Santigold first burst into the scene with her brilliant 2008 genre-bending debut Santogold (pre-name change, of course), featuring killer cuts like “L.E.S. Artistes” and “Lights Out” that quickly won her comparisons to acts ranging from M.I.A. to The Gossip.
While she’s busied herself in between 2008 and now–including collaborating with N.A.S.A. and Basement Jaxx and penning “Monday Morning” and “Bobblehead” for Queen Legendtina‘s Bionic–fans have remained hungry for her long delayed, highly anticipated follow-up.
In a new interview this month with V Magazine, the Philly-bred musician revealed new details about her upcoming sophomore attempt now due out in 2012, called Master of My Make-Believe, which was been recorded with Greg Kurstin, Switch, TV On The Radio‘s Dive Sitek and Nick Zanner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
Two choice quotes from the article:
How do you go about songwriting?
I write to the music. The lyrics came slowly on this record.
Why do you think that was?
It was about learning to trust myself. I also had expectations. Never have those! Everyone I worked with before was in a different headspace. I had to get past that. That’s why I started writing with Nick, and it started being cool and fun.
So was that the turning point?
That was when it was like, I just want to work with who I want. We recorded in Jamaica for a little while and finally some lyrics started to come to me. I think that time really colored the record.
No one wants to be real anymore. Wikipedia is always wrong. No one fact checks and it’s not even a priority. Reality TV is more popular than ever, and it’s the fakest thing ever. Where is there place for truth in all of that? My record is called Master of My Make-Believe because I want it to be about creating your own reality. I have a song called “The Keepers”: “we’re the keepers, while we sleep in America our house is burning down.” It’s about how if we accept this then that’s what it is. We’ve got to fix it.
Is that, in your opinion, the overall feeling of the record?
I connect with music that makes me feel alive, or a sense of possibility. Music is powerful. If I go out and I’m watching a show and it’s really good, all I want to do is go home and work on music. It’s a backhanded motivation when something is really good. I want my music to be that for people. I want it to be an initiator of something compelling, to set something in motion.
Make sure to check out the full article at V.
Kurstin, Switch and some Yeah Yeah Yeahs flavor to boot? Yes, yes and yes, PLEASE!
Frankly, it’s about time. While Santogold still sounds more fresh and innovative than most of the albums released in 2011, we’re in desperate need for Santi to switch up the game once again. For now, let’s go out with one of my favorite cuts off of her debut: “Shove It.”
We think you’re a joke, shove your hope where it don’t shine! (Not you, Santi!)
Master of My Make-Believe will be released in 2012. (iTunes)
