“Star Wars bands” means two different things. Sometimes people mean the bands inside the galaxy — the Cantina Band, Max Rebo. Sometimes they mean real bands here on Earth who make music about Star Wars. This page covers both, because we are one of the second kind and we’ve spent years finding the others.
Bands from inside the Star Wars galaxy
Figrin D’an and the Modal Nodes — the Mos Eisley Cantina band from A New Hope. Seven Bith musicians playing a genre called jizz, on instruments including the kloo horn and the Dorenian Beshniquel. Their song is officially titled “Mad About Me,” though nobody calls it that.
The Max Rebo Band — Jabba’s house act in Return of the Jedi. Normally a trio led by Max Rebo on the Red Ball Jett keyboard, expanded with vocalists and dancers when a client wanted a bigger show.
Both worked Tatooine, which says something about the galactic touring circuit.
Real bands that write songs about Star Wars
This is a smaller club than you’d expect. Plenty of musicians drop a Star Wars reference in a verse. Very few build an entire catalog out of it.
The Han Solo Project
That’s us. Rock, two members, five albums of original songs about fan theories, background characters, and the Death Star’s nonexistent safety railings. More here, or start with the lyrics archive.
Sarlacc
A Pennsylvania grindcore duo who write about nothing but Star Wars. Song lengths measured in seconds. Their album Rule of Two includes tracks about Tarkin, blue milk, and Force choking.
Hoth
American metal, named for the ice planet, and unlike most of this list they play it completely straight — no jokes, just cold atmospheric songs about the darker corners of the saga. Infinite Darkness is the usual entry point.
Aerosith
A convention-circuit band who both cover film music and write songs from the characters’ point of view. Emperor Palpatine takes lead vocals. They are, by design, evil.
Pallet-Swap Ninja
Rewrote all of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band as a Star Wars record, track for track. “Princess Leia’s Stolen Death Star Plans” is the one that sticks in your head for a week.
Nerf Herder
Named after Leia’s insult to Han, and best known for the Buffy theme. They got around to an actual Star Wars song eventually — “I’m the Droid (You’re Looking For)” on 2016’s Rockingham.
Bands named after Star Wars that don’t sing about it
Worth separating out, because these come up constantly in “Star Wars bands” lists and none of them are actually making Star Wars music: Vader (Polish death metal, formed 1983), Jedi Mind Tricks (underground hip hop), RJD2 (producer, named for R2-D2), Eisley (named for Mos Eisley), Bossk, and Droid.
Common questions
What is the Star Wars cantina band called?
Figrin D’an and the Modal Nodes. The band is Bith, the bandleader is Figrin D’an, and the song is called “Mad About Me.”
Are there real bands that only write Star Wars songs?
Yes, a handful. The Han Solo Project, Sarlacc, and Hoth all build their catalogs almost entirely around Star Wars, across very different genres — rock, grindcore, and metal respectively.
Can I use Star Wars music in my podcast?
Not John Williams’ score — that’s owned by Disney and licensing it is expensive. Original fan-made music is a different story. Ours is free to use with credit.
Do Star Wars bands play conventions?
Regularly — fan conventions and Star Wars events are the natural home for this music. We’re available to book.
Know a band that belongs on this list? Tell us and we’ll add them. We’d rather this page be right than be about us.
The Han Solo Project 