Saint Etienne, the beloved British band of London’s 90s dance scene, have been known for their unique blend of wistfulness and optimism. Reflecting on their creative journey, personal growth, and what’s next for their music, lead singer Sarah Cracknell chats to BRICKS about the release of their upcoming album The Night.
The Night offers a dreamscape of sound, a tranquil break from the mayhem of daily life. Designed to be listened to on headphones – preferably at dusk or in the stillness of early morning – it captures the ethereal mood of the after-hours, blending haunting melodies with a reflective tone. As the band prepares for a more uptempo follow-up album next summer, Sarah shares insights into the band’s inspirations behind The Night and the key to their enduring artistry.
Keeping it bittersweet
Much like their last album, I’ve Been Trying To Tell You, The Night echoes a mellow atmosphere that runs throughout Saint Etienne’s work. Whilst fuelled by their love of “melancholy as a feeling,” Sarah ensured that the band has no intention of making depressing music — “it’s just not really us.” Instead, this album focuses on a more ambient sound to capture an atmosphere described as “bittersweet.”
Half Light, a focus track already released as a single, encapsulates the many layers of the album. Turning to sounds of nature to emulate the feeling of daybreak, this single is the perfect tease of what’s to come for listeners. Described by Sarah as “spooky” with a “strong melody”, the short 2-minute track showcases The Night’s curation of a multisensory experience.
Fans can look forward to a contrasting mood in the band’s next project, a more uptempo, pop-driven album slated for summer release. “We just wanted something more fun,” Sarah revealed, joking about their knack for crafting “sad-disco songs.”
Growth and letting go
The album is also informed by the band’s personal encounters with growth and change over recent years. The song ‘Preflyte’, written by Pete about one of his children, navigates the difficulties of later parenthood. Sarah admitted, “when I first sang it, knowing what it was about, I started crying.”
The song embodies the tender struggle of holding on whilst learning to let go, a feeling echoed in small moments—like shopping for a child no longer at home. Sarah outlined how The Night explores not just the experiences of parenting but also the broader journey of personal growth and navigating change as adults, joking “we’re quite grown up now— we’re getting there.” Whilst much of the album carries a solemn tone, this sense of growth is threaded with a hopeful sincerity.
The natural environment
Having once made dance music inspired by the bustling streets of central London, Saint Etienne’s music has always explored an ongoing relationship with their environment.
As the sounds of nature bleed into The Night, it’s evident that the band’s immediate surroundings still impact their work.
Living in different environments across the UK – Sarah in farmland Oxfordshire, Pete in “groovy” seafront Hove, and Bob in an unspoiled village in West Yorkshire – these distinct landscapes infuse the album throughout. While each member blends an impression of their home town into the music, Sarah noted how the location of the recording studio had a particularly strong influence on this album for everyone. Describing the serene countryside view of her journey to Bob’s, she put it simply, “The mood is there outside your window. It just is.”
Perfectly imperfect
For Saint Etienne, authenticity takes precedence over perfection. Sarah recalled memories of once feeling anxious when recording and releasing vocals. Now, she embraces the raw and unpolished quality of her early takes, believing they capture the genuine emotion that over-rehearsing can erode. “Sometimes the more fragile, naive demo vocals can’t really be bettered,” she explains.
This drive for authenticity is reflected throughout The Night – from the creaking door introduction of ‘Settle In’, to the drips of running water in ‘When You Were Young’, the trio favoured the organic and unpretentious samples of daily life over the slick productions of studio recordings.
Sustained friendship and creative collaboration
Sarah, Bob, and Pete share a deep connection rooted in shared influences and a long history of collaboration. “It’s a telepathy thing,” Sarah reflects on the band’s creative process. “You don’t have to explain yourself too much because the other person will always get it.”
After working separately during COVID-19 to produce I’ve Been Trying to Tell You, it’s clear that Saint Etienne’s creative synergy can be accessed from a distance. Their process adapts well to remote collaboration, especially since the band isn’t a traditional “guitar, drums, and bass” type of group. Instead, they’ve thrived on flexibility, exchanging ideas and demos digitally before coming together to refine tracks.
While remote working is effective, the magic of spending time together in a shared, domestic space has been essential in crafting The Night. This was the first time in over four years that Sarah, Bob, and Pete worked together in person to create a studio album. Staying at Bob’s house, they let ideas flow naturally, reigniting the organic spark of collaboration that can only come from coexisting together.
The addition of multi-instrumentalist Augustin Bousfield added another layer to the album’s production. Sarah credited his versatility with helping bring their ideas to life, further enhancing the unique and unrestrained sound that defines Saint Etienne.
Saint Etienne’s new album “The Night” is out now on Heavenly Recordings.
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