The Hollywood Stars Announce Fifth Studio Album Hey! LA!—Power Pop Veterans Return July 17 on Rum Bar Records
Here’s proof that 50+ years in rock and roll only sharpens the hooks: The Hollywood Stars have revealed details of their fifth studio album, Hey!...
Here’s proof that 50+ years in rock and roll only sharpens the hooks: The Hollywood Stars have revealed details of their fifth studio album, Hey! LA!, arriving July 17, 2026, on LP, CD, and download from Rum Bar Records. The album follows the band’s 2024 comeback effort Starstruck, which marked their first LP of new material in a jaw-dropping 47 years and earned a five-star review from Shindig! Magazine comparing the songs to Blondie, the Cars, and Cheap Trick while asking, “Where the hell do these guys get off sounding so youthful and exuberant?” The second single, “I’m Not Broken,” is out today, following last month’s 50th anniversary re-recording of the Stars’ best-known song, “King of the Night Time World,” covered by Kiss on their 1976 multi-platinum Destroyer album. Pre-orders are available now on Bandcamp.
The Lineup#
Hey! LA! features the same configuration that delivered Starstruck‘s power pop excellence.
Scott Phares (vocals) and Terry Rae (drums) are founding members from 1973, the connective tissue linking the band’s original Sunset Strip era to its 21st-century resurrection. Michael Rummans (bass) joined in 1976, bringing nearly 50 years of history with the band. Jeff Jourard and George Keller (guitars), recruited in 2023, provide the fresh energy that Shindig! found so surprisingly youthful.
Jourard’s pedigree deserves particular attention. He was an early member of The Motels and co-wrote that band’s second single, “Total Control,” with Martha Davis (covered on Starstruck). He also played guitar on 1976’s Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, the debut album that launched that band’s career. His presence connects The Hollywood Stars to multiple threads of late-’70s rock history.
The New Single#
“I’m Not Broken,” written by Phares and Rummans, arrives today with soaring guitar and defiant glam strut that recalls the early ’70s heyday of Mott the Hoople.
“The song is about relationships in which one person thinks they can ‘fix’ the other,” Phares explains. “This song rejects that notion. In my experience, you’re on a road to ruin if you think you can somehow change a person to meet your expectations. You’ve got to take it a day at a time.”
The single follows last month’s 50th anniversary re-recording of “King of the Night Time World,” the Stars’ composition that Kiss brought to platinum success on Destroyer. That re-recording reminded audiences of the band’s songwriting legacy; “I’m Not Broken” demonstrates they’re still writing at that level.
The Album Contents#
Hey! LA! spans ten tracks with contributions from every band member and occasional outside collaborators.
The rousing title track arrives on a Sweet-styled drum shuffle, setting the stage for Phares to deliver a rapid-fire rallying cry supporting Los Angeles in the wake of last year’s devastating wildfires. The song transforms local tragedy into defiant celebration, the band’s hometown pride channeled through power pop energy.
“I Survived 27” provides an anthem of rock and roll survival, referencing the legendary musicians who didn’t make it past that cursed age. “So Long and Far Away” offers a party-starting tribute to the band’s early years on the Sunset Strip, while “Bright Lights” continues in similar classic rock territory.
The album’s tender side emerges on “This Moment” and “When I Find You,” more reflective songs showcasing range beyond pure power pop attack.
“The Bottom” and “Will the Lights Go on Again?” are up-tempo rockers that first appeared on 2023’s Still Around digital EP but have been re-recorded for their first physical release, giving fans who discovered the band through Starstruck access to material they might have missed.
The Posthumous Contributions#
Mark Anthony, the band’s main songwriter and rhythm guitarist throughout the 1970s, receives two posthumous songwriting credits on Hey! LA!
His contributions connect the album to the original Hollywood Stars era, ensuring the band’s history remains present even as the current lineup pushes forward. “Will the Lights Go on Again?” and “King of the Night Time World” (co-written with Kim Fowley, Paul Stanley, and Bob Ezrin) carry Anthony’s legacy into the new material.
The Production#
Recorded at Kitten Robot Studios in Los Angeles, Hey! LA! was produced by the band alongside Loren Molinare (The Dogs, Slamdinistas) and Paul Roessler (The Screamers, 45 Grave).
The production team brings punk and power pop credentials that presumably inform the album’s sound. Roessler’s work with seminal LA punk acts and Molinare’s garage rock sensibility suggest Hey! LA! maintains the raw energy that made Starstruck feel vital rather than nostalgic.
The Complete Track List#
- Hey! LA! (Scott Phares)
- So Long and So Far Away (Phares, Darryl Lieberstein, George Keller)
- I’m Not Broken (Phares, Michael Rummans)
- The Bottom (Phares, Terry Rae, Don Adey)
- This Moment (Phares)
- Will the Lights Go on Again? (Mark Anthony, Phares, Rae, Ruben De Fuentes)
- I Survived 27 (Phares, Rummans)
- Bright Lights (Phares, Jeff Jourard)
- When I Find You (Rae, Robert Blessus)
- King of the Night Time World (Kim Fowley, Anthony, Paul Stanley, Bob Ezrin)
The Ongoing Story#
The Hollywood Stars are currently finalizing live shows to coincide with the release of Hey! LA!, bringing the album’s energy to audiences who’ve followed the band’s improbable second act.
From 1973 Sunset Strip origins through the “King of the Night Time World” Kiss connection to 47 years of silence to Starstruck‘s five-star comeback to Hey! LA!‘s defiant rallying cry, the trajectory demonstrates that power pop never really dies. It just waits for the right moment to return.
Who Should Pre-Order#
If Starstruck impressed you: Hey! LA! continues what that comeback established, the same lineup delivering more of what earned those Blondie, Cars, and Cheap Trick comparisons.
If ’70s power pop and glam rock define your taste: The Mott the Hoople comparisons, the Sweet-styled drums, the classic rock DNA throughout suggest material that honors the era without merely replicating it.
If rock and roll survival stories appeal: A band that wrote songs Kiss made platinum, disappeared for 47 years, and returned sounding “youthful and exuberant” represents the genre’s most improbable second act.
If the Kiss Destroyer connection intrigues you: The 50th anniversary re-recording of “King of the Night Time World” and the original band’s continued vitality connect to that platinum legacy.
If LA rock history matters to you: The title track’s wildfire response, the Sunset Strip tributes, the Kitten Robot Studios recording—this is Los Angeles rock through and through.
July 17 Brings the Stars#
Hey! LA! arrives July 17, 2026, on LP, CD, and download from Rum Bar Records. Pre-orders available now on Bandcamp. “I’m Not Broken” is streaming today.
Founding members from 1973. A 47-year gap between albums. A five-star comeback. And now a follow-up that rallies for Los Angeles, survives 27, and proves the Stars aren’t broken.
Where the hell do these guys get off sounding so youthful and exuberant? July 17 provides another ten tracks of evidence.
