LOCAL FOR LIFE — SAINTÉ FOR THE JD AND NEW BALANCE 1906 CAMPAIGN
As you press play on Still Local, Leicester-to-London import Sainté’s latest project, you’re met with a gentle introduction, a track that looks back on the journey thus far. In the next track, Tea over Henny, there’s a prominent lyric that reads “I feel like YS Sainté in 2020” – an ode to times much simpler, where he was still establishing himself as an artist. Now that he’s travelled the world, accumulated millions of streams and taken over iconic billboards, a reminder (to himself and to those listening) that Sainté is just that kid from Leicester, feels most appropriate.
“Where you come from is everything. To forget that is like losing your passport and then trying to prove to someone who you are. That just don’t make no sense,” says Sainté on why staying grounded is so important to him. “You grow along the journey, but there’s no growth without that core,” he explains. He tells me that he’s kept old friends close by him, as it helps him remember why he started, on his journey of achieving goal after goal. Anyone who’s ever had the pleasure of meeting Sainté knows that he exudes massive amounts of humility, but for him, it’s never been about displaying that, just more so that he’d never want to let go of that foundation that’s made him truly who he is. “And there’s nothing better than local conversation,” admits Sainté, with Leicester being so small, word does get round fast, “Nothing better than local gossip to keep you down to Earth.”
With his feet still firmly placed on the ground, Sainté’s growth is clear to see, even just by looking at the collaborators on his last project and in the last year as a whole. I ask him about what it’s like to see people move on that sliding scale from idol to collaborator and he simply describes it as “insane” explaining that whilst there’s always a plan, there’s been some bonus moments along the way. “I’ve learnt that rather than having a plan, it’s just important to have a guide.” he says. Explaining how Potter Payper’s camp reaching out to him caught him totally by surprise, Sainté speaks about his initial thoughts, wondering “exactly what a Sainté and Potter track would sound like”. “I’m a fan of Potter, and he’s a UK legend, so I had to bar. I had to come correct!” he says, talking about how the idea for the track came whilst he was spending some time in Brockhampton farm in the Cotswolds – and so ‘G’s Reign’ was born, signing off Sainte’s early 2024 project.
From ‘03’’ to ‘Air4’ – two of my personal favourites from Sainte’s discography – there’s no question that versatility is one of his biggest strengths. When I ask him whether he entered the game with a plan to be versatile or it came along the way, our conversation randomly trails off into speaking about visual artists. Although van Gogh painted both Starry Night and Sunflower, which (to my not-very-artistic eye) seem different stylistically, he’s still thrived in as an artist, due to pursuing his hobbies and interests, and Sainté looks to do the same. “I do feel the pressure sometimes, but then I realise everyone has problems and pressure at work. Construction workers literally have to make sure a building survives generations, and if the roof falls in someone’s in trouble!” Describing how he alleviates the pressure he sometimes feels when making music. “Really and truly, there’s no right or wrong. When you drop a song, like that could be your next song.”
But the next drop on Sainté’s calendar is the JD + New Balance 1906, who he’s the face of, starring in the campaign alongside some of his longtime friends. “When I’m working with anyone, it’s always about building that relationship first, and none of my relationships are fake,” Sainté says, not just on his personal relationships, but also on the relationship he’s built with New Balance, “It’s not random at all, the love and support is real, it’s there.” It’s highly likely to catch Sainté in a pair of NBs on any given day, and as we sit in his flat, there’s New Balance trainers dotted around, and he can pick up each one and tell you a little bit about it and why he likes it. Right now, he’s rocking with the pair in this campaign, as well as the latest Aimé Leon Dore collab. “They’re simple, I like simple shoes, and the way they just work in one colour or multiple,” he says. Sainté also speaks about how surreal moments like these are: “I literally used to go into wellgosh, who are part of the JD family and look at all the new shoes, so it’s just sick we’re now actually partnering with JD, and with a brand that’s so close to my heart.
Sainté speaks a lot about how it’s a “family affair” with New Balance, and references the link up with 99Ginger for a F+F exclusive silhouette as evidence of what is possible. “Those are literally the homies, and they made a shoe like I’ve never seen before.”
Our conversation then naturally moves towards speaking about Paris, and we both seem very fond of the city. “I remember the first time I went, it was for less than 24 hours, and I literally had socks, boxers and a toothbrush in my bag. I felt so much love and ever since then I’ve really just loved the city.” We exchange some of our favourite spots to get food (which I won’t be sharing, sorry not sorry) and then Sainté explains how the city, and the country as a whole is informing his sound. “I’m actually going to learn French. In fact, I have a song with a French hook,” he reveals.
As the conversation takes another turn and we speak about Peri Grill – a Leicester based chicken and chip shop – we play a couple games of FIFA as he takes a break from recording with long-term collaborator bb, who’s got production credits on 13 out of the 14 tracks on Still Local.
Even when the sky is within touching distance for Sainté, you can expect his feet to be firmly planted on the ground – and it’s highly likely that he’ll be in his JD + New Balance 1906s.
