Everyone knows Earth, Wind & Fire. We know 'September,' all the big sort of hits from going out and dancing and stuff. When I was developing St. Lucia, I really started listening a little bit deeper, listening back to their stuff from the '70s and '80s, and really dug into it.

St. Lucia

Categorized in : Know Wind Fire Earth

You may be surprised to know that growing up, I wanted to be a wr... by St. Lucia

You may be surprised to know that growing up, I wanted to be a writer of children's books.

growing-up book children

I believe that people have to be sensitized more about the many jobs an individual can branch out to after studying an art form.

jobs believe art

I have noticed that these days, people don't want to take their t... by St. Lucia

I have noticed that these days, people don't want to take their time to succeed.

succeed want people

My family still lives over there [ in South Africa] .I miss them terribly. I would say that most of my life over there was probably very similar to the sort of life someone would experience growing up somewhere like Australia or in the US.

growing-up australia missing

A true artist is practically married to his or her art form so I... by St. Lucia

A true artist is practically married to his or her art form so I just couldn't turn my back on it.

married form art

I got a job as the Visuals Art's Teacher at my Alma Mata, St. Mary's College. Then my interests shifted to animation. Ironically, it was one of my students who sparked this energy in me by introducing me to an animation program called FLASH. So I dabbled and played around with it.

teacher jobs art

I must say that the first person to realise that I was talented i... by St. Lucia

I must say that the first person to realise that I was talented in art was my mother.

mother art firsts

[My mother] was the one who encouraged me constantly and always reminded me that God gave me a talent and I have to use it. I should not keep it locked inside.

talent use mother

I also got encouragement from my teachers at primary school but one person in particular who had a significant impact on my lean towards art is Mr. Luigi St. Omer. Mr. St. Omer was the one who always reminded me that I should not settle for less than greatness in my art. He saw that I had the potential and he helped me develop that talent.

encouragement teacher art

I remember my friends at primary and secondary school admiring my work and even paying me money for some of my pieces.

pieces remember school

From as long as I can remember, I was always fond of drawing. by St. Lucia

From as long as I can remember, I was always fond of drawing.

drawing remember long

Generally I'll keep 95% of what I sing on that first scratch vocal take. Sometimes that idea will ferment for a long time, and sometimes I"ll be close enough to my studio and have enough time (kind of rare these days) to go and work on the idea. Not every song is super easy though.

song long ideas

I labour over details and whether a song should be a straight pop song form or exploratory. This is the curse with doing things by yourself.

details form song

There are literally endless options and possibilities, and often no clear or obvious path in how to make that choice, and nobody to tell you to go this way or that. But somehow, it works itself out if you trust in the process, which is often easier said than done.

choices done way

None of my songs are written 'about' someone or something, they all just sort of tumble out unannounced, like the worst kind of house guest.

guests house song

Normally the meaning of the songs, if there is any, occurs to me... by St. Lucia

Normally the meaning of the songs, if there is any, occurs to me after I've written the song.

written ifs song

Everyone can of course take their own meaning, that's the beauty of music and lyrics, but to me it seems like everything is about being attached to the past and being afraid of moving forward, afraid of that big dive or step and losing what was.

steps past moving

Like, in retrospect, this whole Mini-Album is about itself, and the process of letting go of the fear of what people will think about the music or of me or whatever and just putting it out there. But none of that was intentional at all.

letting-go people thinking

I'm looking forward to seeing more of the US, and hopefully spending some of the summer in Europe playing festivals. It's early days though, so who knows.

festivals summer europe

I didn't see [Luigi St. Omer] as a teacher. I saw him as a comrade I respected and I could go to see anytime something was bothering me. He was indeed my "big brother". He praised me when I did something exceptional and scolded me when I did things which were out of the way.

brother teacher way