Cruising along a highway with the top down, feeling the wind shape your hair into various silhouettes on a late summer evening; Tommy Saint’s latest two-pack quickly transports you to a peaceful state. Over the years, the North London artist has honed his sound and embraces sonic exploration. By nurturing his craft, he has earned a reputation as a promising emerging talent. Experimenting with diverse sounds, his recent Bossa Nova influence adds an unexpected depth to his music. Featuring Latin strings, intricate lyrics, and an infectious rhythm, ‘test my love / who knows?’ is yet another impressive release from the versatile artist. After gaining traction with his debut project ‘SAINT SEASON’ in 2022, especially with the popular track “Elixir,” Tommy continued to highlight his interpretation of contemporary R&B and hip-hop through a series of releases, amassing over 100,000 monthly listeners on Spotify alone. As the primary producer of his music, Tommy’s passion extends beyond merely writing lyrics. His lifelong dedication to mastering his craft has pushed him to create atmospheric soundscapes that reflect his true self. After his latest release, Clash had the opportunity to speak with Tommy about all things music. Check out the conversation below...
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Let’s start from the beginning. Can you tell me about your early years and how you got into music?
It all began when I was part of a rap group with my friends around the age of 13. We were just having fun, and although the music we made wasn’t great, I found a lot of joy in it! We continued for a few years but parted ways when I turned 15. I knew I wanted to pursue music as a solo artist. As I neared the end of Secondary School, I focused solely on rapping over beats. I wanted to pursue music while continuing my education, so I decided to study Music Production and Sound Engineering to start creating my own beats and music.
Would you say there were key musical influences, perhaps an artist or an album that motivated you to make music?
As a child, Michael Jackson was a significant part of my soundtrack growing up. Every childhood video had his music playing in the background! As I got older and began writing my own lyrics, Kendrick Lamar’s ‘good kid, m.A.A.d city’ greatly influenced my teenage years. I became very attentive to every aspect of that album, particularly its writing. It was a pivotal album for me!
Both “Elixir” and ‘SAINT SEASON’ significantly impacted your rise to popularity. How do you think your artistry has evolved since then?
I believe I’m more liberated in my approach now compared to that time. I used to be quite rigid, and the ‘SAINT SEASON’ project felt very structured and, in some ways, stressful. As I’ve created and released more music, I’ve maintained an organized approach but have allowed myself to be more flexible creatively and explore various directions.
How structured were you? Did you have a plan for each studio session?
It was everything; it influenced my overall approach to life! I imposed many rules on myself for no particular reason. Being new to it, I felt a lot of pressure to ensure everything was perfect. While it didn’t hinder the music I created—of which I’m still proud—it did impact my enjoyment of the process. Now, I can enjoy things more; my expectations for myself aren’t as harsh, leading to better quality work!
Considering those releases performed well in terms of streams, do you think the pressure to replicate that success crept back in?
Interestingly, I was quite relaxed about it at the time. I was certainly excited about the success, but it didn’t interfere with my creative process!
Let’s discuss your latest two-pack ‘test my love’ and ‘who knows?’. You’ve started incorporating a Bossa Nova feel into your music. What was your goal with these releases?
I began integrating Bossa Nova in a previous release titled ‘control.’ I recorded both ‘control’ and ‘who knows?’ about four years ago. I held onto them for a long time, waiting for the right moment to share them. ‘who knows?’ started as a little hook idea/demo that I had tagged onto the end of ‘control’ as an outro without thinking too much of it, but many people asked if it could be its own song. A few weeks ago, I fleshed out the hook and wrote a verse, and decided to turn it into a full track. As for ‘test my love’, I wrote it this year, and I wanted to release a two-pack since both songs are rather short. ‘who knows?’ still had an interlude feel, so it made sense to pair them together!
You’ve received co-signs from artists like Jessie Reyez, kwn, and M Huncho. How does it feel to get recognition from established artists, especially as an emerging talent?
Recently, Jessie Reyez discovered my track
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Driving along a highway with the top down, feeling the wind create various shapes with your hair on a late summer evening; Tommy Saint's latest