We get to know DÉ SAINT, a fresh new artist out of the Sunshine State who dropped her debut single ‘Fever’ last Friday.
The track’s an absolute banger – and it turns out there’s plenty more where it came from, with the promise of a debut EP set to follow soon.
But how did this mysterious musical minx end up here?
Discover her journey to ‘Fever’ and scratch the surface with us in our latest feature.
01. Name : DÉ SAINT.
02. Where are you based? Noosa, Qld.
03. How did you get your start in music? I was 15 and the lead singer in a band from school called ‘Division’ (lol) all mad skateboarders… We were pretty good, won a few band comps in Melbourne.
I started working professionally from 16, the recording studio kept calling my school asking me to head in for a session (I sang TV jingles). After a few months of this the school head master gave me an ultimatum; concentrate on your studies or leave and pursue your career. That day I left school and never looked back.
04. Give us five words to best describe you as an artist. Oh Jesus I’m so shit at describing myself but what comes to mind… unique, stylistic, underground, arthouse, considered.
05. Tell us a little bit about your sound and how it developed. I started singing with DJs in clubs about 10 years ago. I was behind the decks and they’d show me what to do so they could go for a quick ciggie. I suppose you could say I was totally thrown into it.
I started out pretty underground, playing a lot of minimal tech and French house. It’s developed over the years. I’m heavy analogue house / pop / funk with live musicianship (bass, percussion, guitar, piano).
I LOVE performing to a heaving dancefloor and the 2am slot of pure deep vibes is a fav.
06. What’s your earliest musical memory? I was three years old, walking across a pedestrian crossing with my Mum and there was a record store blasting ‘Horror Movie’ (my mum always loved Skyhooks, so I knew the song). I stopped and gave a full performance to all the traffic patiently waiting. Very dramatic… always, ha ha.
07. Who have been your musical influences? Growing up I loved EVERYTHING… all styles of music!!! But over the years I would have to say Groove Armada have become one of my biggest influences. I love how cinematic they are going from huge dancefloor electronica to live band tracks. Listening to their music takes me on a complete journey. I aspire to be that kind of artist.
08. What are your favourite songs of all time? That is the hardest question to answer as I have so many and this is also dependent on my mood! But let’s just say today it’s ‘Everything In Its Right Place’ (Radiohead) and ‘My People’ (The Presets).
09. Where’s your favourite place to listen to music? I live by the ocean, so cranking a new mix on my PA while watching the waves roll in is THE place.
10. Who are your go-to artists when you’re feeling :
Happy? The Presets.
Sad? Thom Yorke.
Introspective? The Blaze.
Exhausted? Nils Frahm.
11. What was the first album you ever bought? OMG this is so embarrassing but it was ‘Flashdance’ on vinyl. I bought it because is KING Giorgio Moroder. And that track ‘He’s A Dream’ by Shandi… killer! I STILL HAVE IT!
12. Give us a little fun fact about yourself that people might not know. I have sung on quite a few epic tunes. One being ‘Deception Bay’ by Boo Seeka, my vocals are pretty meshed in with Ben’s. He’s such a killer vocalist but, every time I hear that track on the radio I have a big smile on my face.
13. What would your chosen career be if music wasn’t an option? A snobby food critic.
14. What’s the best advice you’ve been given in your career? I met Molly Meldrum in a club when I was 16 and I asked him for advice on what to do to crack the industry. He said, “be completely authentic and don’t try and chase the trends”.
A dude overheard our convo and chimed in, “NAHHHH… Just show ya tits” and Molly nearly died. He got very upset… “NO!!!!! DON’T EVER DO THAT!” Hysterical when I think back on it!
15. What’s been the highlight of your musical journey so far? Playing on the same festival as Groove Armada!!
16. What’s been the strangest experience you’ve had in the business? How I’ve had to fight for my place as a DJ in what was a very male dominated scene.
17. If you could trade places with any artist in the world right now, who would it be? Peggy Gou.
18. Tell us about your debut release. ‘Fever’ was written prior to COVID. It was set to be a track off my upcoming EP, however with all the lockdowns I couldn’t get to the studio to complete my tracks.
‘Fever’ was the closest to being done so it turned itself into my first release. I feel it is actually the perfect choice to introduce myself as a new artist. A little teaser if you will on my sound and style.
19. What do your future plans involve? Releasing more singles and music videos over the coming months.
My EP ‘Girl DJ’ will drop this year and focus on remixes for the dance charts. I’m super excited to play my music to festival audiences and club gigs.
20. Where can our audience catch you live? Normally I was all over Australia playing events such as Formula 1 Grand Prix and Vivid Festival, as well as a lot of overseas work (mainly in France and Germany). But with all the uncertainty and international travel restrictions, I’m staying more local and playing in Queensland.
Clubs like La La Land in The Valley (Brisbane), M.V Catalina in Noosa and events and festivals such as;
Bohemian Garden (March 13th)
Airwaves Festival (March 27th)
WEBSITE : https://desaint.com.au
INSTAGRAM : https://www.instagram.com/de__saint/
FACEBOOK : https://www.facebook.com/DJDesaint
TWITTER : https://twitter.com/DESAINT86088280
SOUNDCLOUD : https://soundcloud.com/nikidesaint
YOUTUBE : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpP-4J1qzaUiWNa-rmWYPxg
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