In the world of art-rock, few figures loom as large as Annie Clark, better known as St. Vincent.
This November, she’s set to return to Australian shores after six years, armed with her latest sonic masterpiece, All Born Screaming. For fans Down Under, it’s more than just a tour—it’s a revelation.
In an interview with Rolling Stone AU/NZ ahead of the tour, the talented singer-songwriter’s affection for the country is palpable.
“There’s something about touring Australia that never really feels like work,” Clark says. “It’s such an easy, cosy place to be. The people are lovely, the coffee is great, and the food is fresh. You’re on a beach vacation, but somehow, you’re also being paid to do what you love.”
Credit: Alex Da Corte
It’s clear that for St. Vincent, Australia isn’t just another stop on the tour—it’s a place she genuinely cherishes.
The tour is more than just a chance to soak up the Australian sun. Clark will be gracing some of the country’s most iconic venues, from the hallowed halls of Melbourne’s Palais Theatre.
These shows are part of the ALWAYS LIVE series and supported by the Victorian Government through Visit Victoria and Frontier Touring, offering fans a unique chance to witness St. Vincent’s latest evolution. At the heart of this tour is All Born Screaming, an album that marks a seismic shift in Clark’s already storied career. For the first time, she’s taken the reins not just as a performer, but as a producer.
“I’ve been recording myself in my bedroom since I was 14,” she reveals. “Recording and having a studio—that’s been part of my process for kind of forever. It’s how I learned how to arrange and write.” Embracing complete creative control for the first time, she became “the first filter, and I was the final filter for the material.”
But with great power comes great responsibility, and Clark doesn’t shy away from the challenges of self-production.
“It’s not for the faint of heart,” she admits. “You wrestle with ego, you wrestle with self-doubt, you wrestle with all kinds of things.” It’s this raw honesty that makes Clark, and by extension St. Vincent, so compelling.
Credit: Alex Da Corte
In crafting All Born Screaming, the muso explored range of musical influences. “I was listening to a lot of The Specials and second-wave ska,” she notes, though she admits that during the intense recording process, “To be honest, I wasn’t listening to anything because I was just working on this music, and the last thing you really wanted to do after you’ve sat in a studio for 10 hours is put on anything.”
While the album is undeniably Clark’s vision, she welcomed contributions from a host of talented musicians, including Rachel Eckroth, Josh Freese, and Justin Meldal-Johnsen, among others. She speaks highly of working with Cate Le Bon on the album’s title track.
“Cate’s one of my best friends and, honestly, like, my favourite modern songwriter,” Clark says. “I was really at a point in making the record where I was close to being done but just burnt out, and I brought Cate in to play bass on some songs and sing and just get her take on it. She was so helpful.”
Yet another brilliant collaboration came in the form of Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, who lent his legendary drumming skills to the tracks “Broken Man” and “Flea.”
“Dave Grohl is a buddy, and he’s, well, Dave Grohl. I thought, ‘What if Dave Grohl played on this fucking song?’ Then I remembered, oh, I can hit him up, you know? He was totally down, so generous and cool, and just came over to my studio and killed it,” St. Vincent says of the pair’s collaboration. “He’s the best. I mean, he’s everything you want him to be. I wouldn’t be playing if it wasn’t for the music of Dave Grohl and Nirvana, so it’s really full circle.”
As part of her Australian tour with ALWAYS LIVE, St. Vincent will give 250 eager fans an up-close and personal performance scheduled for November 28th at Crown Aviary. It’s a chance for fans to see St. Vincent stripped down to her essence.
“The thing with songs is, if they can’t be stripped down to just one instrument and one voice, then maybe they’re not really a song,” she muses. “I just kind of zero in on the songs that can really speak in a small, intimate setting—things that really will translate with just one instrument and my voice.”
Tickets on sale now for St. Vincent’s upcoming shows via frontiertouring.com/stvincent
