Sexy Post-Apocalypse - Siobhan Sainte

Words by Liam Stretch. Photos by Fran Scrimgeour. Siobhan styled by Plume Christchurch.

Siobhan was styled by Plume Christchurch, wearing RICK OWENS - DRKSHDW boots and NOM*D apparel. Photo by Fran Scrimgeour.

The world of pop music is a fascinating one. It's full of quick buck tracks and one-hit wonders, but every now and again, something great emerges in this most complex of musical spheres: something dark and gritty, sexy, and sultry, full of feeling and humanity. I found this in the latest track, and previous singles, by Christchurch songstress Siobhan Sainte.

Just released is Didn't Lie. A sexy, post-apocalyptic alternative electro-pop number, sure to have you feeling the deep emotions of the performer. If you're a user of Netflix or a general television viewer, you've probably heard Siobhan's voice before. With her 2017 track Midnight gracing the screen for Netflix's White Lines and a Victoria's Secret Love Star fragrance commercial in 2018. 

Didn't Lie is the first track from Siobhan in five years, and what a re-entry to the scene it is. Five years might seem like a long time, but to Siobhan, it's all about the product and musical sentimentality. "I have this personality type which is likened to a sniper rifle where some people are like a machine gun. So, most people will put out lots of stuff. And kind of just fire away, and eventually, they get the hit that they want, but for me, my personality is like, 'I'm gonna store this one bullet up'. That bullet is going to be the right sound."

"Like, this is actually a bit of me that you're getting, not just a robot script." "When you write your own music - that's what I do - you get emotionally attached to it."

With that long-awaited bullet leaving the barrel on July 15, the track's production was far more rapid, according to Siobhan. "I probably wrote Didn't Lie on the day. I am quite like in the moment; once I do write it, it comes out pretty fast. [With Didn't Lie, it was] very fast, actually. I think minutes, and then it was in the studio."

Siobhan credits having the right people around her to the successful making of this song, friends Neil MacLeod and Devin Abrams, who are both artists and producers. "When in a workspace and you're around the right people, good things happen; the writing sessions were actually very wholesome."

"Neil MacLeod's one of my greatest friends, so it's incredible to be able to get something beautiful out with someone that you love; also, Neil and Devin, they just have the same vibe that I have." Working with the pair has also connected Siobhan more to her music, having worked previously with American production teams. She worked at Neil's studio in Wellington and Devin's in Hawke's Bay.

"The mixing and the mastering are all Kiwi, as well, which is really cool for me. Because I kind of went astray on my last releases, which was incredible, and an awesome opportunity. It's just I would love to be able to incorporate where I'm from into my music."

Though not deviating from her alternative genre, there's one thing that makes this latest track different from her previous work – its meaning. Rather fittingly, for a song featured in a dark television series, Midnight is about murder (I can reassure you Siobhan has not murdered anybody). Burn It Down centres on reaching a point in your career that you want to be, and Didn't Lie is about love. "It still aligns with my past releases. It's still dark. It's still alternative. I just think it's a little bit more sexy now."

When asked what's next, Siobhan responds that she is keen to release a few more singles "but definitely has enough to do an EP". Watch this space for her next sniper bullet.

Also, on top of her solo career, Siobhan has a duo act in the works with fellow musician Laura Lee Lovely. Described as dream pop, their group Pallas is set to perform at some to-be-announced festivals this coming summer, and they have several projects in the works.

Click here to check out Siobhan's latest track, Didn't Lie.