St. Vincent is the reigning queen of indie-rock. She has a sexy mix of girl power and coarse vulnerability that would make Liz Phair and Alanis Morrisette seem like vapid dilettantes.
Born in Tulsa and raised in Texas, St. Vincent was born Annie Clark. She began playing guitar and writing songs when she was merely twelve years old, working as a roadie for aunt and uncle who were a traveling jazz duo called Tuck & Patti. After graduation she attended Berklee School of Music, where she released her first EP (not having yet adopted the St. Vincent Moniker) called “Ratsliveonnoevilstar.”
Eventually she left Berklee, returning home to Texas and joined Polyphonic Spree, an early millennium music spectacle that has featured as many as 40 different musicians at any given time. After leaving Polyphonic Spree she recorded another EP called “Paris is Burning,” and sold it at the merch table while playing in Sufjan Stevens’ back-up band.
Finally, in 2007 she adopted her now famous moniker St. Vincent and recorded her critically acclaimed debut album, “Marry Me.” An album that was filled with thoughtful insight from a millennial who was stretching into her own skin while fighting off different levels of heartbreak at every turn. She followed the album up with two more equally compelling albums, “Actor” and “Strange Mercy,” in 2009 and 2011, respectively.
It was only then that music icon David Byrne, Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame inductee for his work as frontman for Talking Heads, asked her to collaborate with him on the album “Love This Giant.” The album blew St. Vincent into the stratosphere, and led her to release her fourth self-titled album last year. She has been on the road touring non-stop, playing to eager sold out crowds, painting with words her haunting shades of despair.
St. Vincent will be at The Brown Theater tomorrow, May 28th at 8:00 PM. Tickets are still on-sale for $30. Sarah Neufeld of Arcade Fire will also be on the show.
