Q&A: Gravitating Sweetness Flickers Through sona blue’s “17” Into His Upcoming Debut EP, ‘Saint’
CAPTURING THE ELOQUENCE OF YOUTH — through twinkling notes of R&B and indie pop, sona blue is creating out of truth. With a limited amount of music out, the 21-year-old artist is a gem to discover. His debut single, “gold,” is the light that all gravitated towards. “Gold” might have been his first single, but when listening you can’t help but appreciate how well-rounded the track is in every aspect. The vocal flow is addicting, and combined with the instrumentals, sona blue evokes strong emotions through sound.
With new elements with signature details in composition that take you through a story of adolescence, the artist’s upcoming debut EP, Saint, promises his sound and audience. The six songs are vignettes as we peek into sona blue’s world, combining lyrics throughout the EP with tenderness within. But what’s so special about this EP is that the story is not just told through lyrics but within the instrumentals as well. Surely, that is something beyond special to hear from an upcoming artist.
With his new single, “17,” sona blue touches on inner self-reflection through a delicate vocal tone and a feeble approach to intimacy in notes. He doesn’t steer away from being honest in his music, and that personal approach is what makes “17” so special — we can relate and take in that inner self-reflection ourselves.
Inspired by multiple artists, his sound is a balance of everything sona blue admires. Whether that be Mazzy Star and Prince or Frank Ocean and James Blake, sona blue intricately adapts the elements of these artists that he feels is special and authentically weaves into his own sound. It’s a refreshing approach that keeps you coming back to his music.
Get to know sona blue and learn more about Saint by reading down below.
LUNA: Hi! To start off, how has 2022 so far been treating you?
SONA BLUE: It's been dreamy! The weather in London is great at the moment so I've been doing loads of wild swimming with my mates.
LUNA: Word on the street is that your debut EP, Saint, is coming out this summer, and while your debut single, “gold,” is smooth with a slow pull, your single for the EP, “hermès,” has a few more instrumental elements incorporated. What does Saint explore in terms of sound?
SONA BLUE: This project’s a lot more polished than anything I've made before. I worked with a few different people while I was writing it, and they helped me to get that cinematic kind of sound I wanted.
LUNA: Your new single, “17,” has that signature slow pull you feel when listening to your tracks. It’s not just in sound but through the lyrics too. This definitely feels like a more personal track — the whole EP does. What does “17” personally explore?
SONA BLUE: It's about that part of a relationship where things start to break down. I wrote this about someone I was with for a short time, but our lives quickly went in different directions. I knew it was the beginning of an end, but I still wanted to cling onto it.
LUNA: With tracks like “17,” you definitely explore the trial and errors of growing up. You have a younger brother that is going through these stages of life as an 18-year-old. What advice do you have on growing up, either through teenage years or the transition to your 20s?
SONA BLUE: I think the most important thing is who you surround yourself with. You want to be around people who make you feel confident and content just being yourself. There's a song on the EP about my brother and the bond I have with him. I feel like he’s always putting a lot of pressure on himself to do the right thing, and it reminds me of myself when I was his age. Even though he doesn't get it right all the time I see him as a “saint” because I know his intentions and how hard he tries.
LUNA: The EP is six tracks, six vignettes of stories, which is a really unique aspect of the EP. I feel it makes it more of an experience when listening. Can you elaborate more on the overall inspiration?
SONA BLUE: I wanted to tell a story with the project and make it a journey for the listener. The EP tells a story of a relationship from that first infatuation to the last feeling you have to let go of. It's about that innocence that you have when you’re younger and how you might mess things up even though your intentions are good.
LUNA: Going back to the EP single “hermès,” the track touches on falling in love and the beginning stages of that while the instrumentals showcase all the exciting emotions of that through wistful guitars and sweet lyrics. What kinds of emotions do you hope your music can evoke in people, whether it be a particular song such as “hermès” or just the overall sound you have?
SONA BLUE: I just want to give people space to look at themselves and people around them. I always have my deepest thoughts and feelings while I'm listening to music, and I want people to have that same experience, especially if they’ve never had it before.
LUNA: With “gold” released in 2020 and Saint coming out in 2022, how would you compare the creative process behind “gold” to either “hermès” or “17”?
SONA BLUE: I spent a long time finding my sound when I was making Saint, and I'm much closer to it now than I was in 2020. I feel like this project has such a bright sound, especially in “hermès,” and that kind of goes with the young/innocent themes of the project. I'm still working out my style and learning about myself everyday but I love where it’s headed.
LUNA: In terms of visual elements, you’re very drawn to things with a strong appeal to image: photography, cinema, etc. On the visual side of things, what inspires you?
SONA BLUE: Me and my cousin spent a lot of time watching Takeshi Kitano’s films when we were making the visuals for Saint. He’s a great Japanese director and made some amazing films in the’ 90s. I also love photography, and my two biggest influences would probably be Robert Maplethorpe and Peter Hujar.
LUNA: A fun little question I like to ask: If you were stranded on an island, what five records would you have with you?
SONA BLUE: Promise by Sade, Pink Moon by Nick Drake, Siamese Dream by The Smashing Pumpkins, Sign o' the Times by Prince, Man Alive! by King Krule.
LUNA: Thank you for taking the time to chat! Aside from the EP coming out soon, what are you looking forward to for the rest of the year?
SONA BLUE: I've always wanted to make my own pair of jeans so me and my girlfriend are gonna make some this summer when she’s done with her fashion uni work! I also got another project in the works which I'm very excited for.
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