Black Saint are the London based collective who are busy creating huge waves in the music industry.
Armed with a strong sound which is a unique fusion of styles and influences from across the globe, the trio first made their mark on the scene back in 2016 with their number one UK Dance hit ‘Could You Love Me?’. Since then, Black Saint have amassed well over 15 million Spotify streams across their singles, travelled the world with their music and have garnered a loyal fanbase and media support along the way.
Their latest release is the infectious ‘Don’t Wreck My Holiday’ featuring Kelli-Leigh. The upbeat offering is laced with summer vibes but will leave you with a feeling good even during the winter months. Since its release, the single has been streamed over 1.2 million times on Spotify, whilst also receiving support from numerous outlets.
We recently caught up with Black Saint to discuss ‘Don’t Wreck My Holiday’, London’s influence on their sound, touring and more. Check out what they had to say below.
Congratulations on the release of your single ‘Don’t Wreck My Holiday’. What’s the response been like to the track?
The response has been brilliant! We’ve had a lot of support from the likes of Mistajam and BBC Radio 1’s Dance Anthems, Kiss Fresh and we’re already over 1.2 million streams on Spotify, so we’re pleased.
The track features vocals from Kelli-Leigh, who is no stranger to big dance anthems. You’ve worked with her in the past – how did you decide that she was the perfect voice for this particular track?
We just thought the combination between Kelli’s big soulful vocal and the pop-sensibility of “Don’t Wreck My Holiday” would make for something fresh sounding- which worked out great!
Can you talk us through the production process for the track? How long did it take to form from an idea to the final song?
Justin: We had the initial idea which on its own as a track was banging and we just needed to write a great song on top… We usually like to write within our little collective but on this occasion we had an opportunity to do something a little bit different and so we hooked up with Caroline Alin and Trey Campbell. We vibed out right away and had the track written and recorded within a few hours!
‘Don’t Wreck My Holiday’ is about disconnecting from the world and living in the moment, without letting someone spoil your time. Has anyone ever wrecked your holiday?
Jermaine: Yeah a good friend wrecked my holiday once, but we were in Ibiza so I quickly got over that lol.
Justin: Jermaine, I think they wanted you to elaborate on that bro… It’s best he doesn’t though…LOL.
You’ve released a lyric video for ‘Don’t Wreck My Holiday’, but are there any plans for a music video? If so, what can we expect from it?
We always like to make a statement with our videos… That’s all we can say for now!
You’ve just released two new remixes of the track by TCTS and Chasedown. What’s your favourite thing about each remix?
Justin: The TCTS remix is reminiscent of a Basement Jaxx / Groove Armada vibe, who are some of our biggest influences… We love the simplicity of Chasedown Remix… We believe in House Music all you need is a killer groove.. finding it is usually the hard part, but we think Chasedown nailed it!
You’re used to putting your own spin on other people’s songs, so what does it feel like to have someone else remix your own tracks?
Justin: Everyone has a totally different way of expressing their art, so it’s always exciting to see how your fellow peers will re-interpret you music!
Who would you say are some of your musical influences?
Timbaland, The Neptunes, Master’s At Work, Bob Marley, Tupac, Junior Jack, Groove Armada, Basement Jaxx, Soul 2 Soul, Kanye West.
You’re a London based collective. How has the city influenced you musically?
Jermaine: Hugely, the great thing about London is it truly is a cultural melting pot. We are lucky enough to grow up listening to everything here, our radio stations are truly eclectic. We’ve gone to everything from Grime raves to Garage, Jungle, hip hop, Reggae and indie rock concerts. You can hear it all in our sound, there’s elements of everything we’ve been exposed to, that’s why we’d like to think of ourselves as a new Groove Armada or Basement Jaxx, because they really brought you into their world of influences. It wasn’t just one genre.
You’ve spent a lot of the past year performing across the world. What do you love the most about performing live?
Jermaine: There’s nothing like playing music to the people. Tracks we’ve discovered and tracks we’ve made. It’s an amazing feeling to have that connection through music. Especially when you get it right.
Is there a particular gig/city which stands out in your mind as being your favourite?
Justin: Going back home to Glasgow is always special for me! We supported Oliver Heldens at the SECC not too long back and it was crazy… Even though it was way below freezing, most in attendance were in shorts and no t-shirt! We Scots certainly don’t hold back when it comes to having a good time!
Jermaine: Yeah that was crazy, wicked energy there. Also our gig on Toddla T’s stage at Carnival was amazing, as Carnival has been a big part of our past.
What’s next for Black Saint in terms of music/touring?
We’ve been spending a lot of time in the studio the past few months. Experimenting with sounds and working with some great singer/songwriters, so we have a great body of work that we are excited to release to you all. We are also locking down a residency in London so that we can bring our style of music to a new night.
Thank you to Black Saint for their time. Keep up to date with them via Twitter and Instagram.
‘Don’t Wreck My Holiday’ is available now.