About
St.Arnaud
By 24 years old in 2017, Ian St. Arnaud found himself to be an old hand on the festival performer circuit, a University graduate, an accidental overdose survivor and at a loss for what to do with himself next.Fall of 2017, St.Arnaud, along with drummer with Will Holowaychuk, had seen his bandmate, friend, and at times antagonist, hit by a train, thus dissolving their Americana/folk trio - North of Here. The three had met in high school and from humble beginnings, their first performance being in a small town library to a meager audience, they quickly became darlings of the Canadian folk movement. They had been preparing to head into the studio when their bandmate, Luke Jansen, was killed. Hauntingly, the album title had already been chosen - The Cost of Living.
Ian St.Arnaud, songwriter, and Will Holowaychuk, drummer and third member of North of Here, wanting to honour their band & the loss of their friend, reworked and rewrote many of the songs that make up the bulk of St. Arnaud’s debut album. However, new music inevitably began to pour out of St.Arnaud, and the first string of releases ensued, including: two singles, Dark Horse (August 2018), Morning Dreamers (September 2018), and St.Arnaud’s debut 6-track EP, Morning, Buddy (October 2018). Teaming up with Juno Award-nominated producer Graham Lessard (The Barr Brothers, Timber Timbre, Basia Bulat), Ian dove fully into the studio to flesh out his understated and raw songs. Hearkening to ‘70s protest folk, beaming, clever lyrics belay the dark weight of his themes. Simply orchestrated solo and band-performances, and impeccably-composed, St.Arnaud’s debut LP, The Cost of Living (October 2019), is a stunning sonic achievement. Ian tackles head-on themes of death, loss and confusion with sardonic humour and heart-on-the-sleeve puppy-love honesty. His simple, insightful lyrics bob and weave through layers of trumpet and electrified tenor guitar interplay, all tastefully layered over a sweet and solid rhythm section.
Working alongside his brother and fellow creative, the YouTube animator GingerPale, St.Arnaud found a loving home on YouTube and Spotify with legions of eager listeners and was swept up in dozens of tour dates across Canada and the USA. His new album, 2022’s Love and the Front Lawn continues the sad lyrics/happy melodies framework but with a new instrumental palette. St.Arnaud has performed with Basia Bulat, Reuben and the Dark, and Lucy Rose among countless others and has performed at stages across the world including at Reeperbahn, New Colossus Festival, FOCUS Wales, and Tallinn Music Week. St.Arnaud has been featured on Exclaim!, BeatRoute Magazine, Indie 88, and more.
“I want this album to continue the thread of self-reflection, vulnerability, and rawness” that made up The Cost of Living (2019) says St.Arnaud, “but with notable departures in texture and form.” Steeping in the likes of the raucous and fun-loving 70s’ Big Star and Jonathan Richman and The Modern Lovers, the ghostly and intimate Damien Jurado, and the wandering and clever narratives of Charlotte Cornfield, Ian didn’t forget about his innate talent for writing singable hooks and to practice his sha-la-las.
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