Your passion and love for music can start at any age. That’s something that hangs in curiosity for many fans. What did this person listen to when they were younger? Who influenced them?
The ‘Where It Started’ series is a platform for artists of all kinds to speak on the anthems that raised them to be who they are now.
Meet Saint Punk: Utilizing his rock background, Saint Punk creates the perfect blend of grunge roots with today’s evolving electronic scene, producing a new style of enticing dance music that has been coined as “Grunge House.” As he continues to impose his will amongst the dance music community, his antagonizing style and sound has deemed him the right of being one of the most exciting acts on the rise. As he freshly releases his latest single “It’s Alright” on Martin Garrix’s STMPD imprint, we couldn’t find a better time to discover his musical roots.
Where It Started: Saint Punk
The list of songs that have influenced me over the years is endless. It’s terribly hard to narrow it down. These in particular stand out because of multiple factors. Either the time in my life when I listened, the way it made me feel or still makes me feel when I listen, and the storytelling and songwriting behind it.
“Smells Like Teen Spirit” hit me like a ton of bricks! I would blast it in my house and run around with my friends, jumping on the furniture and pretending to mosh like maniacs. I was obsessed with Nirvana after this. I didn’t realize until later in life why Nirvana’s music connected with me so much, when bands like Alice In Chains or Soundgarden just didn’t. It’s because of the songwriting. Cobain wrote pop songs essentially. Catchy melodies, catchy lyrics, even if they didn’t make sense.
“Bulls On Parade” speaks for itself. This song just makes you feel invincible. Rage Against The Machine wrote a perfect song when they wrote this. It will never not be amazing.
“Big Love,” by Fleetwood Mac, specifically the live version from The Dance album, is an example of a song that has influenced me because of the performance and the passion behind it. Lindsey Buckingham pretty much played a VIP of the song, finger picking the high AND low strings, all while singing at the top of his lungs. It’s an incredible performance.
“Fire and Rain” is a song that most of the population knows, even if they don’t know they do. My parents listened to a lot of James Taylor, so growing up I always heard it everywhere. It has a deep nostalgia for me, but also, James Taylor is truly a master storyteller. He makes you really understand and see exactly what he’s singing about. One of the best of our time.
I could go on about every song but I’ll end with Incubus. “If Not Now, When?” wasn’t the first song I listened to from Incubus. I got into them after listening to their SCIENCE album, so they’ve always had a special place in my heart. This song in particular though really illustrates the evolution that artists go through, throughout their career. Brandon Boyd makes you hold your breath on every note. The music is expertly arranged. It shows how the entire band has matured as musicians. Gives me chills every time. It’s just a great song.”
