Henry J. Star is self-discovery personified. The debut project of Knoxville-born musician, producer, and songwriter Devin Badgett, Henry J. Star is a rich tapestry of sonic and personal influences—drawing from Japanese adventure games, ambient music, and Southern literature—to chronicle a powerful journey toward understanding and healing.

Last month, Badgett announced his debut album, The Soft Apocalypse, out October 17 via Acrophase Records, and introduced the world to Henry J. Star through lead single “Greenway”—a track that earned him early comparisons to Youth Lagoon and Alex G.

Today, Henry J. Star returns with “Ember”, a dreamy and heartfelt indie-pop anthem that builds into a triumphant crescendo. Centered around the soaring refrain—“All the way down, hold your breath till it’s over”—the song captures the beauty and weight of choosing life in the face of uncertainty. “This song is about deciding to live,” Badgett shares. “Around 12 versions of it exist. Hesitation is a double-edged sword.”

With twinkling piano, pounding drums, and a fuzzy, cathartic guitar riff, “Ember” delivers a three-and-a-half-minute sonic rush that’s as emotional as it is explosive.

Written, produced, and largely performed by Badgett in bedrooms and basements across Tennessee, The Soft Apocalypse is a fearless realization of his singular creative vision. The album draws from the complex weight of Badgett’s past—including his father’s incarceration, the intricacies of his multi-racial identity, and the quiet isolation of suburban life. For Badgett, music became a lifeline—a way to build a world beyond what he could see.

A worn VHS copy of The NeverEnding Story sparked that sense of wonder early on. “It was perhaps the first time I believed that a better world was not only possible, but worth fighting for,” he says.

With “Ember,” Henry J. Star proves he’s unafraid to explore the depths—and to bring listeners with him.

“Ember” is out August 13th via Acrophase Records.

HENRY J. STAR BIO:

The art of storytelling has been vital to Knoxville, TN-born singer-songwriter Devin Badgett’s well-being since his early youth. Stories are what carried him through the sometimes torrential weight of his childhood. The incarceration of his father, the inescapable dissonance of his multi racial identity, and the isolation of the urban sprawl necessitated an intense and sprawling relationship with escapism. His family’s copy of The Never Ending Story ripped him out of the malaise of the early aughts. That peak into a new world was what sparked a curiosity within Devin that never left his side. It was perhaps the first time he believed that a better world was not only possible, but worth fighting for. Cairon’s enthralling plea for help was a call to action that he would hold dear to his heart for many years to come. Trips to Jerry’s Artarama became therapeutic. Exploring the endless displays of Copic markers, multi-liners, easels, and hardbound sketchbooks became a highly anticipated activity. These tools were packed to the brim with opportunities to escape into new realities. His mother would wait patiently as he meandered up and down the aisles. Devin spent those dreary summer afternoons playing Kingdom Hearts II in anticipation of long evenings hovering over the sketchbooks in which he could finally canonize his imagined worlds on the living room floor, barricaded by eraser shavings. An endless loop of Yoko Shimomura’s “Dearly Beloved” playing quietly over the electric hum of a well-loved Playstation. 

Henry J. Star was constructed as an offering to that quiet kid. A vibrant new story to dive into. The exploration of a new perspective on his identity that even he, admittedly, has yet to understand fully. Devin began writing what would eventually become The Soft Apocalypse in the spring of 2020. Staring down the barrel of a pandemic and the cancellation of a tour opening for Briston Maroney with his post-punk project, Vanosdale, forced Devin to journey inward. His anxieties metastasized over long hours stuck at his childhood home in Knoxville, TN. By the time he returned to Nashville, TN, in the fall of 2021, he had channeled those anxieties into a maximalist sonic landscape that he spent the subsequent several years refining. Landing on bills with Medium Build, All American Rejects, and nickname jos served as a testing ground for this expansive new vision. As Devin emerged from his intense creative isolation, he proved fully prepared to throw heavy-hitting punches, making waves in the local scene. Henry J. Star, with little to no digital presence, has constructed a shadowy mystique that precedes the project. An appeal to mystery and anonymity that keeps people returning time and again to witness the unfolding story in person.