams in Brooklyn’s indie scene.
She’s spent the last 3 years making her name performing in just about every NYC rock club imaginable and touring the country as bassist for Suzy Clue and the punk band Shred Flintstone.
As an artist, Caitlin is a freewheeler who defies pigeonholing. Her music is both thoughtful and fierce: she writes with emotional depth and shreds like a rockstar. Her sound channels Belly, the Breeders, Nirvana and other 90s grunge era influences with directly fresh perspective.
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