Saint Etienne goes out with a bang (and a big party) on final album ‘International’

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“Well, we certainly didn’t mean to poison you.”

It’s a late August afternoon in England, and the three members of the band Saint Etienne are chatting with me on Zoom, trying to stay positive. I’ve just told them I think their decision to break up is too soon and doesn’t make sense. It feels especially frustrating because they’re saying goodbye to their fans with a really upbeat, celebratory album – their thirteenth, called “International.”

“Oh, no. What have we done to you,” says keyboardist Pete Wiggs with a laugh.

Keyboardist Bob Stanley explains they intentionally aimed for a sound different from their previous album. They also drew inspiration from their first album, 1991’s “Foxbase Alpha,” wanting to recapture its optimistic and energetic feel.

Lead singer and co-songwriter Sarah Cracknell hopes this new record will remind people of the band’s earlier music. She believes listeners might revisit their past work and rediscover Saint Etienne, recognizing familiar elements from previous songs.

The band first gained attention in the early 1990s with a popular club version of Neil Young’s “Only Love Can Break Your Heart.” However, simply calling them a dance-pop group wouldn’t do justice to the incredible music they’ve created over the past 35 years. While many of their songs feature electronic beats and a glamorous, European summer vibe, their unique sound is also heavily influenced by the nostalgic melodies of Burt Bacharach and the sophisticated soundtracks of composers like John Barry and Lalo Schifrin from the 1960s.

The band’s sound evolved beautifully over the years. 1998’s ‘Good Humor,’ produced by Tore Johansson, featured the dreamy ‘Mr. Donut,’ which blended the styles of the Beach Boys and Dusty Springfield. Their 2000 album, ‘Sound of Water,’ a particularly strong and atmospheric work, included a moving tribute to the Carpenters called ‘Downey CA.’ They consistently maintained high artistic standards, as evidenced by 2017’s ‘Home Counties,’ which featured the unique track ‘Whyteleafe’ – a captivating mix of baroque harpsichord, electronic bass, and classic British pop influences. Most recently, their 2023 album, ‘The Night,’ explored ethereal and beatless ambient music.

Why call it quits, then?

We’d been discussing getting back to live performances, something we hadn’t done in a long time. We all decided we were too old to keep touring in a van – it was starting to take a toll on our bodies, explains Stanley. He recalls that either he or Sarah suggested stopping while things were still going well.

Cracknell says they were very conscious of protecting the band’s reputation. “It sounds a bit pretentious to say that,” he admits, “but it feels like the right moment for us to step back. I’m proud of everything we’ve accomplished.”

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Many agree with that opinion. While the band hasn’t achieved massive commercial success in the last twenty years, their new album, “International,” features collaborations with a who’s who of British music icons. They teamed up with Nick Heyward of Haircut 100 for “The Go-Betweens,” a song reminiscent of 80s radio hits, and Paul Hartnoll of Orbital added his touch to the energetic rhythm of “Take Me to the Pilot.” “Two Lovers” captures a dreamy, new wave sound, created with the help of synth-pop innovator Vince Clarke.

Stanley explains they didn’t become acquainted with Vince until he did a remix for them. They connected afterward, going for a curry – he’s a really nice and approachable guy. Stanley also unexpectedly ran into Nick Heyward at a Jewish book festival while interviewing Graham Gouldman from 10cc. Besides Vince and Nick, they’ve known all the other artists on the record for years.

Saint Etienne’s musical world is vast, and their 13 albums represent just a small part of it. Over the last ten years, band member Stanley has written three books about music, covering everything from the origins of popular music to its peak in the 20th century and, most recently, the story of the Bee Gees. Alongside Wiggs, a friend from childhood, and independently, as well as through Saint Etienne, he’s put together over twenty compilations. These collections explore a wide range of genres, from 90s downtempo and early 70s French songs to the music scene in Liverpool during the mid-60s.

Stanley explains that your genuine self will naturally shine through in your music, whether in the lyrics you write or the way you produce it. He describes the compilations as a collection of things they personally enjoy, creating a rich and immersive experience. As they’ve grown older and gained more experience, their musical world has expanded, but everything still connects and makes sense as a whole.

Saint Etienne is well known for its B-sides – they really embraced the opportunity to experiment with unique and atmospheric ideas on those tracks. The band has created a huge collection of these experimental pieces, almost as many as their main album songs. Luckily for fans, much of this material is available in collections like the 2017 double-CD reissues of their albums and the famous 2008 fan-club release, “Boxette,” a four-disc set of rare and unreleased tracks.

As a lifelong movie fan, I’ve always loved how filmmakers could really experiment on the extras – things like director’s cuts or deleted scenes. It’s similar to what I heard about music in the 80s, apparently bands like China Crisis or The Teardrop Explodes would have a big hit song, but then use the flip side of the record to try out really different, more unusual ideas. It’s a great space to just play around and be creative, a chance to flex those experimental muscles, if you will. Studio time should always be about having fun with that freedom.

Cracknell explains it’s similar to acting when you think you’re unobserved. “It’s like a secret act,” he says, “something done privately that unexpectedly becomes public.” He illustrates this with a musical example, citing The Jam’s B-side track, ‘The Butterfly Collector,’ as a personal favorite.

I asked the band Saint Etienne what it was about the classic 1960s songs by Burt Bacharach and Hal David that resonated with them so strongly, particularly their beautiful sadness and feeling of lasting wistfulness.

Stanley describes the music of Bacharach and Schifrin as evoking a sense of luxury and adventure – like driving a sports car through the mountains. He explains that this music feels inspiring and idealistic, hinting at a desirable lifestyle. He recalls feeling like he’d stepped into a James Bond movie when he moved into a stylish, older apartment, realizing it embodied the sophisticated world suggested by composers like John Barry. It’s a feeling of wanting to achieve a certain elegance, even if it’s hard to define exactly how.

You know, it’s funny how you discover music sometimes. My dad wasn’t a music fan himself, but he stumbled upon this incredible collection of cassettes. I’m talking The Beach Boys, Kate Bush’s first album, Simon & Garfunkel – real mood-setters. And honestly, I still get lost in those sounds today. They just really stick with you, you know?

After releasing their album “International,” the band Saint Etienne is planning a final tour to play their most popular songs. The band members are also starting to consider what they’ll do after the tour and the end of Saint Etienne.

Right now, I’m just focused on touring and performing for the next year and a half,” Cracknell explains. “Beyond that, I haven’t made any firm plans – I’ve been daydreaming about things like fostering cats, renovating houses in Italy, writing a book, or even returning to acting.

Wiggs says he’s currently focused on completing a soundtrack. He’d also like to occasionally release EPs, DJ, and create music using different artist names.

Stanley jokes that he still has two books he’s obligated to write, which will likely keep him busy until he’s seventy. He also mentions wanting to volunteer with an old tramway and that he’s always thought it would be fulfilling to be a primary school teacher. He says it would be lovely to do either of those things.

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2025-09-16 20:02