St. Humain is an unmatched talent originating from Sydney who blurs the lines between genres effortlessly with every release he puts out to the world stage. His heritage boasts of multiple cultures – having been born in Singapore – thereby making his unconventional sound rich and sonically diverse. Without any limitations constraining him while producing, listeners are always treated to genuine emotions through meaningful lyrics coming from one of a kind artists such as St.Humain
His talent lies in seamlessly merging various musical elements together. Influenced by his diverse cultural experiences. This merges into an extraordinary and dynamic sound that is truly original. His fusion of genres creates infectious rhythms alongside captivating melodies; something that resonates deeply with people from all walks of life.
Your latest release “Dial Tones (발신음)” is a collaboration with Seoul artist SOIN. Can you tell us how the collaboration came about and what the creative process was like?
I was in Seoul, on holiday, spending some time with my producer friend DOOHEE just hanging out, eating good food, and catching up. Being music people we ended up in the studio of one of his friends C_on, who played me some music that he produced – which was by SOIN. Straight away I loved her voice and checked out more of her work, and really liked her artistry. As I always do… I dream up “what ifs” and thought she actually would sound so good on “Dial Tones” and reached out through C_on to see if she would be keen to collaborate on a Korean remix of the song. She said yes, and a few days later we met up in the studio again. I explained the song and my vision for the collab, then just sat back and watched her write her duet part on the spot. And a few weeks later, after I got back to Sydney, she finished her vocals and sent them over – I loved them and the end result is a Korean duet/remix of “Dial Tones”!
Your latest EP “METADRAMATIC” explores personal stories about relationships. What inspired you to delve into this theme and share your experiences through music?
Music and writing songs for me is a way to process my feelings and the things I’m going through. I turn emotions into movies in my mind and when then when it comes to making songs… That’s when it turns into something concrete in terms of lyrics and melodies. METADRAMATIC for me is about relationships – with others, with romantic interests, and with ourselves.
Your sound is genre-agnostic, blending elements of pop, electronic, and R&B. How do you approach creating music and what influences your style?
I think more than loving making music, I love listening to music. And good music. Music that I like. So when it comes to making my own… I think it just ends up becoming a combination of everything I’m liking at that point in time, which happens to be this blend that you’re hearing now! It’ll continue to evolve in the future I’m sure, but that’s the way things go I guess!
In addition to your music career, you also run your own apparel brand, Emotional Sauna. Can you tell us more about the brand and how it relates to your music?
For sure! For me, my apparel is an extension of the world that each songs creates. I want to give people not just the sounds, but also something that people can experience. It’s something tangible, and I guess also a chance to make things personal. I mean, it’s literally clothes that you put on your body — the next closest thing would be making my own range of underwear I guess ha!
You’ve received acclaim from publications like Billboard, Ones to Watch, and Wonderland Magazine. How does it feel to have your music recognised in this way, and how do you use this recognition to propel your career forward?
I feel so lucky to have these features — I think I’m just this random due on the Internet making music, trying to reach out to people and hoping that they’ll like what they’re hearing. For me, these features are markers along the way, reminders maybe letting me know that hey, I actually can do this and people do actually like what I’m doing. Even if it’s so small right now, it encourages me to go on and keep creating and releasing.
Your collaboration with SOIN marks part two of the METADRAMATIC journey. Can fans expect more collaborations or releases related to this project in the future?
Yes! Part three is the deluxe version of METADRAMATIC, which releases in June. There’s going to be a few more tracks on there including a song about mental health and appearing okay, which means a lot to me. Can’t wait for that to release – with merch for the EP as well coming too!
Can you tell us about your upbringing in Singapore and how it has influenced your music?
Singapore is such a diverse country in the sense that the majority of people are literally immigrant, from not too many generations ago. And it’s also very globalised and westernised… Which means that we are highly influenced from literally anything trending in the world from Hollywood to K-culture to European styles. I think this really made me think big, that there’s just so much out there to explore and learn from and to not ever think small about my art.
“Dial Tones (발신음)” is about regret when it comes to love. How do you hope your music can help listeners navigate their own emotions and experiences with love and relationships?
If anything, I just hope my songs can become people’s friends. When I comes to certain feelings, I think sometimes we just need a safe space to hide in until we’re ready to face the world again… And I hope my songs can kinda be like caves for people to do that in.
What can fans expect from St. Humain in the future? Any upcoming projects or collaborations you can share with us?
I’ve been working with some Seoul producers on some new songs and finishing up my third EP in the next few months as well… So there’s so much more to come but first I’m really looking forward to sharing with you the deluxe METADRAMATIC EP in June!
How do you hope to continue pushing boundaries and evolving as an artist in the future?
One area that comes to mind is about diversity — being Asian, making very music that’s very western… I think I just want to try my best to exist and thrive in this space where there aren’t many other solo artists that look like me. Musically though? I would love to keep trying new things and make music as fresh as possible.
Thank you so much for having me!!