A Bite of St. Vincent 🍪
Getting bizarre and beautiful with one of the best guitarists of all time
Monday Bites are bite-sized musician spotlights & playlists by Grace Lilly.
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“You have to watch it.”
Twelve years ago, I was told it was absolutely necessary for me to see a certain music video. “It’s very ‘Grace.’ You’re gonna be obsessed.”
My friend was right. The music video in question was for St. Vincent and David Byrne’s charmingly odd single “Who” off of their collaborative 2012 album Love This Giant.
I’d never heard of her, so seeing this footage was my first impression. I couldn’t have dreamt up a better one.
If you know me, you know I love the intersection of weird and beautiful— and this was just that. Playful, bizarre, and surprisingly affecting, it was the perfect little sonic smoothie blended up with all the good stuff I like.
I became a St. Vincent fan that day and have been ever since.
St. Vincent
The basics
🤝 American musician and singer
🤝 b. 1982 (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
🤝 Annie Clark, known professionally as St. Vincent
Why you should know her: Regarded as one of the most innovative and fascinating presences in modern music; she has been listed among the best guitarists of the 21st century by multiple publications
If you like
✨ David Byrne
✨ Jimi Hendrix
✨ Patti Smith
✨ David Bowie
✨ Kate Bush
Known for
🏆 Her unusual instrumentation, complex arrangements, melodic style of guitar playing and use of distortion
🏆 3 Grammy Awards & the Smithsonian American Ingenuity Award for Performing Arts
🏆 Being named the 26th greatest guitarist of all time by Rolling Stone in 2023
🏆 Collaborating with David Byrne, releasing an album together called Love This Giant (2012)
Bite-sized facts
🍪 Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma; raised in Dallas, started playing guitar at age 12
🍪 As a teen, was in her high school's jazz band and worked as a roadie for her aunt and uncle, the guitar-vocal jazz duo Tuck & Patti
🍪 Began her music career as a member of choral rock band the Polyphonic Spree, a noise rock band called the Skull Fuckers, and Sufjan Stevens' touring band
🍪 Named her debut album Marry Me after a line from the show Arrested Development; the songs were written largely when Clark was 18 & 19; critics compared her to Kate Bush and David Bowie
🍪 Designed a signature guitar with a unique design; notable users include Jack White, Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, and WILLOW
Songs & dates
♫ 2011 “Surgeon,” “Cruel,” and “Cheerleader” released as singles off her 3rd album, Strange Mercy, which peaks at No. 19 on the US Billboard 200 and receives widespread acclaim
♫ 2014 St. Vincent is named album of the year by NME & The Guardian, ranked No. 2 of the year by Time and No. 4 by Rolling Stone; receives her first Grammy “Best Alternative Music Album;” singles “Birth in Reverse” and “Digital Witness”
♫ 2017 Masseduction is met with “universal acclaim,” reaches No. 10 on the Billboard 200, becomes her 1st top 10 album in the US; “Masseduction” is awarded the Grammy for Best Rock Song
♫ 2021 Daddy's Home wins the award for Best Alternative Music Album at the Grammy Awards
♫ 2024 Releases “Broken Man,” “Flea,” and “Big Time Nothing” as singles from her seventh album All Born Screaming, to critical acclaim
She said
⭐ “I like when things come out of nowhere and blindside you a little bit. I think any person who gets panic attacks or has an anxiety disorder can understand how things can all of a sudden turn very quickly. I think I'm sublimating that into the music.”
About leaving Berklee College of Music
⭐ “I think that with music school and art school, or school in any form, there has to be some system of grading and measurement. The things they can teach you are quantifiable. While all that is good and has its place, at some point you have to learn all you can and then forget everything that you learned in order to actually start making music.”
My St. Vincent Playlist
I gathered my fav St. Vincent songs, from me to you with love. Like & save on Spotify and listen all week 💗
Where to start
Must-see shredding
Watch this and you’ll understand why St. Vincent is considered one of the best guitarists of all time. Of all her songs, “Rattlesnake” (the one she plays at the beginning of this set) is my favorite at showcasing her talent.
〰️
The music video that won me over
One of my favorite music videos ever — watch St. Vincent and David Byrne dance to and sing their single “Who” (2012).
〰️
Fronting Nirvana
Performing “Lithium” alongside members of Nirvana on April 10, 2014 at the 29th Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
Down the rabbit hole
If you wanna dive even deeper:
The Nowhere Inn (2020) on Hulu
Co-written with Sleater-Kinney’s Carrie Brownstein, this psychological thriller stars St. Vincent as she sets out to make a documentary about her music. But when she hires a close friend to direct, notions of reality, identity, and authenticity grow increasingly distorted and bizarre. Watch here.
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What people are saying
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〰️ “Great great playlist. Honestly you have the best taste.”
Pink flower petals were stuck to my skin
On an attention-seekingly beautiful day last week, I found myself lying on a bed of petals under a big pink tree thinking about the concert I went to the night before.
I had just arrived in Easton, a friendly town in Maryland where I would be spending the next week away from New York. The sun was shining and I was feeling good, it was my first time leaving the city in 7 months…
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Explore
Loneliness, a dream trip to Ireland, and the lyrics that made an age-old lesson click for Stone Deal — No. 037 - Pinegrove's “Aphasia” changed my life
Cheerleader introduced me to her. But her self title album is what made me love her. She is a fabulous artist and I’m lucky I got to see her live opening for the Red Hot Chili Peppers!!
Love love love St. Vincent!