St. Lundi FAULT Magazine Covershoot and Interview
FAULT Magazine sat down with rising star St. Lundi to talk about his debut album, The Island. Drawing from personal experiences, the album is deeply autobiographical and reflects the ups and downs of his journey, including estrangement from his hometown and emotional family relationships. With The Island set to make waves, we delve into the creative process behind the project and St. Lundi’s evolving musical journey.
FAULT Magazine: Your debut album, The Island, is described as autobiographical. How did revisiting your personal history shape the songwriting process for you?
St. Lundi: By writing this album all about my life, it’s allowed me to cover topics that other people have almost definitely experienced. It’s a big dream for me to write songs that can connect with people and that they can share memories to. I hope that some of these songs can help people deal with whatever they’re going through.
FAULT Magazine: You’ve spoken about feeling disconnected from your hometown but eventually embracing it. How did this shift in perspective influence the mood and themes of the album?
St. Lundi: It’s hard to say whether it was the music that led me back home or it was being back home that led me to the music I’ve created. I think it’s a bit of both, to be honest, and that’s led to me writing something very personal. By writing about my relationships with my family, the music became very emotional and heartfelt.
FAULT Magazine: How does your creative process differ the further you delve into the electronic music space with Kygo?
St. Lundi: Working with artists like Kygo helped me see that I love not just dance music but music that makes people want to dance. For me, a lot of that comes from playing live and really helping a crowd enjoy themselves—taking them on a journey through sad downtempo music to euphoric upbeat music.
FAULT Magazine: It’s a very eclectic and diverse album. Was this by design or just reflective of your musical tastes?
St. Lundi: I think it’s a bit of both. There’s definitely a lot more music of mine to come that exists in a world you haven’t heard from me yet. I’m really inspired by artists like Coldplay, who have such a diverse range of songs.
FAULT Magazine: Did you find it emotionally taxing to create ‘Nobody Like You’? How did you alleviate the pressure?
St. Lundi: If anything, I found the process enjoyable. It was really nice to write a song for my mum to tell her I love her. I was only excited about writing this song. The melody of the chorus is one I’ve had for a while now, and I was so happy to get a song out of it.
FAULT Magazine: You’ve mentioned that much of The Island came together during lockdown. How did isolation and that period of intense reflection impact your creative process?
St. Lundi: Although lockdown was a bleak time, it allowed me to spend hours working on my songwriting and finding out who I wanted to be as an artist. When you’re working a full-time job, your time is always limited, but lockdown gave me that creative space.
FAULT Magazine: Looking forward, how do you see your sound evolving?
St. Lundi: I’m currently working on this and am quite far into writing songs for Album 2. I haven’t decided on the overall sound yet, but you can expect something different, along with some of the same melodic styles you’re used to. I’m not writing something as autobiographical this time, so I’m excited to challenge myself and write the best possible lyrics.
FAULT Magazine: What are you most looking forward to for the rest of the year?
St. Lundi: I’m really looking forward to my headline tour in Europe and the UK. Some of the shows are very close to selling out, which will be a first for me after years of playing live and building an audience. I’m also excited to spend Christmas back home on the island for the first time in three years.
FAULT Magazine: What is your FAULT?
St. Lundi: A big fault of mine is comparing myself to others. It’s something a lot of people do, especially creatives. It’s hard when you’re surrounded by so many talented people, but I always try to remind myself to focus on what I want to put out into the world. That’s where the best music comes from.