Neu Get To Know… Saint Clair
Compelling alt-rock that expresses the emotional tumult of young adulthood with immediacy and remarkable astuteness.
Hello and welcome back to DIY’s introducing feature, Get To Know… which aims to get you a little bit closer to the buzziest acts that have been catching our eye as of late, and working out what makes them tick.
This week, we meet Saint Clair: a quartet of North London upstarts who, having met as students, have spent the last few years honing in on their refreshing raison d’être - namely, “what would Ringo do?” - before introducing themselves back in April with grungy debut offering ‘Too Young To Notice’. It’s one of four tracks featured on the band’s imminent inaugural EP ‘Something To Be Said’ - a project that takes cues from seminal ’90s touchstones (see the dynamic shifts of Pixies, or the more melodic sensibilities of Radiohead) but which, like contemporaries Wunderhorse or Keo, reimagines the era’s signature sonics for a new generation. To mark its release, we catch up with frontman Toby Bardsley to hear some choice words of wisdom…
Describe your music to us in the form of a haiku.
We don’t write haiku
We write songs you call your own
That’s more than enough
What are your earliest musical memories?
There’s something about the music our parents had on in the car that seems to have shaped who we are. We’re sure a therapist would have a field day with that…
You’ve said that your philosophy lies in wanting “to be a songs band, not a musicians’ band”. What does this ethos mean in practice? Have you had to kill a lot of darlings in crafting ‘Something To Be Said’?
It means we play for the song. The stuff we write is for people to make their own; a good melody and chord progression will get you far, and the rest is Toby’s vocal.
You’re set to celebrate the arrival of the EP this summer with a whole bunch of festivals; if you could curate your own, who would be on the lineup?
Paul McCartney, Deftones, The Stone Roses and Saint Clair (we’re happy to open the stage). [How humble of you - Ed].
“The EP’s inspiration comes from the subject matter being personal yet relatable. For us, that’s what makes good art.”
‘Something To Be Said’ explores naivety and inexperience with striking self-awareness; why do you think coming of age periods are such a timeless vein of inspiration for art? Do you have any personal fave albums/films/books that deal with the topic?
We didn’t set out to write a “coming of age” EP, but it does tie in. The inspiration comes from the subject matter being personal yet relatable. For us, that’s what makes good art. Superbad (2007) is a band favourite.
Tell us the best and worst advice you’ve ever been given. and the advice you’d give to others?
There used to be a lot of “get your hair cut” comments. If that qualifies as advice, it’s bad advice. At the same time, a friend of the band once mentioned that a good song should work on nothing more than an acoustic guitar. That definitely changed the way we approached songwriting, and helped us find our sound. People aren’t stupid, so be yourself. That’s about as close to advice as you’ll get from us.
Finally, DIY are coming round for dinner - what are you making?
British Tapas.
‘Something To Be Said’ is out tomorrow (17th July) via Black Butter Records.
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