OCEAN SPRINGS – Saint Social is the first full length release from the band of the same name. They’re an indie rock group with a polished sound featuring ambient soundscapes, clean melodic vocals and an often upbeat, danceable energy. It’s a sound carefully crafted for this newest release, which ties all the way back to the earliest days of the band and even years before.
“We poured our history into this album,” said frontman Quinn Erwin, who is joined by Bryan Borque and Justin Gollott. While other players do join in from Saint Social’s extended family at times, it’s this trio who have made up the core of the band’s sound. They are longtime friends with decades of musical collaboration between them before Saint Social came to be. As Erwin says, they’re a “new band of old friends.” For several years, as jobs, college, the military and other life commitments caused the group to move hours apart, they still found time to get together and jam when they could, performing in different projects or with Erwin’s solo material. Around 2019, they felt the call to come together officially for a new, collaborative original project.
Saint Social focused on finding their new project’s place in the musical world right from the beginning. They sought to carefully draw from the well of music that inspired each of them to develop a sound with a wide appeal that was also unique to the band’s identity. This found them leaning into the genres of bands like Coldplay, Genesis, The Killers, U2 and more. The group embraced the community and vibe of the coast area they were rooted in as a part of the band, and they set off to write.
“We really wanted to make music that represents where we’re from, the way that we see it and the way that we feel it… We want to make where we’re from proud. We want to make music that represents Mississippi and specifically the Gulf Coast.” Erwin said, adding that they hope to show that the coast wants original music, to get behind the bands and artists from this area. “… and not just ours. There are so many great artists in town… working hard to get people’s attention. We believe there’s enough room for everybody.”
During the downtime of the pandemic, Saint Social had the opportunity to trade ideas, share some files and work up their first batch of songs that would eventually make the new album. It was a time that inspired a lot of the band’s lyrical content as well.
“Quarantine is what really launched the band,” Erwin explained. “A lot of what we were writing was to encourage each other, but also to encourage our friends and families who were going through a lot of hard days… it gave people hope and reminded people not to give up.” Some material, such as bits of the song “Don’t Let the Fire Die” trace back even further, years before things began to click for the album. That song in particular is one that the band now considers to be something of a mission statement and is a highlight of their live set.
“People say there’s a lot of joy on the album, and I agree with that, totally. But there’s also a lot of heartache,” Erwin continued, explaining that some of the album’s themes ended up being ‘prophetic’ in a way. “…some of the stuff I wrote, just thinking about friends or things that I wanted to say were actually things that I personally eventually needed to hear.”
Other cuts from the album include the top-streamed opener “From Beginning to the End,” and the infectiously fun lead single “Swagger,” which gulf coast rockers may have heard on The Homegrown Show on 979 CPR Rocks. Saint Social has been bringing their music to stages across Mississippi and the surrounding states along with a specially selected batch of cover tunes. Jams from artists like Chappell Roan, The Verve, Fleetwood Mac or Coldplay might join in on a Saint Social show, expertly worked into the band’s performance for a smooth and stylistically complementary listening experience. Recent local appearances have included a number of special events such as Friday at the Fort, Gulf Coast Equality Fest, and Saint Social’s official album release party at Twisted Anchor Tattoo. This month they will be making their return to the Peter Anderson Festival in downtown Ocean Springs.
Looking forward, Saint Social will continue playing out regionally and seeking that connection with the audience that gives them renewed life with every show. More music is still on the horizon.
“We have so much more to say. There are songs in our set that aren’t even recorded yet. This album is just the beginning.”
Get out there and catch a show!
scott@coastobserver.com
@ScottiRedd9
Saint Social appears at the Peter Anderson Festival on November 2nd and 3rd
Album streaming on Spotify, Apple Music and more
Youtube (performance videos and more) @SaintSocialOfficial
Facebook, Instagram @SaintSocialOfficial
TikTok @SaintSocial
Photo by @Turk_Photography
