Alt-pop duo St. Martiins dropped their epic new single Want God earlier this year through LAB Records; a poignant exploration of faith, anxiety and naivete. They've supported the likes of The Temper Trap, We are Scientists, Clean Cut Kid and Cigarettes After Sex on tour, and now they're here to talk to us about life as indie newcomers.

St.MartiinsSt.Martiins

For those who may be new to your music, how best would you describe your sound?

This is always the hardest question, we've been described as genreless, indie, pop, everything really. The best way to describe us though is probably wonky sad pop. 

What challenges have you faced in the music industry so far?

We have faced so many but losing people on our team over the years is always the hardest one. It is hard to establish ourselves in a scene which is so rich with talented people and I often feel really disheartened about myself and our music but right now we are just finding the energy and surrounding ourselves with people who make us want to keep going.

How difficult would you say this career path is in terms of making a name for yourself?

So hard. We have been at it for a while but both still have to work full time to keep ourselves afloat. I struggle all the time feeling like a failure in this path but I ultimately started being in a band for the love of music. 

How important is it for you to have creative control over the work you produce?

This has always been the most important thing to us. St. Martiins is a multi faceted project, so I like to know everything is being presented in the way I imagined it. However, working especially with visual artists and producers has been really helpful for us as a band. We have learnt so much from others. 

Where do you draw influence and inspiration from for your work?

Mainly going to other gigs, listening to and dissecting music and reading. We both read a lot and are active environmentalists and this subject matter has leaked into our newer material. Artists like Anohni, Mina Loy, Jack Steadman, to name only a few have been very influential to us growing up. 

If you could collaborate with anybody going forward, who would you choose and why?

I know we would both love to do some session work so performing live with established bands would be amazing. Maybe artists like Jack Steadman or Frank Ocean for songwriting. I would love to feature on the work of Anohni, we could do an environmental album together or something. 

Tell us a random, funny fact about you that not many people know.

Mark and I were so immature when we were teenagers and once fell out and spoke through our dads at gigs. 

Do you have definitive aims or goals for your career?

To be happy doing this and to always be in the music industry in some way. 

Where do you hope to be this time next year?

In a happier place and hopefully with a few more releases under our belt. I know not to expect too much. 

What should we expect from you in the coming weeks and months?

We have so much music to release and are actively writing a tonne more. We have a few live performances over the summer and we will see how it goes from there.