London feminist punk trio Big Joanie are releasing their highly anticipated new album Back Home on November 4, and today they’ve shared new single and video “Sainted”.
The song builds out Big Joanie’s sound with percolating synths, propulsive percussion and sidewinding guitars. It makes the perfect backing for this tale of quietly encroaching discomfort; “After the rain falls / You only want me on your own,” Stephanie Phillips croons. Yet, just when you think this could turn ugly, “Sainted” transforms into a song of newfound power and affection channelled through ancestral connections; “I’ve been sainted with a kiss / Oh I’ve been missed, oh I’ve been missed,” she sings, as Big Joanie continue to power through the stormy night.
The atmosphere of the song is augmented in the video by director Leanne Davies.
Big Joanie’s drummer and vocalist Chardine Taylor-Stone shares about the making of “Sainted” video: “Taking inspiration from Wicca and Orisha worship spiritual practices amongst the African diaspora, ‘Sainted’ creates a new Black British folk-gothic aesthetic just in time for Halloween/Samhain.”
Davies adds: “I was really inspired by the theme of ancestral connections to nature in the track, and by the idea that something as simple as the smell of lavender can transform the everyday. We’re close to Samhain, which is all about connecting with the otherworld and your ancestors, so I wanted to make sure we referenced this. I imagined it as a cross between ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock’, ‘Blair Witch Project’, and ‘The Craft’; dreamy and magical with a dark edge. The track is rhythmic and ritualistic, so even without visuals it’s compelling and spell-like.”
Watch the video for “Sainted” below or find it on streaming platforms.
Big Joanie’s new album Back Home arrives on November 4 through Daydream Library (UK) / Kill Rock Stars (US) (pre-order/save).
