Across five albums, Annie Clark has shifted her St Vincent alter-ego from an sweet and sour chartreuse to a digital deity. To be clear, her early albums were far from saccharine, although Actor was partially inspired by Disney movies. Rather they hadn’t yet met the industrial undertow that made 2014’s St Vincent a near sacred script for a generation trying to put their phones on silent.
In the years since then, Annie hasn’t been idle: she won a grammy, created her first short film, contributed to numerous soundtracks, appeared in fashion campaigns, redesigned guitars and even briefly waitressed at her family’s restaurant. But it looks like she’s now turning her gaze steadily back to albums.
Speaking to Guitar World, she refers to her new material as “a real sea change” and “the deepest, boldest work I’ve ever done.” The shift in tone is the result of being able to enjoy some time out, “to step back and reflect and not just be in the tour, record, tour, record cycle that I’ve been in for about 10 years”
Never one to shy from change she reflects that right now the “playing field is really open for creative people to do whatever you want”. Like so many artist reviewing their place in a fractured plot of history she adds, “The personal is political and there the political can’t help but influence the art. And only music that has something pretty real to say is gonna cut the mustard.”

The musician also appears on the magazine’s cover, but doesn’t let her affection for the publication prevent her from giving them a gentle roasting. Wearing a bikini print dress, she notes their habit of putting scantily clad models, awkwardly clutching guitars, on the cover. “I did a quick Google search of women on the cover, and all I really saw was girls in bikinis holding guitars like they’ve never held a guitar before…I couldn’t really let it slide without poking a bit of fun and taking the piss a little!”
Credits
Text Wendy Syfret
Photography Ben Thomson