St. Vincent: KCRW Guest DJ Set

Following the release of her eighth studio album, All Born Screaming, St. Vincent’s Annie Clark invites for a look under the hood at the musical engines that helped inspire her self-produced “post-plague pop album.”

Featuring a little help from her friends — including Rachel Eckroth, Josh Freese, Dave Grohl, Mark Guiliana, Cate Le Bon, Justin Meldal-Johnsen, Stella Mogzawa and David Ralicke — Screaming was forged from hours spent in a room experimenting with modular synthesis and old drum machines, making what she describes as “90% unlistenable” post-industrial dance music. The result, however, is highly-listenable, a primal, visceral exploration of life, death, love, and the complexities therein.

Clark joins host Novena Carmel for a Guest DJ set exploring All Born Screaming, pulling selections that reveal her love of ‘80s dub and ska, a deep respect for Tori Amos and her ability to “take you to heaven and hell and everywhere in between,” and what it was like collaborating with one of her best friends, Welsh musician/producer Cate LeBon, on the new album. She also talks about crowd surfing at Coachella, the challenges of self-producing vs. producing for other artists, and stepping away from persona-play to make a record that reflects “the sound of the inside of my head.”

The Specials – “Man at C&A”

Tori Amos – “iieee”

Cate Le Bon – “Wheel”