Slowly drifting

BRITISH pop trio Saint Etienne are releasing their 12th studio album entitled The Night tomorrow.

The band consists of lead singer and songwriter Sarah Cracknell, and co-writers and producers Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs.

Living up to its title, the album is set to capture the essence of the after-hours by taking the listener through a journey of layered tranquility, offering an ambient escape from the chaos of daily life.

“We were trying to find the state that’s between being awake and asleep, that dream space, with half forgotten thoughts drifting in, bits of TV dialogue, place names, streets or football grounds you’ve never even been to,” Bob said in an interview.

“You feel very receptive to sound and half-covered memories when you’re in that state,” he added.

On the creation process, which started in January and ended in August, Pete expressed joy for the three members to be gathered again in a studio.

“We realised that it had been several years since we’d actually done that, sprawling out on the carpet, mugs of coffee in hand, sheets of lyrics and half ideas for titles lying around us,” he noted.

Sarah added that the excitement was mainly influenced by the band creating in the same room again - their previous album I’ve Been Trying to Tell You (2021) was made remotely and became their highest-charting project since 1994.

Formed in 1990, Saint Etienne, named after the French football club AS Saint-Étienne, have become known for their immersive storytelling through sound.

They are best known for blending club culture with 1960’s pop, alongside other influences.

In the year 2000, they began to pivot towards ambient music with their album Sound of Water, and have since continued to jump between experimenting with the sound and returning to their early influences.