St. Vincent will pummel then console your heart
Annie Clark has long been a master shapeshifter, embodying a variety of characters and sounds, each with its own distinct quality and story. Under her St. Vincent moniker, Clark has amassed an impressive career, from Grammy wins to headlining the Hollywood Bowl. Yet, with her seventh studio album “All Born Screaming,” Clark seems to be shedding these personas, exploring deeper themes of life, loss, and humanity in a more vulnerable, authentic light.
When I meet Clark, she’s in Los Angeles, presumably resting before another run of shows. She greets me with palpable warmth as we discuss her creative process behind “All Born Screaming,” the way she translates the record onto the stage, and what she hopes audiences will take away from the experience.
The fully self-produced album sees Clark venturing into new sonic landscapes while remaining true to herself. She wanted to create a body of work that spoke to the things that truly mattered to her. “Nothing is very cute or ironic. It’s not a deconstruction of identity or the modern age,” she tells Young STAR. Instead, “All Born Screaming” is a reflection on what it means to be human. “All we have are the people we love. All we have is life and death and birth, and that’s it. So let’s live this life to the fullest while we have it because it’s not here forever.”
Clark brings these themes to life on stage in a performance she likens to a triptych, akin to the Hieronymus Bosch oil painting “The Garden of Earthly Delights.” The show is divided into distinct acts, each a story connected by “little portals” that guide the audience through an emotional journey. The first act delves into raw reckonings: “Life, death, loss and self-loathing, all the things.” The second act raises the haunting question, “What do we do? Do we dance in the ashes?” The final act bursts with clarity and resolve, embracing the idea that, “To live is to dance with fire. Life is short, so let’s find joy in the cracks and meaning in the rubble.”
There’s a unique power in art, whether it’s how books evoke emotions or how a single painting can be interpreted in countless ways. Music, especially live, holds the same transformative power. Performing in different places allows an artist to connect with diverse groups of people. Clark, who has so far performed only in America and parts of Europe, is eager to bring “All Born Screaming” to more parts of the world. “I think the best thing in the world is making music that genuinely translates to other cultures,” she says. “No matter the language barrier or the cultural differences, hopefully, just the humanity part is the thing that shines through.”
As our conversation wraps up, I ask Clark what she hopes fans take away from her shows. She pauses thoughtfully before responding. “I want them to find what they’re looking for and maybe something they didn’t expect.” For Clark, the role of a performer is as much about shocking as it is about healing, reminding everyone that we’re all in this together. “There are parts (of the show) that are just like a rock pummeling. Let’s get punished. But then there are tender, more forgiving parts and moments that are like an ecstatic rave. Let’s just go ascend together. Sometimes, a heart needs a pummeling; other times, (it needs) consoling. Whatever their heart is needing at that time, I’ll do my own best to give it to them.”
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St. Vincent is bringing her “All Born Screaming” tour to Manila on Jan. 8, 2025 via Karpos Live. Tickets are available at tickelo.com.
