- Words Notion Staff
As St. Lundi lands his debut album, The Island, we caught up to discuss its creation, reconciling with his home and collaborating with Kygo.
St. Lundi has had something of a Dick Whittington-esque journey to London, escaping the sleepy and restrictive reality of life on Hayling Island for the bright lights of the big city. With his guitar and backpack in tow, the pursuit of a music career took Archie Langley—AKA St. Lundi—on a path that went far beyond the mere two-hour train ride from his hometown. His debut album, The Island, is a tribute to that journey.
A collection of upbeat, anthemic tracks intertwined with more downtempo ballads, the record is an autobiographical showcase of the highs and lows St. Lundi experienced starting a new life in London. It also pays homage to his roots on the island. The album explores themes of lifetime goals, family adoration, love, and loss, making The Island a painfully relatable reflection on the breadth of human emotion. The track ‘Nobody Like You’ is a real highlight, dedicated to his mother, the single delicately explores the rebuilding of their relationship. Beautifully capturing their ever-changing familial structures and coming to understand your parents wrapped up in a heartfelt piano-pop ballad.
Along the way, St. Lundi has gathered his share of stories—from adopting two Australian backpackers as flatmates to working through lockdown-induced anxiety. It’s been quite the adventure. And his journey continues, with a UK and European tour starting this October. We caught up with him to congratulate him on his debut album and talk about everything from reconciling with the place he grew up to his collaboration with Kygo.
Do you remember the moment you fell in love with music? How did music and art influence you growing up?
Yes, I remember listening to songs in the car on the way to school and singing along to them with my mum. I got a guitar at the age of five but it got broken by my brother very quickly and then I didn’t get another instrument until I was 12 years old and I think I struggled with the confidence to learn but as soon as I started, I would sit and play for three hours a day. I haven’t really stopped since.
Tell us a bit about your move from Hayling Island to London. What gave you the courage to make that leap, and how has that decision shaped your music?
I was working in a petrol station at the time and had recently started writing music and performing at some open mics. Ever since I was really young I had to stream to run away and play music where nobody that I knew could see me perform because I was worried that wasn’t good enough, I think I saw it somewhere in a movie. One night I was in my bedroom and just got this feeling that I needed to leave and that if I didn’t in that moment or if I told someone they were trying to stop me and I would never take that jump.
The Island is a deeply personal album, with many tracks reflecting your own experiences. How did you approach the process of turning such intimate moments into universally relatable music?
I wasn’t really aware that I was writing the island all about my life up until the final months of making it. Back in 2021 I released a song called ‘Nights Like This’, which I wrote about my first date with my girlfriend and it seemed to connect with people all around the world, I think that was because it was so honest. I wanted to take what I’d learn from that and apply it to writing my future songs. This led me to write about topics that I never thought I’d be able to write about and in turn, heal from those experiences.
‘Nobody Like You’ is a tribute to your mother, and it’s one of the most heartfelt tracks on the album. Can you share more about what inspired you to write this song and how your relationship with your mother influenced it?
I really wanted to write a song for my mum on this album to tell her how much I love her. I think she’s amazing. There’s another track on the album called ‘Different Houses’ which was a struggle to write and hard for her to hear but I wanted to write something solely to her so that she knew how I felt. I think I’ve been at fault in the past for not expressing how grateful I am to my mum and how much I love her so I hope this song does that.
You mentioned that writing this album helped you reconcile with your hometown and your past. How has creating The Island changed your perspective on where you come from?
When I left home at the age of 21, I was so certain that I would never want to move back and I feel like all of the negative experiences that I held felt like they owned the island and whenever I was there I would feel unhappy. After writing this album, I’ve gone on such a journey, where I have such a better understanding of everything now and really enjoy going home and I’m thinking about the day I decide to move back.
Your collaboration with Kygo in 2020 seems to have sparked a shift in your music style. How did that experience influence the sound of The Island?
It actually had quite a big impact on the sound that you hear today. ‘To Die For’ with Kygo was only the third dance song I’ve ever written and I didn’t know how much I enjoyed writing more upbeat anthemic songs until working on EDM music. After putting out two dance records in 2020 I decided to put a hold on featuring dance artists for so that I could form my sound and figure out who I wanted to be as an artist.
From supporting Take That to headlining your own tours, your career has taken off rapidly. How have you managed the transition from being an emerging artist to now leading sold-out shows across Europe and beyond?
I still feel like there’s so much more that I want to achieve. The fact that some of my shows are selling out is quite surreal but it hasn’t come without working hard. In 2022 I played over 80 shows and I’m so lucky to have supported some of my favourite acts. This year I will also be playing around 80 shows and I want to put on free shows across Europe, the UK and the US so that people who don’t have the opportunity to come to a ticketed show can. My goal is to earn every fan and every member of the crowd one person at a time.
The album blends upbeat anthems with more introspective tracks. How do you balance these contrasting moods in your songwriting, and what does that say about your emotional range as an artist?
I rarely decide the type of song I want to write before I write it. I feel like the slower and more introspective songs come when I’m sat at the piano and they’re almost finished before I even know about them. I will always have a soft spot for writing these songs, and there are many more to come. Playing live is such a huge thing for me as an artist and the feeling when you see a crowd jumping and smiling, singing along and clapping is unmatched by any other for me and that is a huge driving force behind writing these tracks as well. I want to be able to take people on a journey during my live performance.
Your journey to releasing The Island was seven years in the making. What were some of the biggest challenges you faced during this time, and how did you overcome them?
There were many challenges along the way. After coming out of lockdown I experienced a lot of anxiety, social anxiety to be exact, and this was the period where I was first starting to play live shows. I had to overcome my biggest fear every night for 80 nights and the only thing that got me through that was how much I love playing live. When I first moved to London seven years ago I was basically homeless for the first three months and stayed on people’s couches and slept on the stairs to keep my dream alive. I’ve definitely had to persevere through some of these times to get to the point where I’ve been able to finish the island and put it out today but I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.
As you prepare for your upcoming tours, including the North American leg, what are you most excited about when connecting with your fans in different parts of the world?
I can’t wait to get back out on the road. I’m touring at the minute and every show is so much fun. It’s such an amazing feeling for me to play songs for the first time that came out a few months ago and to hear people sing them back all across Europe. I can’t wait to come to America for the first time and explore different parts of the world through my music. Getting to meet such amazing people across the world is such a blessing and I feel so lucky that I’m able to do it so frequently. I really hope that I’m able to build a community of people who feel as though they can embrace and share their experiences through music.
What’s next for you?
I’m going to continue working this album for the foreseeable because the work does not stop on release day. I know that some of the topics in this album so many people have experienced and my dream is to reach as many people as possible. I’ve recorded a full acoustic version of the album which I haven’t told anyone yet. I made it out in the mountains near Barcelona with my day collaborator, Brad Mair, and I’m really proud of it and can’t wait to share it with everyone. I’m also quite far into the making of album two already, and I’ve no idea when it will be released, but I’m enjoying creating more music right now. I can’t wait for what the future holds.