2022 is bringing with it many things. From the prospect of new beginnings to hotly-anticipated movie releases and, according to the news, plenty more hype-worthy fashion collaboration. But, above all, the one thing we are most excited about is the revamp our Spotify playlists are going to receive as some of the UK’s fastest rising musical talents set out to treat to the world to a slice of their incomparable sound. With this in mind, we could not think of a better way to kick off the new year than by introducing you to the artists set to dominate the music industry in 2022. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy Wonderland’s Ones To Watch round-up.
Next to grace our Ones To Watch round-up is South London’s Santino Le Saint. Boasting a tone akin to that of an angel and possessing the ability to drop bars, tinged with grunge and moodiness, the talent on the rise proves that his creativity knows no bounds. Following on from the warmly-received release of his album Beautiful Disaster, the artist sat down with Wonderland to discuss what he thinks a real rockstar is and album number two. Head below to enjoy…
I AM Santino Le Saint
BORN AND RAISED IN South London
THE FIRST RECORD I FIRST FELL IN LOVE WAS “Voodoo Child” by Jimi Hendrix.
NOW IT REMINDS ME OF late-night driving to my grandma’s house in the countryside with my Dad, playing it at full volume as we come onto the motorway.
MY BIGGEST INFLUENCES ARE my Dad, Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, Hayley Williams.
VISUALLY, I’M INSPIRED BY the late 90s/00s cult classics and sci-fi / dystopian films! Give me a dystopian feeling film with a love story with some grit and some twists and I’m all in.
MY MOST PERSONAL LYRIC IS “Where can I rest in your Hurricane” and IT’S ABOUT finding peace among the chaos of love.
RIGHT NOW I’M WRITING ABOUT this is a big secret, I don’t want to jinx it.. but I’ve started on album 2.
I HOPE MY MUSIC MAKES PEOPLE realise that they don’t have to be bound by genre or category, or play down their music in order to be successful. You can create whatever you want, however you want and you shouldn’t be creating for anyone else apart from yourself. I also hope it makes people want to cry and make love at the same time.
ONE PIECE OF ADVICE THAT’S STUCK WITH ME IS “The graveyard is the richest place on earth, because it is here that you will find all the hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled, the books that were never written, the songs that were never sung, the inventions that were never shared, the cures that were never discovered, all because someone was too afraid to take that first step, keep with the problem, or be determined to carry out their dream.” – Les Brown, my favourite quote.
THE BEST GIG I’VE EVER SEEN WAS – I don’t go to loads of gigs but my favourite gigs have always been seeing my friends live. Hearing a demo of a song go through its processes and then to see them do it on stage is amazing to watch.
THE BEST CROWD I’VE EVER PLAYED WAS my debut headline show where the crowd sang my songs louder and better than me.
THE BIGGEST MISCONCEPTION ABOUT ME IS I’m super serious. People always tell me they expected me to be way too serious and cold but I’m the opposite. I’m super nonchalant and laid back and don’t take anything too seriously, we’re all going to die one day so you’ve got to live every day like it’s your last.
MY BIGGEST LEARNING CURVE THIS YEAR WAS understanding that patience and hard work in the areas that you find hardest is the key to success. Making music and being creative has always been natural to me, doing everything else that you need to do in today’s day and age to take it to the next level has been something I’ve had to push myself to keep putting overtime in.
THIS YEAR I’M YEAR PROUD OF making my debut album with my closest friends.
I’M EVOLVING INTO a rockstar!
I WON’T COMPROMISE ON my music and my artistic vision.
THE FUTURE OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IS digital and also full of instrumentation. I think on one hand we’re entering this digital age where music will be changed forever, however, alongside this I think music is going to take a more musical and expressive direction than a lot of the copy and paste generic shit that is out there right now. Don’t know why, but I can feel it.
AS AN INDUSTRY, WE NEED TO think outside of the box.
BRING BACK real rockstars who can play instruments, not these guys who pretend.
GEN Z IS weird as hell. Me and my friends born 1997-1999 decided that we don’t belong to the millennials or Gen Z, we’re just all somewhere on the sidelines watching the world unfold.
AT MIDNIGHT ON NYE, I WAS WISHING FOR a kiss and a big fat cheque!
SONG I’VE HAD ON REPEAT IN 2021 “All I Wanted” – Paramore.
SONG I’M BRINGING INTO 2022 my album!
BEING INCLUDED AS ONE OF WONDERLAND’S ONES TO WATCH MAKES ME FEEL honoured, it’s nice to see that my hard work is being noticed and congratulated.
MY NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION IS don’t change!
THIS YEAR I WILL buy a house.
THIS YEAR YOU SHOULD BE LISTENING TO Santino Le Saint, Lola Young, INFAMOUSIZAK! Go listen to my friends.
THIS YEAR I HOPE WE CAN ALL move with love and not hate and be our authentic selves. You can’t magically end any of the prejudices overnight but we can start by showing love and embracing what we may not understand!
