Artist Of The Week #160 - Saint Raymond
This week’s Artist of the Week is the forever delightful Saint Raymond - who has just released his new album ‘We Forgot We Were Dreaming’. It has been five years since he hit the Top 10 with his debut ‘Young Blood’ - and this long awaited second album provides us with a huge evolution of his sound, as he experiments with new ideas and melodies. He took a moment to talk to us about the album in more depth.
Hey Saint Raymond - how are you? So your new album is out now - how does it feel to have it out there in the world?
I’m good, thank you for asking. Yeah it feels great, especially because it’s been so long since my first record, so to finally have it out there for people to listen to is very exciting.
It is titled ‘We Forgot We Were Dreaming’ - what is the meaning behind that?
The idea for that stems from a relationship that is in a state where you’re trying to rekindle it. You kind of ignore all the warning signs so you go into a dreamy state and you kind of forget that in reality the relationship wouldn’t work.
Where was it recorded? Any behind the scenes stories from the creative process you are happy to share with us?
So mainly it was recorded down in Bath. Joe Page who produced a lot of the record and I hired a house that had a studio at the bottom of the garden and we were there on and off for a few weeks. It was such a nice experience because it never felt like work. There were days where maybe we just didn’t feel like recording so we could just chill or head into Bath and it never felt like we were under any kind of pressure or that we were on ‘studio time’.
How does it differ from your debut album? It certainly feels a bit more experimental.
For me the major difference is that I’ve just been able to make the exact record I want to make, so it never felt like I was trying to tick boxes or anything. I just wanted to make the record that I thought was right and I think I’ve done that with this one so maybe that’s why it feels a bit more experimental at times.
There is a track on the album called ‘Solid Gold’, it feels almost like a centre-piece, was that your intention? What is the track about? What are the key themes and influences on the album?
Not really an intention…I think because I’ve been writing this record over a space of five or so years it was never my intention for certain songs to be like singles or to feel like they should be something. I kind of just wrote the songs and decided on singles after the fact. That song for me is about a relationship- when it can feel so wrong but you know that when it is right and when it is working that it’s almost perfect. It’s the idea that you have to get through barriers and you may argue and fight but there is a silver lining to all of it. I think relationships are a key talking point on the record not just from a personal point of view but from what I’ve observed around me with friends and stuff like that. But I also do touch on mental health and the struggles we go through on the album also.
Do you have a favorite lyric on the album? If so - which one and why?
For me probably the chorus lyric of “Alright“.
‘It’s alright, to not be alright’
It’s pretty simple but I think it is important and I’ve had a lot of people messaging me saying how important that lyric and how much the song has meant to them.
Now the album is out there - what next for you?
Yes, so for me just plenty more writing and just sitting tight and hoping that I can get back on the road and on tour again soon! I have an UK tour in November, so keeping my fingers crossed for that.