With a new album out in May, if Saint Agnes isn’t on your radar yet, they should be.
UK’s Saint Agnes is ready for the takeover in the United States. There’s the South by Southwest Conferecne this week (commonly referred to as SXSW) in which the band is performing. Saint Agnes is a cross between the attitude of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and the musicality of Nine Inch Nails. Their heavy electronic sound captivates with fierce grit. The synths take on a personality of their own in the best possible way.
Kitty and Jon initially met circa 2013 in East London. Their debut album 2019’s Welcome to Silvertown, and 2023’s Bloodsuckers, pushed the envelope and now they’re ready to dominate with their latest release Your God Fearing Days Are About To Begin. This collection of songs captures everything we love about the band.
The Aquarian’s Robert Frezza interviewed Kitty A. Austen [vocals, guitar, keys] and Jon J.Tufnell [guitar] ahead of their debut performance at SXSW. The band is completed with Andy Head on drums and Maxine Cahill on bass.
How did you get involved with SXSW?
Kitty: SXSW always felt a bit mythical to me. It’s the kind of place where bands go to throw themselves into the fire and see what survives. That’s basically our philosophy anyway. As a gateway to playing in the USA in the future, it felt like the perfect place to cut our teeth. We love walking into a room where nobody knows who we are and having thirty minutes to completely turn it upside down. I’m interested in the challenge of bringing some of the more subtle and emotional moments into the chaotic festival atmosphere.
How did the band get together?
Kitty: Jon and I met in London when we were both in other bands, and at the time, the scene felt a bit restrained. Everyone was very “cool,” detached, and tasteful. The bands that were getting known always looked like they didn’t want to be there.
Jon: We wanted the opposite of that. So, we started writing together in my flat in East London. It was chaotic and instinctive. Big riffs, big feelings, no safety net. We just wanted to fly in the face of what was considered cool and go throw ourselves physically into the performances. Bands like Nine Inch Nails, The Dead Weather, Fugazi, and Hole featured as reference points for what makes a great live band and we wanted to inject that spirit into the London scene. We always felt like outsiders anyway, so we leaned into that and built our own little world around the band. Ultimately, our goal has always been to make Saint Agnes the band we wish existed, and that often reacts to the scene and surroundings at the time.
What is the difference between the US market and European markets in music?
Kitty: Well, I guess we are going to find out in Austin! Europe is fascinating because every country has its own character. One night you’re in Germany where the crowd is incredibly intense, the fans can be really direct about what they expect. The next night you’re in France, where the audiences tend to be very patient and respectful which allows you to be more creative with how you construct a set. The US has this huge mythology around rock music. Most of my favorite bands are American. We have learned on the road that every audience is different, and we will just bring that attitude with us. We will do our thing and I’m confident that those who it is meant for will feel the connection.
What does the Saint Agnes stage show consist of?
Kitty: Intensity. Emotion. Chaos. We want the show to feel immersive, like stepping into our world for an hour. Loud guitars, sweat, vulnerability, aggression, with everything pushed right to the edge. Sometimes it feels less like a concert and more like a ritual. The goal is that people leave the room feeling like something actually happened to them.
Jon: Playing live for us is a selfish act. We really do it for ourselves. When it connects between us, and the sound is right, you feel like you transcend, you are truly in the moment. As total control freaks it’s actually quite hard for us to reach that state, just running on instinct and removing thought. And when it happens I can always sense things shifting into a new gear and the audience connection feels easy. By playing for ourselves the result is a better connection with the audience.
What in specific are you looking forward to SXSW and what do you think will be the takeaways from SXSW for Saint Agnes?
Kitty: The unknown can be exciting. I tend to be quite shy offstage and in the UK and Europe I have routines and a way-of-being on tour. To some extent, I have built a safety net as I know what to expect. Going to SXSW we have no idea what it is going to be like and I’m open to just going with the flow. For us, the goal is simple: play shows people remember. If someone walks in not knowing who we are and walks out slightly shell-shocked, that’s perfect.
Jon: We are always redefining ourselves as artists and the band as an expression of that. What are we trying to say with this song or this show. These kinds of festival shows have a lot of restrictions that really make you get to the heart of who you are as a band and what you want to convey. 30 minute set, no soundcheck and almost none of our own equipment. You have to define what the essence of your band is and put it across quickly.
What can we expect from the album? What is the meaning behind the album title?
Kitty: The new record, Your God Fearing Days Are About To Begin, comes out on May 29th via Spinefarm and it honestly feels like the most important thing we’ve made. Our last album Bloodsuckers came from a very dark place emotionally. This one still has darkness at its heart, but it’s the first glimpse of light after that nightmare. There’s this sense that a new day might be breaking, even if it’s just a tiny glint on the horizon. Musically, we leaned into that feeling by writing a lot of the songs in major keys, which is unusual for darker rock music. It was actually quite challenging, but it opened up a lot of creative doors for us. There’s still darkness in the music, but now there’s a glint of hope inside it.
Jon: Bands like Nine Inch Nails are a big influence. Trent Reznor constantly reinvents the music but the core is always that raw, emotional vocal. We take a similar approach. The sound evolves, but as long as Kitty’s voice is at the centre, unpolished, powerful and honest, it holds everything together.
Kitty: The title reflects something bigger as well. While we were writing these very personal songs, about emotions, relationships, survival, the outside world was getting more and more unsettling. So, the record lives in that tension. These are deeply personal thoughts and feelings, but they exist under the shadow of a world that suddenly feels more frightening.
What is next following the festival?
Kitty: Touring. A lot of touring. These songs were written to be played live and we can’t wait to throw them into rooms full of people.
Jon: And we’re already writing again as well. The band never stops. This is what we are compelled to do.