Recently, Saint Punk released an exciting new bootleg of the popular Nirvana song “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. I even had the awesome opportunity to get some time with Saint Punk himself to learn more about his inspiration and creative process behind the song!
I don’t know about anyone else, but being the 90’s baby that I am, my parents raised me on grunge rock and classic oldies. Although I don’t find myself listening to it as much nowadays, but when artists remix those songs it gets me ALL in my feels.
The Song
When I was initially sent this song I was skeptical- how could anyone beat out Nirvana? A classic oldie that I personally have some deep connections to, I wasn’t sure I would like the song. But turns out? I LOVE IT.
Upon my first listen, I was honestly shocked at Saint Punks ability to remix this song, while still being able to maintain its iconic grunge essence. I continued to listen to the song on repeat a couple of times and the more I listened? The more I loved it. I was getting all of my favorite grunge vibes, while still catering to my intense passion for EDM music.
The song still boasts the original grunge rock base. However, as we build-up to the drop, it moves into a fast-paced dance song. I’m hopeful that once Saint Punk starts touring, I’ll get the chance to go wild on the dance floor to this song. Give it a listen and tell me what you think!
Interview With Saint Punk
As a new an emerging artist on the scene, Saint Punk is quickly making a name for himself. With a background in rock music, he’s channeling that rock background into a new blend of rock/house EDM. His newest bootleg release, Smells Like Teen Spirit, could be considered his debut into that space. I got the amazing opportunity to catch up with him after the release, here’s what he had to say.
Teen Spirit is an iconic grunge rock song, what made you pick that song?
Saint Punk: I’ve always loved Nirvana, and Smells Like Teen Spirit is one of their best songs and one of the best songs ever really. I really wanted to put my spin on it.
What did the creative process look like for you? Was it a long process? Or was it a song that you already had a good idea of what direction you wanted to take?
Saint Punk: This one came to me pretty quick. I had already mapped it out in my head for I just needed to get it down. What took me the longest was actually quantizing the stems. For some reason, they were all over the place. I had to go through them beat by beat and make sure they were on the grid.
With your background in rock music, can we continue to expect more rock-influenced song from you in the future?
Saint Punk: Definitely! Both originals and remixes.
With the transition from rock music to EDM, what’s been the biggest challenge/obstacle you’ve faced?
Saint Punk: Anyone with a computer can start making electronic music these days, so the electronic scene is definitely more saturated than the full band rock scene. It’s a lot harder to stand out from the crowd.
Needless to say, we can continue to expect big things from this artist. Although he hasn’t set anything in stone in terms of tours, new music and releases are without a doubt on the horizon. Make sure you subscribe to know when news comes on this up and coming artist!
