St. Lucia Brings New Record To Life On Stage

Some bands have the ability to sound great on a record but struggle to bring that same quality of sound onstage. Others are the opposite, captivating in real time but less inspiring later on. Since the release of St. Lucia’s first EP in 2012 to their new record Hyperion, they’ve proven time and time again that they’ve hit the happiest of sonic mediums.

Jean-Philip Grobler (the group’s founder, frontman and primary songwriter) and company make the perfect music to soundtrack an early fall road trip with earworms like “Dancing on Glass” and “Elevate.” They also consistently sell out iconic music halls, including their last run at 9:30 Club. In fact, they sold out two New York City shows at Pier 17 ahead of Hyperion’s release. Grobler is adamant their live show has helped them realize the full spectrum of their music, set them apart from peers and has garnered them a loyal fan base through the years.

“I loved making the album,” he explains. “It’s a grueling process, but it’s necessary. Through that process, I fully rediscover who I am as a person and an artist each time. The record really comes to life onstage, through people seeing and hearing the songs performed live. Sometimes [listening to a record] is too much for people to absorb. It’s like hearing just the audio of a movie and thinking, ‘What exactly is going on?’ and then seeing the movie and hearing the audio, which makes way more sense.”

St. Lucia is preparing to bring even more energy on this tour, which kicked off at the aforementioned sold out Pier 17 dates. Grobler and his bandmates will be back at the 9:30 Club on November 5 and 6.

“I feel like out of all of our records, [Hyperion] is tailor-made to be played live because it was constructed as a ‘band in a room’ kind of record, even though there’s also a higher production value there,” he says.

“We have the craziest production lights and rigs we’ve ever taken on tour, and we have this custom video content.”

Aside from the bells and whistles, their live show is part of their identity at this point.

“We believe in playing music as a band, but we also believe in bringing a show so that people get more than maybe what they would expect from the size venues that we’re playing.”

While their lush, breezy sound will have you dancing in your car on a daily commute as much as in front of the stage in concert, don’t write them off because of their pop-leaning sound – especially in this contemplative full-length effort. The band is more than meets the eye, or the first listen.

“I feel like in music and art in general, it more celebrates what’s f–ked up and negative,” Grobler says. “People, for some reason, believe your art more if you’re a dark person. I’m making this music that’s very positive and uplifting, but I think it’s important that all art has balance – that it explores the dark and light sides of the human condition. Having Indy made me think a lot more about that. To me, it comes across on the record and it feels like it’s a deeper exploration of both ideas.”

Indy is, of course, Grobler’s son with his wife and St. Lucia bandmate Patti Beranek. She was pregnant during the writing and recording stages of Hyperion, and that life-altering experience for both naturally gravitated into the sound of the album. Global chaos and impending first-time fatherhood led him to meditate on what kind of good and bad things in the world would greet Indy when he finally arrived.

“I would definitely call myself an optimistic person. I’m quite romantic and I think the world is beautiful. But I also see how it’s f–ked up in a lot of ways. A lot of the album is just dealing with being that kind of person in this world. We have this very positive vibe to our music. From the outside, I think for people who listen to darker music, it can be difficult for them to make that jump. But I think if they did, they would find something good in it.”

The reciprocal relationship music creates between artist and listener lies at the heart of everything St. Lucia creates. As excited as he is to inspire listeners through a record and in person, Grobler thrives off the energy and excitement fans new and old provide with each new album.

“When you start touring [and] you see people singing along to the words, that’s such a moving thing. There were so many moments of self doubt in making all these records. I think it’s natural for an artist to experience that. You go through this really grueling pilgrimage and process of making a record and then you release it, and you’re f–king terrified of what people might think. But then to just see how it moves people – and we haven’t seen it yet with this record – I’m really, really looking forward to that.”

Move and be moved with St. Lucia at the 9:30 Club on Monday, November 5 and Tuesday, November 6. Doors at 7 p.m. Tickets are $32.50. Learn more about the show at www.930.com, and about the band at www.stlucianewyork.com.

9:30 Club: 815 V St. NW, DC; 202-265-0930; www.930.com